Amy Springer, a Government and Business Information Librarian, who blogs at Ch-Ch-Ch Changing Librarian, has graded several frequently used library database interfaces according to their visual appeal and perceived interest to users.

She has a good point; library databases should now be a little flashier. Is the predominant lack of images and use of white space supposed to signal that the researcher is doing serious work? As expensive as these databases are, they tend to look… inexpensive. The way that they are presented on the screen does not effectively communicate their value. It would be easier for libraries to justify their subscriptions to these resources if a casual user or viewer would see a little more than some words and seach boxes on a page.

Bring on the images, graphs, and colors! Other useful features might be sample searches, citation tools, and citations. The experience of searching a database could then have a context that references the research process and the products of that process.

If you have a concern about continuity, note that a significant and growing percentage of library user populations have come to expect change in this environment, and what could be perceived as stability could also be seen as stagnation.

What is your paid database design pet peeve?

W. David Penniman, Nylink Executive Director

Any organization should know why it exists, what it does, for whom it provides service, and how those services will be provided. Whether the organization is a for-profit or not-for-profit, these characteristics define its mission.

Today we also hear about value propositions, i.e. what it is that makes a particular organization and its services uniquely positioned to offer value to its members, customers, or stakeholders.

We also know that each organization has a culture shaped around a set of principles that define its environment and how it intends to operate.

And finally, we hope that any organization has a longer-term vision or what it aspires to achieve when all is said and done – or even when it is not done but still striving.

For Nylink, in the process of reinventing itself to continue to deliver value within a changing marketplace and economy, all of the above have been rethought, researched, recast, and/or reaffirmed via detailed analysis of exactly where we deliver value for each segment we serve.

Our mission continues to be building the information community through collaboration and innovation.

Our value propositions (detailed for each segment we serve) in general focus on our reputation for trusted partnerships where our professional solutions assist our members in saving time and money as well as embracing new approaches where technology can make service improvement possible.

Our principles are simple and few:

• Provide lowest cost services meeting member expectations
  (no favored vendor or product/service, provide choices where available)
• Operate on full cost recovery basis
  (understand all internal costs and price services accordingly – reduce cost where necessary)
• Maintain vendor relations that benefit our members
  (clear contracts, trusted partners)
• Treat all resources as assets for benefit of members
  (continuous member input on what they need and want, responsible financial management)

Our vision is to connect the resources, tools, and expertise of libraries and cultural heritage organizations throughout New York State for the economic and educational benefit of these institutions, the state, and its citizens. This is Nylink in brief, just in case you wondered.