Web design basics for librarians

CHICAGO - ALA Editions announces a new session of its popular facilitated eCourse on the basics of Web design for librarians. Diane Kovacs, a librarian and experienced online instructor, will serve as the instructor for a four-week facilitated eCourse starting on Oct. 7, 2013.

HTML elements are the basic building blocks of every webpage, so a little coding skill can yield big gains in effective communication and efficient website maintenance. With basic HTML skills, you can add links to your press releases, customize your Facebook page or update your library’s website. Even if you work with rich text editors in a content management system, fundamental Web design principles will give you better results. Once you know the basics, you can deepen your contribution to the Web team with skills in Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript .



Diane Kovacs will show you how to design attractive, clear and accessible webpages and give you the foundation for learning more.

Learning outcomes for this course:

• The ability to compose basic- to intermediate- level HTML documents and to understand and compose basic CSS (Cascading Style Sheets);
• The ability to draft a needs assessment for a website design and plan for a web project;
• An understanding of accessibility and how to design accessible pages;
• The ability to use both text and WYSIWYG editors to create Web content;
• The ability to create tables and basic forms for webpages;
• A basic understanding of how content management systems work and their strengths and limitations;
• The knowledge to plan and implement usability testing;
• A foundation for further self-learning for more advanced web design.

Diane Kovacs is president of Kovacs Consulting - Internet & Web Training. She has been a Web teacher and consultant for nearly 20 years. She designs and teaches Web-based and in-person courses for organizations and individuals including UIUC GSLIS LEEP, ACRL, MLA, SLA, NEO-RLS, NTRLS, SEFLIN, WNYRLC and others. She has been designing and teaching Web-based and in-person MLA Approved CE Courses since 2001. Diane Kovacs is the 2000 recipient of the "Documents to the People" award from the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association. She is the author of several books, most recently "The Kovacs Guide to Electronic Library Collection Development: Essential Core Subject Collections, Selection Criteria, and Guidelines, 2nd Edition."

Registration for this ALA Editions facilitated eCourse, which begins on Oct. 7, 2013, can be purchased at the ALA Store. Participants in this course will need regular access to a computer with an internet connection for online message board participation, viewing online video, listening to streaming audio (MP3 files) and downloading and viewing PDF and PowerPoint files.

ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionscoursehelp@ala.org.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.