Two years work in design and implementation culminated in the launch of the new CQU Library website on Monday, February 21.

The site has been restructured, new pages have been added and content has been revised. The homepage address remains the same at http://www.library.cqu.edu.au .

The Library commissioned a working party in 2002 to evaluate the then website with a view to improving its look and functionality. The evaluation project was extremely thorough applying three different methodologies - task based usability testing, card sorting, and heuristic evaluation - to ensure a comprehensive evaluation.

The outcome of the review was the recommendation for the website to be revised in structure to facilitate better navigation, and to develop a more contemporary design, using the University template as a basis.

Since 2002, considerable effort has been invested by a large number of Library staff to develop the site that went live on Monday.

The website was officially launched at the Teaching and Learning Showcase Cocktail Party held in the Library Reading Room on Thursday February 24.

Director Division of Library Services Graham Black (pictured) said: "Although the original timeline has stretched, we believe that the original recommendations of the evaluation project team have been achieved - a more streamlined site, easier to navigate with a more contemporary design that is sympathetic to the University web page." An integral component of the revised website is SearchSMART. No longer do clients need to go to a number of pages to search for resources. From the SearchSMART page clients can search the library catalogue, access databases or search for electronic journals and newspapers. SearchSMART also provides links to the vast array of other electronic resources provided by the Library. SearchSMART can be found at http://library-resources.cqu.edu.au/ .

Photo: Library staff members (back row) Michael Wallace, Graham Black, Elke Dawson, Bruce Hart; (front row) Kate Watson, Debbie Orr and Chelsea Harper.