$250 (Simmons GSLIS Alumni Price $200)
October 1 - October 31, 2013 (asynchronous online)
PDPs: 15

Are you an accidental library web master? Does your library’s website need an overhaul?

This course will cover basic and intermediate HTML & CSS along with strategies for re-designing a website. We will explore core concepts of HTML & CSS to understand how to build and manage a website that is flexible and adheres to web standards. The course will also cover HTML5 & responsive web design. We will review strategies for a website redesign including content inventory, wire framing, and basic design concepts. If you’re looking to improve your web development skills or have an impending website re-design project to prepare for, this is the course for you.

What you’ll learn:

• HTML Basics including:
• Tags, Attributes, and Elements
• Parts of an HTML document
• Basic HTML Tags like paragraph, breaks, headings, lists
• Using an HTML Validation Tool
• Using span, div, images, links, iframe, and embed tags correctly
• CSS Basics including
• Inline v. External stylesheets
• Box properties
• IDs and classes
• Web colors
• Sizing multimedia within your site
• Using Firebug/Developer Tools
• Where to find design inspiration
• Designing a responsive website

The course will use tools like Mozilla Thimble and Dropbox to share code and submit assignments. You can also use your own web space if you prefer. In this class you will work in a basic text editor to edit HTML & CSS files.

Instructor: Amy Deschenes is the Systems & Web Applications Librarian at the Simmons College Library. She has been involved with library technology projects including website redesign, mobile web and app development, and virtual reference.