Academic Library Websites Research Articles

Usability evaluation of an academic library website

Purpose – The paper aims to evaluate the usability of the website of Central Science Library (CSL), University of Delhi. Multi-method approach of evaluation is used with the use of standard checklist and questionnaire survey of representative users. Besides, the information architecture of the website under study is analysed in this paper. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the literature review and the author’s experience, a usability assessment tool for library websites was developed by Pant (2013). It comprises standard checklist and questionnaire for users’ survey. In the present study, this framework was used to assess the usability of CSL website. The questionnaire survey of 35 representative users was conducted through random sampling. The results of both methods (standard checklist and questionnaire survey) were analysed for evaluating the website usability. Findings – Need for improvement of the website was realised in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and learnability for better usability. Notice board, site search facility, list of services, FAQs and user guides were the most sought after features among others as per the analysis of the questionnaire survey. Besides, the need to enhance the visual appeal of the website was felt. However, information resources provided through the CSL website were found useful for users. Originality/value – The paper presents an innovative multi-method approach of website usability assessment while considering six usability attributes: Usefulness, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Learnability, Satisfaction and Accessibility. The approach adopted in this paper is cost effective in comparison to formal usability tests and heuristic evaluation. Therefore, this framework is suitable for libraries having limited budget to ensure the user-centred library website with maximum usability. This paper encourages other libraries to conduct similar website usability evaluation to identify the usability problem areas and users’ perception for their respective website.

Supporting Scholars: An Analysis of Academic Library Websites' Documentation on Metrics and Impact

A number of indicators and metrics have been devised, especially in the past 10 to 15years, to assist scholars in making a case for themselves and for their work. These metrics describe the impact of traditional venues (i.e. scholarly journals) as well as the impact of the scholars based on the number of times their work has been cited in traditional and nontraditional venues. Academic librarians assist faculty in explaining their impact and productivity in their respective fields in part through information published to their websites. Terms/concepts associated with common metrics relating to scholarly impact were searched in the library websites of the 62 Association of American University (AAU) members. A total of 61 libraries had web pages or LibGuides providing information on these topics, with Journal Citation Reports and the Impact Factor being the most commonly discussed (100%; 98.4%). Slightly over 90% (90.2%) supplied information about the h-index and 80.3% addressed altmetrics. We conclude that AAU librarians are assisting with the understanding and use of both traditional and new metrics as part of their service to their community of users.

Toward a Usable Academic Library Web Site: A Case Study of Tried and Tested Usability Practices

Usability testing is an important element when designing useful, usable academic library Web sites. Since 2001, members of the Florida International University Libraries Web team have worked toward establishing a process that identifies user needs through usability testing. Starting with the libraries’ first Web site redesign project in 2001, the team has taken an active part in improving Web site user experience. After engaging in multiple redesign efforts, the Web team has developed a process that supports awareness of user experience through continual usability testing and feedback gathering. This article presents strategies and practices to measure Web site user experience, including classic usability testing methods (e.g., card sorting activities, focus groups, and task-based user testing), as well as the team's latest effort to assess Web site analytics and content to identify Web site usage patterns and areas of concern. A history of the Florida International University Libraries’ Web site redesign process is presented to illustrate lessons learned and best practices to facilitate future redesign and testing efforts. Taking a longitudinal look at usability testing at one institution, the study aims to inform the development of an effective strategy for user research and content management.

How ARL Academic Libraries Present Open Web Resources — A Proposed Solution to Address Discoverability

Open web resources on the Internet have become increasingly important in the scholarly community and are being cited ever more frequently in scholarly articles. Academic librarians continue to assess and collect open web resources that are of value to the academic community in order to support research. With the questions of how ARL academic libraries collect, present, and make searchable open web resources, this paper analyzes all ARL academic libraries' websites and finds that all of them are collecting valuable open web resources and presenting these on research/subject guides. This paper also finds that some ARL academic libraries implement search boxes for the collected list of open web resources, but only descriptions or titles of the resources housed on the libraries' website are being searched. None of the libraries makes the content or full text of open web resources discoverable on the academic library websites. Based on the findings, this paper proposes a solution to address the discoverability issue of collecting open web resources and how to make the content or full text of the open web resources searchable.

Web content and design trends of Alabama academic libraries

Purpose– This paper aims to evaluate the website content of Alabama academic libraries to examine their services, content and compliance with design and accessibility standards.Design/methodology/approach– A content analysis was conducted on 24 academic library websites discovered through Jeanne Burke’s Higher Education Directory and the Alabama Colleges directory website. All data were collected within a month.Findings– Study data revealed that while academic libraries are offering more online services, many continue to lack certain services or fail to implement basic web design and accessibility standards.Research limitations/implications– Inclusion into the study was limited to the independent library websites of Alabama institutions offering four-year degree courses and content data discoverable within three clicks of the home page. Future studies might identify why certain libraries lack reference chat services, social media accounts and/or certain accessibility accommodations. Additional research might evaluate multilingual websites and their methods for providing language options.Practical implications– The results of this study should assist in the evaluation of library websites and increase awareness of design and accessibility standards, enabling designers and policy makers to improve upon future website designs.Originality/value– This study presents a depth of evaluation and currency unseen in most web content analyses. The extent of this study should provide librarians, web designers, and library policy makers with a suitable comparison for website projects and evaluations.

Developing an academic library website model, a designer’s checklist, and an evaluative instrument

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a library website model. Further, the paper discusses a designer’s checklist and an evaluative instrument that were constructed based on the proposed model.Design/methodology/approach– The model was developed through a Delphi study that was participated by two panels of experts. The researcher communicated with the panel members via e-mail using two Delphi instruments designed out of two item pools that were developed based on the knowledge gained from surveying the literature, visiting the selected libraries and exploring the library websites. Then, a designer’s checklist and an evaluative instrument were derived from the proposed model through a series of brainstorming sessions.Findings– The proposed model consisted of altogether 140 items (60 web content elements and 80 web design features). The designer’s checklist comprises all 140 items, and the evaluative instrument comprises 60 content elements and 57 design features.Research limitations/implications– This study has developed an academic library website model and derived two instruments based on the proposed model. Further studies are needed to customize, particularly, the web content pillar of this conceptual model, to meet the specific needs of different types of libraries including public libraries, special libraries, school libraries, etc.Practical implications– The designer’s checklist and the evaluative instrument derived from the proposed model are useful tools for library professionals in designing, re-designing, maintaining and evaluating their library websites. The librarians may use these tools for both institutional and research purposes.Originality/value– The model and the two instruments proposed by this study are unique in focus, origin, content and presentation.

A Comparison of Public versus Private Academic Library Web Sites in Alabama for Accessibility and Web 2.0 Applications

A Comparison of Public versus Private Academic Library Web Sites in Alabama for Accessibility and Web 2.0 Applications

Academic Library Websites Show Heavy Use of Web 2.0 Applications

A Review of:
 Boateng, F., & Liu, Y. Q. (2014). Web 2.0 applications’ usage and trends in top US academic libraries. Library Hi Tech, 32(1), 120-138. doi:10.1108/LHT-07-2013-0093
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To explore Web 2.0 application use in academic libraries through determining: Web 2.0 applications used, the purpose of using these applications, and how the use of Web 2.0 is changing.
 
 Design – Exploratory survey of academic library websites using content analysis of websites, blogs, and social networking service platforms.
 
 Setting – Websites of academic libraries in the United States, blog platforms, and social networking services.
 
 Subjects – 100 academic libraries.
 
 Methods – The researchers based their selection of academic library websites on the US News & World Report’s 2013 list of the top 100 best colleges in the United States. The authors created a checklist to determine which Web 2.0 technologies were used by the academic libraries on their websites and for what purposes. The researchers searched for Web 2.0 applications on the main page and one subpage down from the main page. The researchers also used keyword searches on the library’s website to find Web 2.0 applications and searched blog platforms and social networking sites.
 
 Main Results – The authors found that Facebook and Twitter were the most popular Web 2.0 applications and that all of the libraries analyzed used social networking services. Blogs were the second most popular Web 2.0 tool at 99% participation rate, followed closely by RSS (97%) and instant messaging (91%). Libraries used these Web 2.0 tools for information sharing including: outreach, promotion, providing online reference services, subject guides, tutorials, highlighting resources, and posting announcements.
 
 Conclusion – The academic libraries analyzed in this study use Web 2.0 applications to a much greater extent than previous research had shown. The researchers expect to see increased use of Web 2.0 applications by academic libraries in the coming years. They suggest that future research focus on Web 2.0 use by historically black colleges in the United States and on collaboration between academic libraries and other academic units when offering Web 2.0 services.

Surveying North American Academic Library Websites for Instructional Outreach and Delivery Reveals a Broad Range of Approaches Employed

A Review of: 
 Yang., S. Q., & Chou, M. (2014). Promoting and teaching information literacy on the Internet: Surveying the web sites of 264 academic libraries in North America. Journal of Web Librarianship, 8(1), 88-104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2014.855586 
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To determine the extent to which academic libraries have used the Web to market and deliver information literacy both as a service and as a concept.
 
 Design – Survey of web content.
 
 Setting – Websites of North American academic libraries.
 
 Subjects – A random sample of 264 libraries selected from Peterson’s Four-Year Colleges.
 Methods – The investigators reviewed and analyzed content on academic library websites by recording the presence of various types of information. Presence was recorded for the term information literacy, tutorial content, guides and tests, and delivery of information literacy instruction. The frequencies of tutorials and guides were also reported.
 
 Main Results – Approximately 65% of the libraries used their website to promote instruction, while 30% did not mention information literacy or library instruction. A wide range of terminology was used to denote library instruction, but information literacy was not highly used. Approximately 5% of libraries had no public web presence. Research guides, tutorials, or both were provided by 64% of libraries. More than 300 tutorials in a variety of formats, including Adobe Flash videos, static web pages with little or no animations, webcasts, documents, and presentations were offered by 111 libraries. The tutorials addressed general research topics, databases, concepts and technical skills, among others.
 
 Conclusion – While the majority of academic libraries sampled have incorporated information literacy and library instruction into their web presence, it is unclear why nearly one third did not mention these activities. Further study is needed to benchmark how libraries are using the Web for instruction and outreach.

Improving academic library website accessibility for people with disabilities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain how Edith Cowan University (ECU) Library improved the accessibility of their web site, aiming for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.0 Level AA. It describes the results obtained. Design/methodology/approach – Initial testing by consultants was conducted in October 2012. The web site was defined as all webpages which appear part of the library web site, including supplier webpages, plus pages from the university web site and library web site. Library staff applied the recommendations to pages which they could edit, and discussed the recommendations with suppliers to improve their product ' s accessibility. The web site was re-tested in June 2013. Findings – ECU Library web site failed WCAG 2.0 Level A standard in the initial testing and re-testing. Many individual pages which failed initially passed the re-test. The smallest improvement was seen in suppliers’ web sites. Practical implications – This paper could help libraries to improve web site accessibility, as it covers negotiating with suppliers to upgrade their web sites, plus upgrading editable webpages. It shows initial and re-test results, allowing libraries to compare their results to those of ECU. Legislation and guidelines state web sites should be accessible to all users and organisations providing non-accessible web sites risk being sued. Social implications – A web site not complying with WCAG version 2.0 would be very difficult for people with disabilities to access. Upgrading ECU Library ' s web site will provide all users with more equal access to the resources. Originality/value – This study describes problems in upgrading academic library webpages and related supplier web sites and organisation web site to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Psychology guides and information literacy

Purpose – This study aims to provide an understanding of current practice and informs the further development of guides as key instructional tools. To assess the existing landscape of research guides as instructional tools, researchers examined the instructional content and associated media formats of online psychology research guides. Design/methodology/approach – Researchers devised an instrument utilizing Standard Two of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL’s) Psychology Information Literacy Standards and inventoried the instructional content and associated media formats of a sample set of 36 psychology research guides. Findings – Although online research guides offer a platform for presenting instructional content in myriad formats, it was found that the sample set of psychology research guides rarely incorporated instructional content. Research limitations/implications – Psychology course guides were not part of the sample set; it is possible that guide authors approach the addition of instructional content in course guides differently than in general psychology subject guides. Practical implications – This paper provides an overview of how libraries are, or are not, using research guides as part of their instruction program. The researchers propose a framework for adding instructional content to psychology guides using Standard Two. Originality/value – Considering the ubiquity of online research guides on academic library Web sites, little research on the existing integration of instructional content into guides has been published. This study offers a snapshot of current guide practice and proposes a practical, systematic and unique model for aligning information literacy standards with guide content areas which has not been proposed elsewhere.

The Website Design and Usability of US Academic and Public Libraries

This paper describes the results of a nationwide study which examined the design, layout, content, site management, and usability of 1,469 academic and public library websites from all 50 states in the United States. Our findings show common trends for homepage design, navigation, and information architecture. Library websites were found to consistently provide information about hours of operation (97.9 percent), library address (91 percent), news and events (88.9 percent), access to OPACs (84.6 percent), online renewal (77.7 percent), contact information (72.5 percent), and ability to give feedback (74.2 percent). Websites were mainly designed (33 percent) and managed (50 percent) by librarians as part of their professional job duties and the majority did not conduct any web usability testing (72.3 percent). This study provides a profile of how the nation’s academic and public libraries design and manage their websites and how this compares to recommended best practices from the research literature. Library websites rated high in general usability based on recognized heuristics; however, a need to conduct usability evaluations remains. A basic set of guidelines for library webpage design is proposed.

Library Homepage Design at Medium-Sized Institutions

This study sought to describe and analyze the homepages of academic library Web sites at 313 medium-sized bachelor's and master's general institutions. The authors evaluated an unprecedented number of library homepages for the presence of 118 design elements and reported common and uncommon design practices at these libraries. They found 21 elements present on at least half the homepages studied. Seven of these occurred on at least 80 percent of the pages studied: links to the university homepage, library hours, images, portals by subject or links to subject guides, links to interlibrary loan services, “about” sections, and catalog searches. This study serves as a baseline for the current practices of homepage design for a large population of libraries. The results of this survey indicate trends and common design elements for library Web site design and show which elements Web designers and librarians at medium-sized libraries should consider including on their Web pages. Findings are compared with a similar study conducted in 2010, and this study in turn may provide a comparison point for future research. The study also reports characteristics of the implementation of discovery services for this population of libraries in unprecedented detail and provides descriptive information about homepage links to social media sites and mobile applications.

Manually Classifying User Search Queries on an Academic Library Web Site

The University of Michigan Library wanted to learn more about the kinds of searches its users were conducting through the “one search” search box on the Library Web site. Library staff conducted two investigations. A preliminary investigation in 2011 involved the manual review of the 100 most frequently occurring queries conducted through the site search box over the course of a month. Those 100 search terms accounted for 16 percent of total queries and were largely one-word searches for databases. In the follow-up investigation, the Library embarked on a more ambitious exploration of the 454,443 searches conducted during the winter 2011 semester, devising a method for selecting, categorizing, and summarizing user search queries. A sample of 1,201 searches from the search query logs was examined; after eliminating duplicate searches, there were 992 unique terms available for categorization. Using a non-overlapping sample of queries, a rubric was developed for categorizing user searches. Each of seven library staff members reviewed all unique terms in the sample to categorize them into the best fitting category from the rubric. After establishing a threshold for reliability among the individuals categorizing the queries, 862 unique search terms were analyzed. Based on this analysis, the most frequent kinds of searches conducted in the winter semester in 2011 on the University of Michigan Library's Web site were specific databases (28 percent), topical/exploratory types of queries (28 percent), and books (including searches by title, ISBN, call number, or a combination thereof) (16 percent).Within the sample, known-item searches comprised nearly half (44 percent) of searches in the sample. Another fifth (20 percent) of total searches were categorized as “exploratory,” supporting the need to provide broader, subject-based paths to information through the site. Somewhat surprisingly, there were a small number of article searches (article titles, or mixed searches of journal names and authors and/or title words) in the search box—an indication that users understand the University of Michigan Library primary search box is not for articles.

Web Analytics Reveal User Behavior: TTU Libraries’ Experience with Google Analytics

Proper planning and assessment surveys of projects for academic library Web sites will not always be predictive of real world use, no matter how many responses they might receive. In this case, multiple-phase development, librarian focus groups, and patron surveys performed before implementation of such a project inaccurately overrated utility and positive impact. The Web Site Support Team of Texas Tech University Libraries conducted post-assessment usage of a locally developed reference tool using Google Analytics, which revealed a significant disparity between expectations and results. Web analytics tools, while not able to predict users’ needs, are adept at describing users’ behavior. This user-provided evidence is invaluable for informing the decisions that academic libraries make about their Web sites. While the initial incarnation of the reference tool failed to provide the intended service, Web analytics allowed the team to refine, modify, and integrate elements of the tool into other areas of the Web site, saving the project from being completely scrapped. Other academic libraries and libraries in large organizations are encouraged to use Web analytics and click analytics tools to assess the outcomes of Web projects. Such data can reveal blind spots in predictive usage, which may originate even in the patron base, and can allow modification of projects based upon real user behavior.

An evaluation of the information architecture of the UCT Library web site

Web users are becoming more critical of the web sites they use. This paper evaluates the information architecture of the academic library web site at the University of Cape Town with more of a focus on the usability testing of the University web site. Two approaches to evaluation were completed to evaluate the library web site. Firstly, a formal usability test was conducted with five users to establish the required site structure and to identify any possible problems with the usability of the site. Secondly, a closed card sort analysis with ten participants was completed in order to establish the required site structure and terminology for the potential web site re-design. It was found that the library had a generally usable web site. The site however exhibited a few problems with the terminology used; the navigation design; and issues relating to identifying specific information. This study presents recommendations to handle the aforementioned problems. The study also encourages continual web site evaluation.

Developing a Content Strategy for an Academic Library Website

Academic library websites contain a vast amount of complex content and, all too often, there is a lack of established process for creating, updating, and deleting that content. There is no clear vision or purpose to the content, and numerous staff members are expected to maintain content with little guidance. Because of this, many library websites end up with content that is poorly written, duplicative, or outdated. This article describes how a website content strategy was developed for the University of Arizona Libraries, ensuring that in the future, all content is useful, usable, and findable.

Collaborating for Change: Leveraging Campus Partnerships to Create a User-Centered Library Website

This article details a series of website usability studies conducted by librarians at Fresno State in collaboration with faculty and students from the university's anthropology department. Building on an ethnographic study of the library, we sought to understand how students used the site. Collaboration with individuals outside the library allowed us to use their expertise in behavioral research, accomplish a larger series of studies, and redesign the website from a less library-centric perspective. In this article, we detail the study's genesis, methodology, results, and offer our experiences using a large-scale usability test to drive changes to an academic library website.

Modeling a Library Web Site Redesign Process: Developing a User-Centered Web Site Through Usability Testing

This article presents a model for creating a strong, user-centered web presence by pairing usability testing and the design process. Four rounds of usability testing were conducted throughout the process of building a new academic library web site. Participants were asked to perform tasks using a talk-aloud protocol. Tasks were based on guiding principles of web usability that served as a framework for the new site. Results from this study show that testing throughout the design process is an effective way to build a web site that not only reflects user needs and preferences, but can be easily changed as new resources and technologies emerge.

Accessibility of academic library web sites in North America

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present longitudinal data on the accessibility of 56 North American academic library web sites, as well as insights into the connection between accessibility and certain design methods and technologies.Design/methodology/approachBobby 3.1.1 was used to evaluate compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. Also studied were the main method of page layout (CSS versus HTML tables), whether a content management system was used, and whether skip‐navigation links were employed.FindingsThe percentage of Bobby‐approved pages has remained consistent around 60 per cent in 2010 and 2012. However, the percentage of errors per page, a metric more sensitive to the pervasiveness of accessibility barriers, has steadily and significantly decreased. Sites whose layouts are built with cascading style sheets have fewer errors per page than those that use tables for layout. Sites that use a CMS have considerably higher percentages of approved pages and fewer errors per page than sites that are not built with a CMS.Research limitations/implicationsThe principal tool used, Bobby 3.1.1, is capable of detecting only a subset of accessible design principles. Future studies should examine compliance with the newer WCAG 2.0 guidelines.Practical implicationsThe use of a content management system may have a positive impact on accessibility. While this study reveals some promising trends, more education and continued advocacy is needed to increase web accessibility at libraries.Originality/valueThis is the only study that provides up‐to‐date trend information about the accessibility of a broader set of academic library web sites (a set not limited to one state) over an extended time period. It is also the only accessibility study comparing academic library web sites that use a content management system to those that do not.