Designing Usable and Accessible Web Pages:
previously titled: Web Design & Construction for Libraries Part 1: XHTML and CSS (beginners)
Web-based (Moodle) course - Register
to work -at-your-own-pace anytime - 15 CE from the MLA
This hands-on course focuses on the basics of Web site planning, design and content development. The course will also examine Web standards, usability, and accessibility. XHTML and CSS (external) will be introduced. The course begins with XHTML/HTML basics tutorials and a practice activity to make sure everyone has the basic skills. Students will plan and design a representative site during the course.
This is a primarily asynchronous seminar, allowing participants to work through course material at times convenient to them. The instructor will provide feedback to all completed work via email. Participants may also choose to schedule online chat time with the teacher, as they feel necessary.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Plan and design a Web site for Usability and simple Accessibility for selected users/groups.
- Understand and apply Web Standards
- Develop basic Web site contents for selected users/groups.
- Use DreamWeaver (MX2004 or higher preferred) or a text editor to create usable, accessible, and interesting Web pages. You may use Microsoft Expression (was FrontPage) or other HTML editor if you already know what you are doing with it.
Participants will end the session with a draft Web site plan, design, and a Web page (or pages )that will allow minimal accessibility validation and usability testing.
Librarians and other information specialists who want to learn to design usable, accessible, standard Web pages that will attract the intended users and encourage and invite them to persist and return to the site.Experience working with the library patrons in any subject area chosen is assumed. Level of instruction is beginner in regard to XHTML/CSS and Web design experience.
Participants must understand paths -- directories or folders and where files are saved -- in a Windows or Mac OS environment. FTP or other experience uploading Web pages to a Web server will be expected. Some basic assistance will be provided.
Participants should know how to use e-mail and a current standard Web Browser Firefox, Netscape 7.0, Safari or IE 5.5 or higher is preferred. Some HTML/XHTML or HTML editor experience will be useful. HTML/XHTML basics will be reviewed.
Register anytime to work-at-your-own-pace with a Web teacher through e-mail, chat and Moodle. $175. 15 CE from the MLAAll of the required readings and activities for the course will be available on-line but it will be useful to have available the references in the Recommended Materials listed below.
- Graph Paper for laying out CSS design.
- Lynch, Patrick J., and Horton, Sarah. 2009. Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, 3rd. Ed. New Haven:Yale University Press. http://www.webstyleguide.com/index.html
- Freeman, Elisabeth and Eric (2005). Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML*. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0-596-10197-X
- Niederst Robbins, Jennifer (2006). Web Design in a Nutshell , 3rd Ed. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0-596-00987-9
- Meyer, Eric (2007). CSS Pocket Reference, 3rd. Ed. O'Reilly. ISBN 10: 0-596-51505-7 | ISBN 13:9780596515058 (9.99 list price)
- Bickner, Carrie. (2004) Web Design on a Shoestring. New Riders Publishing: Boston ISBN 0-7357-1328-6
- Norman, Donald (any edition).. The Design of Everyday Things. Basic Books ISBN: 0-385-26774-6
*Strongly recommended for those students who come to class with no HTML experience.
Diane K. Kovacs is President of Kovacs Consulting - Internet & Web Training. She has more than 15 years of experience as a Web Teacher and Consultant. She designs and teaches Web-based and in-person courses for organizations and individuals including UIUC GSLIS LEEP, ACR, MLA, NEO-RLS, NTRLS, SEFLIN, WNYRLC, and others. Diane has been designing and teaching Web-based and in-person MLA Approved CE Courses since 2001
Her most recent book is The Kovacs Guide to Electronic Library Collection Development: Essential Core Subject Collections, Selection Criteria, and Guidelines, 2nd Edition (2009) Neal-Schuman Publishers. The Virtual Reference Handbook: Interview and Information Delivery Techniques for the Chat and E-Mail Environments Neal-Schuman Publishers (2007) was published concurrently in the United Kingdom by Facet Publishers (2007).
Genealogical Research on Web was published in 2002. How to Find Medical Information on the Internet: A Print and Online Tutorial for the Health Care Professional and Consumer (2000) (Library Solutions Press) and Building Electronic Library Collections: The Essential Guide to Selection Criteria and Core Collections (Neal-Schuman) were both published in 2000.
Diane's first book The Internet Trainer's Guide was published in 1995. The Internet Trainer's Total Solution Guide was published in 1997. She has also co-authored with her husband Michael Kovacs, Cybrarians Guide to Successful Internet Programs and Services which was published by Neal-Schuman in 1997.
Diane Kovacs is the 2000 recipient of the "Documents to the People" award from the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association. She was also the recipient of the Apple Corporation Library's, Internet Citizen Award for 1992 and was the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science Alumni Association's first recipient of the Leadership Award in 1996.
Diane received an M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois in 1989 and an M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from Kent State University in 1993. She has a B.A. in Anthropology also from the University of Illinois, 1985.