Web/Technology Experience 

I believe a user-centered web presence is critical for every library and have worked hard to ensure that technology is used not for it’s own sake, but to enhance student learning and access to library resources. While I do not have advanced programming skills, I believe my interest in usability and design makes me a valuable member of any web team. I have created web sites, maintain several blogs and wikis, and am adept at integrating the library’s resources and services into learning management systems such as Blackboard, Canvas, and Moodle. I have experience creating LibGuides, developing tutorials using Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, and TechSmith Camtasia, and also have experience with Adobe Creative Cloud graphic design and photo editing tools. Additionally, to further improve my skills and knowledge about user-centered approaches to web design, I have completed a Certificate in User Experience from Library Juice Academy. 

For several years, I served as co-chair and was an active member of my library’s Web Implementation Team which was responsible for the development and maintenance of the library web site. We worked to improve our library interface and develop a more user-centered library website. I also served as primary investigator for a series of three usability studies of the library website. This project originated with an ethnographic study of student use of the library and combined traditional methods of conducting usability studies with ethnographic approaches including participant observation and coding of user behavior. Although many libraries have conducted usability studies, ours was heavily influenced by the collaborative involvement of both teaching faculty and students in the Anthropology and Education Departments of our university. More information about these studies can be found in a paper published in Internet Reference Services Quarterly as well as presentations listed on the Scholarship section of this site.