Comments on: Here’s Hoping Usability Becomes Institutionalized within ALA

By: Nick Baker

Nick Baker — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:25:06 +0000

I feel sorry for whoever lands this position. The ALA website is a smorgasboard of bad design choices and clunky interfaces, built on a CMS that was still incomprehensible to me after 3 hours of training (and I’m a web developer!). In short, it looks like a headache I wouldn’t wish on anybody. On the other hand, it’s something ALA desperately needs. Put another zero on that salary.

By: ignorance

ignorance — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:41:31 +0000

*sigh*. your title had me thinking that the job was to make ala more usable - but it’s only for the website. if yer being funny, i like it.

By: jenny

jenny — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:53:16 +0000

@Nick: I understand what you’re saying, but it’s a losing proposition if we say ALA desperately needs this type of help and then are cynical when they go for it, so I was glad to see how you ended your comment. I’m trying to do a post on the ITTS Update blog about the latest wireframes, which I see as a very positive step for the non-division/unit pages.

I wish we were using a different CMS, too, but now we’re in the making lemonade phase. My personal hope is that we’ll see more usable online services overall, since a lot of the things we’re doing are now happening outside of the CMS anyway.

@iggy: I hear ya, but no one person could do that. One of the things I’m learning is that the kind of change I think you’re referring to really has to come from members. Staff can change pieces of it, but they can’t change the bylaws or structure of the Association.

By: Denise

Denise — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:32:51 +0000

comment

By: Denise

Denise — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:37:07 +0000

I completely agree with Jenny. This work should be done and soon. ALA should be modelling best practices in web usability instead of being an example of “what not to do.”

However, I find it disturbing that ALA is not hiring a Librarian to do this work. Just goes to show that our organization is clueless about what we really do everyday. What about those librarians
who have advanced degrees and certificates in this area or have killed themselves learning about this area out of simple passion to serve our patrons well from the web?

I wish I wouldn’t have paid my dues this year. Its a big drag to be a part of an organization that doesn’t take care of its own.

Say, here’s an idea. Hire a librarian for this gig. The salary would be a lot lower.

By: Emily C

Emily C — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:33:18 +0000

Denise - why would the salary be lower for a librarian? I wouldn’t take a cent less to do that job.

By: jenny

jenny — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:50:58 +0000

@Denise: It’s not that we wouldn’t hire a librarian, it’s that we want someone with demonstrated learning in this area. Unfortunately, the original job ad didn’t reflect this, so we just today added “or other related field” to the HCI requirement. So if you have an MLS or an MLIS and the right blend of experience, vision, and um…strength, go for it. We’re not excluding *anybody.* We’re going for the best person for the job, not the degree or just a name.

So yes, we would hire a librarian, and no, we’re not going to lower the salary.