> When explaining this to your director, do not get thrown off by claims
> that standards-compliant web sites are more expensive to create, harder
> to maintain, or inherently unattractive.  Compliance needs to be taken
> into account at an early stage in the design process, but from that
> point on does not add any great burden to creation and maintenance, and
> does not restrict any half-way imaginative designer.

Having been down this route with a former vendor from Hades...

Also point out to your director that creating a standards-compliant website
is insurance against costly and unanticipated surprises. Designing a website
against the LGTM standard (Looks Good To Me) is a dangerous trap because
if--make that, when--HTML changes and browsers change with it, you could
find yourself with an unworkable mess that needs library resources
redirected toward it mid-year just to be marginally functional--therefore
diverting money away from some other pressing service. Being able to
forecast and plan library spending is important. 

Also mention the important message a compliant website sends: that all are
welcome at your library. In fact, in making this point, you will probably
find that you need only reference your college's own statements. 

If you need an eloquent argument for standards compliance, I would be happy
to supply our summary "yes, we expect compliance and no, we are not going to
pay extra for it" report we sent to said demonic vendor. 

Karen G. Schneider
kgs@... 

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