Web pages and the School Media Center

Web pages can be very useful for a school media center.  It is a good way for the Library Media Specialist to communicate with parents, community members, teachers, and school administration.  When creating your webpage, you must be aware of the do’s and don’ts of webpage design. 

Do: 

·         Keep your page structured

·         Focus on what is important:  Make your intent for the webpage the focus…

·         Choose the right color scheme

·         Make it easy to scan your pages

·         Keep it simple

·         Set your navigation up properly

·         Choose the right fonts and sizes

·         Make your page visually appealing

Don’t:

·         Just place boxes everywhere

·         Place irrelevant information on your page

·         Overdo the page with too many colors, fonts, and text sizes

·         Write long paragraphs on your page

·         Make your readers search for the intended content

·         Make everything on your page an image

The guidelines are simple…

  1) You should have good use of color.  An appropriate color scheme will contain 2 or 3 primary colors that blend well and create a proper mood or tone for your webpage. Don't overdo the color, as it can distract from the written content.

 2) Make your text easy to read.  The most easily read combination is black text on a white background, but many other color combinations are acceptable if the contrast is within an appropriate range. Use fonts that are easy to read and are found on most of today's computer systems. Keep font size for paragraph text between 10 and 12 points.

3) Use meaningful graphics.  Your graphics are important because they lend visual variety and appeal to an otherwise boring page of text. However, don't over-use them, and make sure that add meaning or context to your written content. Don’t overload any one page with more than 3 or 4 images.

4) Keep it simple and allow for adequate white space. Uncluttered layouts allow viewers to focus on your message. Don't overload your site with overly complex design, animation, or other effects just to impress your viewers.

My school system requires that all teachers and media specialists create and maintain a webpage.  I feel that creating and maintaining a school webpage is a very important tool for staying in touch with families.  It’s a great communication tool.  Parents can visit my webpage to learn about current events, upcoming events, and to find useful links.  After visiting many web pages from other schools, I plan to add my Policies and Procedures, a vision statement, and links to author websites to make my page more useful to parents and teachers. My media center webpage can be found at:  http://www.gcbe.org/education/staff/staff.php?sectiondetailid=34076&

The American Library Association has best websites for teaching and learning.  Click here to view these websites:  http://www.ala.org/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25

I found that each webpage link has strengths and weaknesses.  How do you think these compare to the do’s and don’ts guidelines?