News, NYPL TV: The New NYPL.org

December 10, 2009

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This video highlights features from the new nypl.org including our new "Using the Library" section, enhanced search functionality, and modes of "serendipitous discovery." Learn more!

Comments

Patron-generated content represents the views and interpretations of the patron, not necessarily those of The New York Public Library. For more information see NYPL's Website Terms and Conditions.

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Fantastic !!! Wonderful !!!

What a wonderful change!

What a wonderful change! Thank you so much!

Tumblebooks e-books

Hello, I am a teacher and used to use the Tumblebooks all the time! It was free and now it looks as though it's no longer available without paying for a subscription. Does anyone see how I can access it for free or is it true that it is no longer available for free?

this is the worst web-site I have encountered bar none.

I simply want to find the location and telephone number of a library..no links I simply want to reserve a book..no links what idiot designed this? Obviously someone with inferior schooling..Are you really telling people what a library is for? I could go on..it is one more reflection of the digression of our education syste,

Drupal?

New site looks great. Are you using Drupal?

hmmm

Here's an idea, try clicking 'Locations and Hours' to find, yes you've guessed it, locations and hours. Also try 'Find Books' to find books... you're right this is far too complicated. Now how do I open this door?

Why aren't all library hours on one single page anymore?

The "Locations and Hours" page used to be incredibly useful for seeing all branch hours in one glance. It's a real shame you eliminated this feature with the new site. Now one has to launch and load the PDF versions, which take a while to load, and are more cumbersome to read as their formatting is less clear and they also include details about every division within the library. The old page (which I had bookmarked) told me instantly which libraries are open late tonight, even highlighting the current day's hours. But now you have Javascript-only navigation, so we can't even use basic functions of the site without enabling scripts that slow down all but the most recent models of computer, while the new Google Map resource drainer further slows our computers down. Please, support basic and old browsers, and keep more information on regular HTML pages so we can get information quickly again, like we could prior to 2010! The library is supposed to be for everyone.

Tumblebooks

Dear teacher: Tumblebooks is still available for free to library patrons. However, there is a currently a bug on the new Web site. Please rest assured that we are working to correct it. Best wishes, The New York Public Library

Library Hours and Locations

Dear Anonymous: To find the location and telephone number of a library branch, follow the "Locations and Hours" link in the top navigation bar located on any page of the new site. Best wishes, The New York Public Library

Library Hours Page

I agree this is yet another example of how poor this website is. Also, books do not renew properly on mobile; logging in is erratic and placing holds is totally nonfunctional. Even using the Leoline renewal telephone number you have have the number of the item to see if it was renewed, since the renewal by phone does not recite its title any longer. It seems that the library is making it hard to renew so that fines will be increased.

Drupal!

Yes, we are using Drupal!

Lib Hours Page

You can't see which locations are open which hours on other days which makes it impossible to plan ahead. It is just plain counter-productive. .

Saving a Search

How do you save a search?

New and Improved Website?

I agree with you - whoever redesigned this is no brain surgeon! The first rule in designing any website is that it should be "user friendly." This website is ridiculous!! Reserving books and making a list of books you would like to read should be a two-step process at most. If you were to print out instructions, it takes TWO pages to tell you how to add a book to My Lists!! I think a mad professor has been let loose.

how do we reserve something

how do we reserve something????????not like we used to that's for sure

MORE AFRICAN AMERICAN BOOKS

GREETINGS, I REALLY LIKE GETTING BOOKS AUDIO FOR COMPUTER AT HOME, THE DEW BREAKER HOPE ON A TIGHT ROPE MORE OF THESE CULTURAL BOOKS ARE NEEDED PLEASE ENCOURAGE LITERACY IN THE URBAN COMMUNITIES. NOT JUST TRASH BOOKS THERE IS NOTHING AVAILIBLE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN AUDIANCES PLEASE

Bookflix

Hi there, I'm a teacher who used to use Bookflix with my kids. Now when I click the link, I'm redirected to http://auth.grolier.com/invalidlogin.html. I hope this is fixed soon. Thanks.

New not improved website !!!

I used to enjoy teaching my students how to navigate the "old" website. It was so user friendly. The new site is not. I waste a lot of time trying to locate basic information and consequently seldom use it. I do not use it with my students; what a pity.Please go back to the "old" website. Did any of your patrons have input into the programming of the new site?

Requesting books

I, too, find the new site hard to understand, but I assume that is just because it is new. However, when I want to request a book (which I assume is "Place Hold") I find that sometimes the title I want says "USE IN LIBRARY" but it does not say "Unavailable for Requests", and instead says it is available. This is very confusing and indirect. Some others don't even say "USE IN LIBRARY" but that is implied, I guess, by them being listed as in the REFERENCE section. For a non-librarian or someone unfamiliar with library jargon, this is problematic. The old site was more clear and I suggest that you borrow those terms used with success instead of creating such unclear and conflicting new ones. Please also tell me where a full set of instructions for reserving books can be found. Thanks.

new websiste

Even considering that it is hard to get used to a new format, this website change is not for the better. It looks good, but it is not user friendly or direct. Perhaps it works better for the It department but for users it is not as easy or useful or quick as your earlier website. I will check back to see if there are any improvements. And I will try to spend some more time to learn it, but the much of the purpose is lost if I have to spend tooo much time figuring out how to get the info I need.

BookFlix

I'd just like to add my despair at the loss of BookFlix! Please tell me it will be available again in the next couple weeks! I am in a special education school library and my students with autism LOVE it. I don't know how long we can go without hearing the Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom song :)

HomeworkNYC.org Link

Please consider adding a "can't miss it" link to your new homepage for the following website: HomeworkNYC.org. I currently reside outside the U.S. and I access the nypl.org site a few times per week. Through your website, I access the homeworkNYC site. This website features an excellent dictionary, which gives my English Language Learner (ELL) students an opportunity to see and hear words. Your old homepage featured a HomeworkNYC.org link on the right side of the screen. I need to add that I also rely heavily on your website - I download lots of e-books. I use e-content to teach my classes. Please consider adding an e-materials link to your homepage. (Currently users must click "Find Books..." to reach the e-materials section of the website.) Nicole C.

same sentiments

Ditto!!!

Recently new leoline

You reserve something by going to My Account the yellow button on the top right hand corner. And I have hated it since they changed leoline. It is difficult to find the items that your looking for, the font is smaller, and the words are so smushed together when you look under Title. It is not as pleasurable and simple as it once was. I use to look for items often. Now with the new system, I hardly use it. The new leoline is not user friendly. I only wish they would change back similarly to how it was.

On-Lion for Kids... where is a quick link

Could there be a link to On-Lion for Kids somewhere I am missing? I had to search and then I just had to type in kids.nypl.org. Is there another way to get to it that's easy for kids (and grownups) to see?

bad navigation

I agree with you on the navigation. Why isn't the "I'm a... (teen, job seeker, teacher...)" on the home page, at the top for user friendliness?

Can't Get Oriented!?!

Your Getting Oriented page, (which I could not find easily!) is NOT linked to your new Getting Oriented IMAGE that says, 'Getting Oriented >'. The Getting Oriented IMAGE is linked to a poor attempt at an orientation video instead. The real Getting Oriented page is nowhere in sight! Are idiots designing this? The Getting Oriented page is buried behind Using the Library! "Chat with a librarian from ANY page on the site!???" I guess you've not visited the CATALOG search page or the MY ACCOUNT page! Those are probably a reasonable place where I might need to CHAT. This new website is an appropriate amateur disaster that matches the new logo debacle. The USERS where completely left out of this design! Hire a proper firm or hire User-Interface Designers that know what they are doing! The only thing 'more' I found out about the library from this video guide and the new site is what failed management they must have if no one competent was overseeing such an important project for the people of New York City. Complete and abject failure. Money NOT well spent!

Drupal?

Drupal? Who cares! What, so... Library workers are commenting here trying to sell us on that? What year are you living in?It's just blog software! Using 'Open-Source'... that just means it's free! - lol

Poor use of space

The New York Public Library's newly redesigned website is not user-friendly at all. They're wasting almost 80% of the home page space for only 4 links for their own 'promotion' reasons. Why do they think that I want to go there? It's not guided, it's forced. Definitely not user-friendly.

No real thought given on this redesign

What were they thinking? Why did they make this? Did they really think about the "what for" or the reason for existence of the Library? Darn it! It's the Library, it's the place to reserve books and materials & to share knowledge with public. Please change to being really friendly to me again, as a real Library. This redesign is a major misfire.

Design question

Hey Library, I'm a design student and I would like to ask a question: What is this website for? What was the main goal for updating the website? Nobody studied information design there? Those promos taking up all the space are already getting old! How about a simple box for search upfront? Like the British Library: http://www.bl.uk/ -not small, in a corner. And, do you know that I need to type my search terms twice? Why? I enter my search term, click the arrow, and end up at a new, nearly empty screen.... with a blank search field. And then I have to type my search term again! If proper 'user testing' was done, you would have found out that the most 'clicks' on the home page are on those three huge banners - 'discover' 'connect' 'get inspired'. But they're not even buttons! Get a qualified web designer! It's like bad student work.

Failure is an option, I guess.

"Make-over." "Few links?" How am i supposed to discover, connect and get inspired by such a poor redesign! "Easier for me to use?" Who are you kidding? This 'makeup', make-over is a joke: very little substance.

Any thoughts?

What were they thinking? Why did they make this? Did they really think about the "what for" or the reason for existence of the Library? Darn it! It's the Library, it's the place to reserve books and materials & to share knowledge with public. Please change to being really friendly to me again, as a real Library. This design is a major misfire.

Book Flix

Where did our Book Flix go????? I need a Book Flix !!!

Bookflix

We apologize for the inconvenience. The library's connection to Bookflix should be fixed tomorrow (Friday) AM.

Bookflix

We apologize for the inconvenience. The library's connection to Bookflix should be fixed tomorrow (Friday) AM.

Bookflix

We apologize for the inconvenience. The library's connection to Bookflix should be fixed tomorrow (Friday) AM.

Is Bookflix fixed?

Is Bookflix fixed?

drupal ....

hang in there with the comments so far. good to be using drupal for sure. i am curious how much staff time is available to working out these issues. is there a full time webmaster team?? or?? drupal does best when its code is used as a baseline and then for a major installation like this code and modules are customized for individual situations. its a lot to bite off, but stick with it

hours

Sure, that's fine for one branch.. but I want to see them all at once, as there are several branches in my neighborhood!

more African American,Carribean,African Authors NEEDED

I agree 200% more Audio books of quality is needed.
I find this new search confusing please fix
Thank You

more African American,Carribean,African Authors NEEDED

I agree 200% more Audio books of quality is needed.
I find this new search confusing please fix
Thank You

More problems!

The video doesn't play -- typical!