One approach you might take, is to do what the federal government and local governments are increasingly doing: selectively adopt industry standards.  So like for building code. Most municipalities adopt the generic one and then list exceptions.

So the effort is spent reviewing and selecting the best standards (best practices, guidelines), and preparing a document, not re-inventing the wheel. 

2c 

Christina


-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cindi Blyberg
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2014 10:14 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was: LibGuides v2 - Templates and Nav)

You will also have support from the LITA Board on this. The document/wiki can be published/publicised far and wide.  The UX IG can bring the document to the board and ask for endorsement, which will also help with its authority.  The IG could also take responsibility for the yearly updating, and it could turn into scholarly work from there--in the C4L journal, ITAL, ACRL publications, etc, which would also boost its authority among folks off-list.

Exciting!

I'm leaving the Board in July 2015, but there are at least 2 other members on this list: Bohyun and Andromeda.  Maybe others; I haven't looked.

On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 4:14 PM, Kim, Bohyun <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Josh, Brad, and Lisa,
>
> The LITA UX IG can provide ALA Connect for use. Check here:
> http://connect.ala.org/node/222849.You can create an account and use 
> it whether you are a member of ALA/LITA or not. (If you are a member, 
> do join the UX IG though. :) ALA Connect is just a Drupal system so it 
> can offer things that Drupal does - chat room, postings, discussion 
> forum, holding docs, voting, etc.
>
> The point that Sean and Shaun made is a good one. The content being 
> housed in ALA Connect won't necessarily command the authority. Only 
> the actual quality of the document will do that. And if you want to 
> house the content in easily editable wiki, I think Code4Lib Wiki may 
> be better suited for that. http://wiki.code4lib.org/Main_Page
>
> But you are right that ALA will have a much wider reach to those who 
> will benefit from this. (Some ALA divisions like ACRL actually 
> publishes standards; LITA hasn't done that in the past nor Code4Lib. 
> But it is not impossible to do so.) Whichever route you go, you are 
> welcome to leverage LITA UX as your discussion forum and use other 
> tools there as well. IMHO, as long as the final content is cross-linked, we will all benefit.
>
> Cheers,
> ~Bohyun
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf 
> Of Joshua Welker
> Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2014 3:57 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was: 
> LibGuides v2
> - Templates and Nav)
>
> Code4Lib is certainly respected among techy librarians, but I would 
> bet that 90% of my coworkers have never heard of it and would not care 
> especially much about a document they publish. Not to disparage the group.
> I think it's great. I just think that official, institutionalized 
> channels are going to be most effective in this case.
>
> I will be gone several days but will start throwing some things 
> together soon.
>
> Josh Welker
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf 
> Of Sean Hannan
> Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 2:30 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was: 
> LibGuides v2
> - Templates and Nav)
>
> I'm just going to jump in here and question the need for it to be ALA 
> or LITA affiliated. Plenty of stuff has been accomplished and 
> respected (like, oh, hey, code4lib) without an attachment of ALA or LITA.
>
> Annnnd...discuss.
>
> -Sean
> ________________________________________
> From: Code for Libraries [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of 
> Joshua Welker [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 3:19 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was: 
> LibGuides v2
> - Templates and Nav)
>
> Bohyun,
>
> That sounds like it could be a great fit.
>
> There would be two final products for what I have in mind:
>
> 1. A wiki site (ideally attached to an ALA-affiliated domain name) 
> where we can collaborate and break all this down at the topic level. 
> This is the source that would be used by the boots-on-the-ground 
> librarians who are actually doing UX work and need practical 
> information. It would be continually updated. The content would be 
> curated, and there would be a very basic approval process for creating new editor accounts.
>
> 2. An annually-revised document (again, attached to an ALA-affiliated 
> domain
> name) that compiles everything from the wiki together in a format that 
> can easily be presented to other librarians and administrators. In my 
> experience, a bureaucratically approved document carries a lot more 
> weight in libraries than a website, at least in academic libraries.
>
> Topics that would be addressed:
>
> 1. Accessibility
> 2. Layout patterns
> 3. Typography and readability
> 4. Best practices for specific library web platforms 5. 
> Recommendations for how libraries should implement the guidelines at a 
> management level
> (non-technical)
>
> Josh Welker
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf 
> Of Kim, Bohyun
> Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 1:42 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was: 
> LibGuides v2
> - Templates and Nav)
>
> Jumping into this discussion late. Just wanted to let everyone know 
> that LITA UX IG would be more than happy to provide a venue for this 
> type of discussion since it would fit the interest of UX IG perfectly. 
> (I am chairing the IG this year; ping me if that sounds interesting 
> and if there is anything LITA UX IG can help.) LITA IGs are super flexible.
>
> Cheers,
> Bohyun
>
>
> --
> Bohyun Kim, MA, MSLIS
> Associate Director for Library Applications and Knowledge Systems 
> University of Maryland, Baltimore Health Sciences and Human Services 
> Library
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf 
> Of Megan O'Neill Kudzia
> Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 1:24 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was: 
> LibGuides v2
> - Templates and Nav)
>
> I've been following with interest, and I think some really important 
> points are coming out here.
>
> John, what you said about Tomcat vs. Jetty really resonated with me - 
> maybe this is *yet another* place where we could split this thread, 
> but I think for those of us straddling the gap between web design and 
> web development, something like a reference guide for what the 
> questions to ask even are, would be extremely helpful.
>
> As you said, the answer to many many questions is, "it depends," and 
> knowledge of those topics comes with experience. However, maybe (and I 
> volunteer to help with this project, inasmuch as I can) a sort of 
> expansion of the Guide for the Perplexed would be really useful for 
> those of us who are no longer total beginners, but are sort of struggling to level up?
>
> That is, those of us with some experience of various projects could 
> contribute anything public-share-able from our post mortem project 
> conversations, relevant to each type of project? It's something I've 
> been thinking about for some time, and I'm still not sure what an 
> optimal structure would be, but I keep thinking it would be a really 
> worthwhile project.
>
> I will also say that everything I've found on alistapart and libux has 
> been incredibly useful!
>
> On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 11:05 AM, Joshua Welker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > How many folks following this discussion are LITA members? Would 
> > anyone be willing to join LITA to be a part of an interest group on 
> > this subject? I will renew my membership in LITA if that is the best 
> > route to take.
> >
> > Josh Welker
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf 
> > Of Cindi Blyberg
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 9:46 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was:
> > LibGuides v2
> > -
> > Templates and Nav)
> >
> > Oh, and if UX doesn't fit, y'all can establish the LITA Web 
> > Standards IG, or the LITA Code4Lib Web Best Practices IG, or 
> > whatever you want to call it.
> > You need 10 LITA Member signatures:
> >
> >
> > http://www.ala.org/lita/sites/ala.org.lita/files/content/about/manua
> > l/
> > forms/e5-igformation.pdf
> >
> >
> > http://www.ala.org/lita/about/igs
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 10:44 AM, Cindi Blyberg <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > *puts on LITA hat*
> > >
> > > There are several ways that LITA/ALA could play a role here.
> > >
> > > Publications:
> > > There is a series of books called LITA Guides.  Great way to get 
> > > the word out widely, but a static format.
> > > http://www.alastore.ala.org/SearchResult.aspx?KeyWords=lita
> > >
> > > There are also Library Technology Reports - a periodical.  Still 
> > > static, but published more regularly:
> > > http://alatechsource.org/ltr/index
> > >
> > > There is also the LITA UX Interest Group.  IGs are fluid, 
> > > volunteer-run (not appointed), and can pretty much do what they want.
> > > Publish and update something? Sure!  Establish and run a virtual 
> > > conference? Definitely! Have meetings and programs at conferences?
> Yes!
> > > Caveat: must be a LITA member.
> > >
> > > Happy to provide more info if needed.
> > >
> > > -Cindi
> > > of the many hats
> > >
> > > On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 10:34 AM, Joshua Welker <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> > >
> > >> I definitely agree that we should adhere to larger web standards 
> > >> and that we should actively discourage conventions that libraries 
> > >> have adopted over the years that have nothing to do with wider 
> > >> standards and best practices (e.g.
> > >> tabbed search boxes, content in sidebar regions). In fact, much 
> > >> of our work would just be bringing together information from 
> > >> several standards into a common location and putting a 
> > >> "librarian" stamp of approval on it.
> > >>
> > >> Some topics I had in mind:
> > >>
> > >> -Accessibility standards: screen readers, color blindness, 
> > >> keyboard navigation, alt tags, etc.
> > >> -Text: readable fonts, colors, text alignment -Page layout:
> > >> navigation location, sidebars, headings and subheadings, search 
> > >> box designs, database pages, mobile friendliness -Best practices 
> > >> for specific library platforms: LibGuides, DSpace, etc.
> > >>
> > >> Some official name would be required, of course. I also think it 
> > >> would be great if we could write a draft, bring it to an official 
> > >> ALA group like LITA, and get them to adopt it after making their 
> > >> own tweaks.
> > >>
> > >> Josh Welker
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On 
> > >> Behalf Of Michael Schofield
> > >> Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 9:01 AM
> > >> To: [log in to unmask]
> > >> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was:
> > >> LibGuides
> > >> v2 -
> > >> Templates and Nav)
> > >>
> > >> I am interested but I am a little hazy about what kind of 
> > >> standards you all are suggesting. I would warn against creating 
> > >> standards that conflict with any actual web standards, because 
> > >> I--and, I think, many others--would honestly recommend that the 
> > >> #libweb should aspire to and adhere more firmly to larger web 
> > >> standards and best practices that conflict with something that's 
> > >> more, ah, librarylike. Although that might not be what you folks 
> > >> have in mind at all : ).
> > >>
> > >> Michael S.
> > >>
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On 
> > >> Behalf Of Brad Coffield
> > >> Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 9:30 AM
> > >> To: [log in to unmask]
> > >> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Library community web standards (was:
> > >> LibGuides
> > >> v2 -
> > >> Templates and Nav)
> > >>
> > >> Josh, thanks for separating this topic out and starting this new 
> > >> thread. I don't know of any such library standards that exist on 
> > >> the web. I agree that this sounds like a great idea. As for this 
> > >> group or not... why not!
> > >> It's 2014 and they don't exist yet and they would be incredibly 
> > >> useful for many libraries, if not all. Now all we need is a cool
> > 'working
> > >> group'
> > >> title
> > >> for ourselves and we're halfway done! Right???
> > >>
> > >> But seriously, I'd love to help.
> > >>
> > >> Brad
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Brad Coffield, MLIS
> > >> Assistant Information and Web Services Librarian Saint Francis 
> > >> University
> > >> 814-472-3315
> > >> [log in to unmask]
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Megan (O'Neill) Kudzia
> Web Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian Stockwell-Mudd Library 
> Albion College
> 602 E. Cass St.
> Albion, MI 49224
>