Books by Rebecca Blakiston

The written word is our primary tool for communication ΓÇô with colleagues, administrators, stakeholders, and users. Poor use of words can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies. Writing effectively will help you be a stronger colleague, manager, and librarian. In this book, you will learn how to:┬╖Define your audience and your primary messages┬╖Simplify your writing so that it is succinct and understandable┬╖Structure your written content so that it is most usable and accessible to your audience┬╖Approach different forms of writing in a way that is most effective to getting your message across┬╖Establish a voice and tone that reflects the identity of your organization and yourself as a professionalThe book covers writing for both print and Web-based publications and is aimed at all types of libraries.

Do you want to improve the usability of your library website, but feel that it is too difficult, time-consuming, or expensive? In this book, you will learn that in-house usability testing on a budget is not only feasible, but it is practical, sustainable, and has the potential to lead to remarkable improvements of the content, design, and layout of your website. Usability Testing: A Practical Guide for Librarians will teach you how to: .Make the case for usability testing .Define your audience and their goals .Select a usability testing method appropriate for your particular context .Plan for an in-house usability test .Conduct an effective in-house usability test .Analyze usability test results and make decisions based on those results .Create and implement a plan for ongoing, systematic usability testing Step-by-step instructions, along with a myriad of examples, allow you to use this book as a practical guide, and adapt the techniques for your own context. Techniques are appropriate for libraries of all types, including academic, public, and special libraries."