New Web site You probably noticed the web site is a bit different than it was last year. These kinds of changes are made carefully, with extensive usability testing and conversations with users. The Usability/Design Team worked hard to get the new home page ready in time for fall quarter. They tested several low and high fidelity prototypes with many students and made improvements based on their feedback. The changes resulted in high success rates as students were flying through the tasks in record time. Also, during post-test interviews, they found that the satisfaction level with the current iteration is very positive. Digital Collections Do you or your department have a digitization project in mind? If so, contact Donna Packer at the library (x3335, donna.packer_at_wwu.edu) to see if the library can help. Current Projects Western’s Library is partnering with the Communications Sciences and Disorders Department and Academic Technology and User Services to create a digital library of confidential video clips of student/client interactions in clinic settings. The clips are accessible only to students registered in specific CSD classes and their faculty, and provide an important new pedagogical tool for faculty in this department. Library staff are also working with two faculty from the Huxley College of the Environment to provide an online digital collection of selected theses and important student papers. These papers and theses will be accessible, online, to everyone. The Graduate School is also preparing to ask all students submitting a thesis as part of the requirements for their Master’s Degree if they will give permission for an online version to be made available, in addition to the required print copies. The Special Collections Department of the library is digitizing a large and very important collection of photographs documenting the history of Western’s Campus School. The collection may be seen at: http://www.library.wwu.edu/specialcollections/campusschool/index.html Preserving our Local History: A new project, just getting under way, is designed to protect and preserve documents concerning our local three-county area: Whatcom, Skagit and Island Counties. The current plan is to preserve on a server here at Western selected documents issued in digital format only by either the State, County or local governments. These documents will be collected into a database with searchable records attached. Phase II of the project is expected to involve digitizing important documents now available only in paper, and making these, too, available online for everyone.

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