The
CSL’s new streamlined website follows the
popular redesign of the state of California’s
web portal, a customer-based project directed
by California’s State Chief Information Officer
J. Clark Kelso. Explaining the new trend in his
2006 Strategic
Plan, Kelso wrote that government
information technology leaders should “rethink”
the entire [web] service delivery model into a ‘service
center’ model.” Most recently, speaking at the
20th annual Government Technology Conference in
Sacramento May 18th, Kelso said to “give
customers the information they care about”
government websites need to abolish “departmental
boundaries.” Kelso, in other words, sees today’s
government website catering to what customers
need, and not displaying how government is
organized. Sifting through an agency’s
organization or mission statement, for example,
won’t help a customer get his or her job done.
Visitors
enjoying the simple online structure of “file
folder” tabs on the state of California home
page will now find the same “tabs” on the CSL
home page. Beginning this summer, as CSL visitors
comfortably “flip” through folders, they will
be in greater control of their library website
experience and the library’s internal
organization won’t distract them
Leading
the website-redesign project at the CSL are Ira
Bray of Library Development Services, Mark Cashatt
of the Information Technology Bureau, Kris Ogilvie
of the Government Publications Section, and Laura
Parker of the California Research Bureau.
Ogilvie
says, “Revamping the CSL’s website has allowed
everyone on the redesign team to dig-in and
examine what the CSL’s diverse customers need
when they visit our site. We’re constantly
learning, and the process has been really
exciting.”
State
Librarian Susan Hildreth says of the website
project, “We’re lucky to have such a talented
team spearheading this project which will make
California State Library services and information
more accessible for our customers.”
