The Librarian in Black has two posts regarding web design and usability in libraries.

In her post, Library Websites and Usability, she discusses how Laura Solomon (webmaster for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library) had conducted a usability survey of Ohio public library websites, using Jakob Nielsen's usability criteria. Solomon's study, "Sinking or Swimming: The State of Web Sites in Ohio's Public Libraries," shows that many libraries haven't focused enough attention on putting the information their patrons want up on their websites.

In her post Design for Webmasters w/o Design Backgrounds, mentions how most library web masters do not have graphic design backgrounds but have more of a techie background. Clearly knowledge of both takes for a good web site. She directs us to two articles from Digital Web Magazine to help you get a "designing eye."

Even though we are in health/medical libraries we should be just as concerned about our web presence to our customers as our public library brethren. I have designed and re-designed my previous library's web site three times over the course of my 6 years there. Each time we designed the web site with the best available resources and knowledge at the time. Guess what? Things change, your website must change too.

Some of you might be saying, well I am on the Intranet I really don't have to worry about the outside world. PHOOEY! Your Intranet users will use outside resources when doing research, it is up to you to make sure that your site (whether on the Intranet or Internet) is where they want to come first when starting the information research. After all, what is stopping them from just book marking the outside resources, never to look at your page again for more information?

You say that your institution currently uses a content management system so you are forced to "design" your pages according to the way "they" say you must. Sigh... I feel your pain. That is my current situation. It pains me that as somebody who is skilled with Dreamweaver, CSS, HTML, and knows enough Javascripting to be a little dangerous, must be forced to design my Intranet "web site" using Microsoft's Content Management Server...BLECH! But if this is the case, work within the system and if possible be that buzzing bee who wants to create change. I have lobbied my institution so that I can have a search box on my web pages and a few other enhancements. Try your best to design your page using as many of the best design principles as possible.