Anoushka Parameswar, Contributing
The Emory University Library system will significantly redesign its website to streamline user experience as part of the Libraries Web Redesign project, according to Director for Library Technology and Digital Strategies Rosalyn Metz. The redesign will not include the Hugh F. Macmillan Law Library or the Pitts Theology Library, Metz said.
Metz, who has overseen the library website for the past three years, said the library regularly conducts user surveys, and recent feedback suggested the need for a more streamlined website experience.
“For many students, faculty and staff, [the library website] may feel very disjointed — content might be repeated on the different websites,” Metz said. “Our goal is to bring these [websites] together in a broader view, and remove barriers to accessing the services that we provide, but also the content that the libraries provide.”
The library worked with Viget, a Washington D.C. design and development firm, to conduct user research and form focus groups to provide input on the website design. The library also receives development support from Atlanta-based development firm Hannon Hill, which also created the University’s content management system, Cascade.
“The research informed the designs [Viget] provided us,” Metz said. “The goal [of the designs] is to provide multiple pathways to the content that we have on our website and make our services easier for people to identify and find.“
Although the development process is ongoing, the library has launched a preview of the new homepage.
“The goal [of the preview] is to provide users a chance to react to the designs, so that preview homepage is by no means the final product,” Metz said. “We really wanted to engage users in getting some initial feedback, because we recognized that these designs will propagate throughout the libraries various applications.”
Metz also said that individual libraries will still have their own websites, though students will be able to access their content through the new site.
The next phase of development will focus on improving performance and increasing accessibility. The library will also conduct more focused user research as the redesign process continues.
Musa Ya-Sin (21C) is from Decatur, Georgia, majoring in history. Before transferring to Emory in Fall 2019, Ya-Sin attended Georgia State University. An aspiring law student, Ya-Sin enjoys video games, volunteering and cooking.
