ACTIVITY Five
Identify a website of a library or information agency you are familiar with (as either an employee or user) that is utilising one or more Web 2.0 technologies to provide information services and/or learning support.
Based on your reading of Mathews (2009), Lazaris (2009), McBurnie (2007) and Governor et al (2009):
develop your own set of criteria (up to 10 criterion) with regard to effective library website design; and
evaluate the effectiveness of the selected library website based on your set of criteria, and identify aspects of this website that could be improved using Web 2.0 technologies.
Write up your findings as a post (of no more than 400 words in your OLJ).
Criteria of effective library website design:
As this presentation highlights, your library webpage is more than a gateway to resources, it's a means to promote your library and all it has to offer.
1. Promotion The webpage should be used to promote events, new resources, new materials, new technologies and facilities the library offers. This can often be done with rolling banners with bright and attractive pictures and eye catching headings
2. Mobile compatibility I get Google Analytics reports about the number of visits and with what devices and web browsers people visit our library website. The largest amount of visitors come from users accessing the site with their Ipad closely followed by Iphone. Library websites MUST be mobile compatible, or have a mobile version of the site, or even an app. This mobile site must allow users access to the most used features like renewing books, ordering books and finding the library by GPS as well as contacting the library.
3. Develop an online presence through the website and social media
A library website should link to the library's other online social media accounts like Facebook pages, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and any blogs the library might have. Likewise, these social networking sites should link users back to the webpage where the majority of information about the library is kept.
4.Build a Online Identity This ties in with point three, but I think on online presence and identity are different and but need to be developed in conjunction with each other. You need to have a recognisable brand online. As McBurnie (2007) explains "Building and managing a consistent online identity will help to project an image of an active, well-informed, progressive individual or organisation."
5. Visual Cues Too much text on a webpage is boring and uniformative. Libraries can use icons to showcase new DVDs and Books and also have pictures buttons to perform searches and basic functions.
6. Be Found A new website needs to be promoted. Hold an launch event and all materials given out to library patrons should have the library webpage link written on them. Library cards should also have the library website on the back. All staff email signatures should have a link to the library webpage.
7. Redundancy have numerous ways of doing things on the website. Not everyone navigates webpages in the same way, so having a few ways to renew items with clear instructions helps users find what the want.
8. Search Boxes Have embedded quick search boxes on each page, so people are directed back catalogue to search for items, and don’t have to leave informational pages to perform catalogue searches.
9. Easy Contacts Have the library’s contact details shown on every page. Whether this be a email address or a ‘contact us’ link on each page.
10. Feedback. Allow users to feedback on each page. This can also help to monitor any broken links or incorrect content.
1. Promotion. Yes, this library website has a rolling banner which promotes upcoming activities as well as services patrons might not know about. The top menus also are clearly labeled to show resources for adults, children and history and heritage, as well as e-resources.
2. Mobile compatibility - The website’s mobile compatibility leaves much to be desired. There is not a specific mobile site or app, and the webpage is too big for the mobile screen so menus and links are obscured. Considering the amount of people who access this site on mobile devices, this needs to be addressed.
3. Develop an online presence through the website and social media - The library website has links to their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. They also have a video which was made in the style of an old film to show the different services of the library featuring Clara Cupcakes. Looking at the social media pages, they link users back to the library, but the library needs to encourage more interaction on their social networks.
4.Build a Online Identity. The library website has a colour scheme as well as a library logo which is brought over to the social networking sites. The social media sites also link back to the website contact.
5. Visual Cues. All the links to the social networking sites are icons, and every event and post has a small photo. The quick links could possibly have icons to draw attention to these services.
6. Be Found - the library promotes the website through their social media accounts and also displays the website address on all their promotional material and library cards.
7. Redundancy. There are two way to do most things on the library webpage like renewing books and searching the catalogue.
8. Search Boxes. There is a search box for the whole website on the front page, but once you leave this, it disappears. You need to return to the homepage to get this search feature again. You can’t search the catalogue from the front page. You have to drill down two layers to get to the catalogue search.
9. Easy Contacts. The contact us link is only available on the home page. There is also a facility for people to join the library online. This link is also only on the front page.
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