Harrison Burt
Reporter
A new edition of the library website was launched prior to the start of the second semester, once Library Department Chair Michelle Luhtala and senior Julia Hofer collaborated to update the site. After the commissioning of Jeanne McDonagh’s Photoshop class for a new website header, Julia’s work was selected because, according to Ms. Luhtala, her collage signified what makes the library a threshold for education advancement. The last time the website had been updated was by an NCHS graduate four years ago, and the website was in need of being modernized for current students.
“I really appreciated the opportunity at hand and ultimately my banner being chosen. When the project was assigned I began to take pictures in the library and molded the design of the banner in my head. I knew it was important to be original and creative so I took advantage of my ideas,” Julia said. “Being chosen reassured me that I am definitely looking forward to pursuing Photoshop or graphic design through college and maybe it could result in potential career.”
The website now includes a new header, phone number and url, in addition to the new blog, The Annex. The Annex is considered the library’s companion page and is designed to help organize and gather research. Students now have the ability to text the library to get information and no longer need to go through moodle to get to the blog. The website’s sidebars have everything from class schedules all the way to sample bibliographies, specifically designed to have anything needed right at the home page for instant access.
Ms. Luhtala also contributed to the new website in addition to the library’s Facebook page. “The library is an instructional tool across all disciplines at NCHS,” she said. “We mix it up often to keep students engaged while maintaining a consistent structure for students to access what they need as quickly as they can.”
The update of the Facebook page also gives students the links to the library’s twitter, blog spot, and includes photos and videos of students in the library on a daily basis. It also directs visitors to the schools YouTube channel, which gives tutorials and interview concerning book recommendations, creating a proper citation guide, or accessing the library by iPad.
In regard to future changes, Ms. Luhtala predicted an update a while after Julia’s graduation in the spring, but reiterated that the faculty is very pleased. For further information visit the website’s new url www.nchslibrary.info and call or text (615) 669-6670.
