By Sarah Weller
As many of you may have noticed, University Libraries has a new and improved website. Though the former site was very useful, the new homepage has undergone several changes to update and improve the website’s ease of access. According to Karen Hild of the Ekstrom Library, the libraries’ new website is “vastly improved and much more user-friendly, especially to offsite users.” The new site is a blend of the old homepage, the Online Research Center, and many new features, including a direct link to Blackboard, user-friendly off-campus access instruction, a link to Serial Solutions, detailed contact information, an expanded Help section, comprehensive site index, and a link to Ask-a-Librarian. Ask-a-Librarian is a new interactive tool that allows patrons of the libraries to chat with librarians about any questions they might need answered.
Many employees of University Libraries have been working hard to see that the new website provides its users with as much information and accessibility as possible. In addition to the aforementioned resources, from the website you can find articles, books, course reserves and other resources on just about any topic, articles and books U of L doesn’t own, as well as view and renew books you have already checked out. Whether you are on campus, in a dorm, or at home, this website is an excellent resource to its users, regardless of location.
As a student employee of the library, I can vouch for the straightforwardness and accommodations the website of the University Libraries presents. With links to each of the six libraries of the university, you can find just about any information you might be looking for. If all you need is to find out what hours the different libraries are open, or if you need to do extensive research on any subject, this website can most definitely help. As members of the U of L community, we need to get as much use of this valuable resource as possible.
Earlier this year, the University of Louisville Libraries were officially accepted into the Association of Research Libraries, a very prestigious honor. The new website certainly stands up to this reputation and the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Louisville are proud of this new achievement. With a PR campaign launching this month, keep an eye out for mailers, posters, flyers, and special public events of the University Libraries.
The University Libraries website can be viewed at http://library.louisville.edu.
