A new look for the library
by Lytle Wurtzel
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Most students do not visualize themselves spending their evenings and weekends in a chat room with a librarian, but the Real Time Reference program is changing all that. The reference service, now offered by the University library system, receives the highest traffic on evenings and weekends.
Real Time Reference is just one of the many programs featured on the library's redesigned homepage, which debuted shortly before spring courses began. The redesigned Web site allows students to chat with a reference librarian, or even donate to the library's fund-raising campaign.
The redesign, engineered by University design Web manager Garry Barrow, will ensure consistency among all the University library sites.
And Melissa Norris, coordinator of communications, said she hopes that the new home page will "be able to fulfill users' needs right then and there. We need all the pages to look alike so that no matter where users are, they know they are on the University library Web site."
The emphasis on speedy access to reference materials led Barrow to pare down the visual confusion found on many pages that contain too many links.
"One of the main challenges is to make a great deal of information available on an interface that is easy to use and understand," he said.
One of the links that users will find on the site is a Spotlight section updated continuously to highlight library events, collections and special services. And if users are feeling particularly generous, they may pledge a gift to the library by directly entering a credit card number or by promising to mail in their gift by June 30.
Users also can link directly to a chat window with a reference librarian, such as Haynes Earnhardt. Earnhardt, a reference assistant, is a member of the reference team that staffs the Real Time Reference between the hours of 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
"We network between staff members in order to take advantage of particular skills and strengths of the staff," Earnhardt said. "The bottom line is good service, and when someone says 'Thanks for the help,' it always rubs me the right way"
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