I logged in this morning to check some holds I’d requested on my library account, and I noticed they’d made some improvements. Emphasis on the word “some”. The website for the Los Angeles Public Library isn’t bad, it’s got a nice, welcoming, library-esque feel to it as seen here:
Not horrible. The bit you get to once you sign in always irked me. The functionality was odd, but workable. Why then would they make the back-end look like THIS:
Seriously? Some of the additions include linking to Amazon reviews of books, being able to more easily see what branches have a copy of the book you’re interested in, and more cover images of the collection. They’re in dire need of some formatting, and clicking on a Library Branch under Holding Information gives you a screen with nothing but a map of the library. Hmm…
It looks as if the services provided to the LA Public Library come from The Library Corporation which, according to their website, do provide services that aren’t butt ugly, which begs the questions:
1) Is it ok to provide a steamy pile of design poop to a client who doesn’t have the money to pay for something “better”?
2) Is this re-tooling simply unfinished?
If you have any more info on the redesign please leave it in the comments… I’ll be keeping an eye on this, since I use the service all the time, and I’ll report back if any new developments occur!
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