Kent Library’s website is getting an upgrade, streamlining its design and making the website more accessible for Southeast Missouri State University’s students, faculty and other visitors.

Kent’s web committee previewed the site on April 28. The previews showcased the website’s new design, updated search functions and accessibility between students and faculty.

“Most, if not all of the content should stay the same,” Library Systems Coordinator Jason Bruenderman said. “We’ve tried to focus on navigation, putting things in more logical places and making clear separation between the student audience and the faculty.”

The upgraded website is also compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, featuring screen reader compatibility, high contrast ratios and the ability to be navigated by keyboard.

“The underlying elements will stay the same,” Electronic Resources Librarian Karl Suhr said. “We just reconfigured them based on feedback we got, observations we’ve made and working with students over the last couple of years.”

Plans to redesign the website started in September 2016 when the library’s dean Barbara Glackin recommended improvements to the website.

“She looked at things from a fresh perspective and she thought the website could use a refresh,” Suhr said.

Glackin’s recommendations came at a time when the library’s systems department wanted to make improvements to the website. Development of the new website started when the systems department brought in a new content management system.

“Our old system wasn’t made for a site as static as ours,” Bruenderman said. “It had a lot of extra options, features we didn’t use. We tried to go something a little simpler that, at least from our tech side, is easier to manage.”

Computer technician Joe Graves stressed that the website is still a work in progress. What may have been featured in the preview may be altered when the updated website goes live.

“Things will change,” Graves said. “Things will continue to change.”

The new website is set to go live on May 12 at library.semo.edu.