Even though these assignments were repetitive in a way, I actually appreciated having to think through both the content and design thoroughly in different contexts.  While I don’t love either of my creations, they are probably better than what I’ll actually be able to create in real-life (i.e. as a school librarian) because of the limitations of 1) time and 2) the webmaker used by the school.  While I LOVE anything that doesn’t make me use html, I’m frustrated with how cumbersome many schools’ webmakers seem to be (and I’m not just referring to the districts we are working with  . . . it looks like most districts haven’t found a program that allows for great design and content and is easy to use.)

Here’s the one in Word  (o.k. this was a good idea in theory, but this wouldn’t load properly, so I had to just do a screenshot.)

Here’s the one in Photoshop/Dreamweaver  (and this one can’t load properly, either  There are cool pics behind each of the colums and a logo on top that signifies learning, unlearning, and relearning.  Oh well.  For all I know, ya’ll might not be able to see anything.)

A great article from Library Media Connection: Your Library Goes Virtual – Promoting Reading and Supporting Research by Audrey Church  In case the link goes away, here’s what a school library website should include:

• Online catalog
• Links to author websites
• E-books
• Online games based on books
• Reading lists
• Computerized reading programs test lists
• Book recommendations
• Book blogs
• PR concerning reading events
• NoveList or What Should I Read Next
• Subscription databases
• Curriculum-related websites
• Pathfinders
• Information literacy skills tools
• Search tools
• Critical evaluation of websites
• Research process guidelines
• Citation guidelines
• Connections to other libraries
• Virtual reference service