But really, tools like this are what I’m talking about. I don’t think web design is a realistic job requirement for most public librarians. But, library websites are important enough (I think) so as to deserve deliberate attention – a “we’ve got a web presence that hasn’t been updated in four years” has the potential to do more harm than good.

When possible, web design skills (or at least, interest) should be sought out in candidates and fostered in existing staff by sending them to training sessions, as web design is becoming as important as book selection or customer service. But when web design limits are reached, third-party solutions like PlinkIt or Library Websites, Inc., while far from perfect, should still be used. That lets web people do web stuff, and librarians focus on what we do best – organizing information in an accessible way.

Which is all easy for me to say, I know, but it just pains me when I see a public library with a bad website.

It’s one solution (among others) to this problem. The other problem (and every solution has one), is that a lot of library administrators don’t understand this very point: Not all librarians are good web designers (in fact not all web designers are either . If web design is a job requirement, what happens to those excellent (and very smart) librarians who know their limits.