A Better Library Login
Columbus Metropolitan Library is a fantastic library. In fact, they were rated the #2 library in the U.S. in 2002. Their website has a great feature that I use frequently which allows library users to reserve titles from their catalog online. Those titles can then be picked up at my local library branch, just a few blocks north of my apartment. But there’s a small problem.
The problem is that every single time I reserve an item or log into my library account, I have to enter my library card number. There is no “remember me” checkbox on the About You login page. (Many browsers have a password manager that will ask to save login information. Unfortunately, since the library set the library card number (user ID) input to type="password", the browser can’t recognize the user ID/password couple.) From an email form, I mentioned to them that a remember me function would be easy to implement, offered my free services and left my phone number in case they wanted to contact me. They did call me back and tell me that they appreciated my comments and would take them into consideration in future redesigns.
Months went by but still no remember me. I decided it was time for that to change. By using the same JavaScript that I use on my weblog, I created a demo About You login page that contains a remember me function. It took me about an hour.
I emailed the URL to them, and told them to use any or all of the code. Since they called me last time I emailed them, I assume they take all comments seriously. Hopefully they’ll take this comment seriously enough to implement it on their site, and I can live knowing that I made thousands of library users happy with one hour’s work.
- 1 Jul 03
- interface, usability, web design
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Columbus Metropolitan Library is a fantastic library. In fact, they were rated the #2 library in the U.S. in 2002….
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