TIS Lab

In order to improve feedback on web site issues TIS has implemented a new form. This form is linked in the footer of each page with a label of “Web Site Feedback”. Use this form to flag the following…

* Inaccurate, outdated, or inaccessible content
* Content that is redundant, too wordy, or not formatted for the Web
* Broken links
* Other content issues or comments

Features we have built into the form include a URL field pre-populated with the previous URL, a re-sizable comment box, clear notification of what the form is intended for, a spam blocker that is only required once  per user session, and a confirmation page that prints the user’s comment and provides a link back to the original URL.

The form’s ease of use has been accounted for by separating out three main sections; the required Comments, the optional About You, and the Spam Blocker. Each section is wrapped in a fieldset and each input can be tabbed in order.

Once a submission is received TIS will notify the appropriate web author and work with the web author to make appropriate updates. If the submitter provides contact information an update will be provided. For easy tracking a e-mail is automatically generated and each  submission is recorded in the Libraries Content Management System.

We hope that this new system will help us start to address redundancy and bloat which are common issues in library web sites and which our User Services division has identified as a priority concern.  Any redesign efforts we undertake in the future will be helped significantly by leaner, cleaner content.