Library web sites: a content analysis Jadranka Stojanovski Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb,...

Library web sites:a content analysis

Jadranka StojanovskiRuđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb,

Croatiahttp://library.irb.hr

[email protected]

Jadranka Stojanovski, LIDA 2001, Dubrovnik

outline

• library functions in the new environment

• library web sites - Why?• general evaluation criteria • Croatian library web space• basic and critical content elements• library web sites content analysis• comparisions• conclusion


Traditional library functions

in the new environment• information selection• information organization• access to the information


Why evaluate?

• QUANTITY• QUALITY

• anyone can put anything up on the Internet

• web resources rarely have editors and are not usually peer-reviewed

• there are no web standards


web lacks

• organization• standards and governance• quality control• source information• reliability and stability


web sites categories

• reference / informational• news• entertainment• business / marketing• advocacy• personal page


General criteria for evaluation

• http://info.lib.uh.edu/pr/v8/n3/smit8n3.html

• http://www.washburn.edu/mabee/reviews.html

• http://www.willamette.edu/webstation/wviews/crit.html

• http://diogenes.baylor.edu/Library/LIRT/lirtcrit.html


Authority• does the resource have some reputable

organisation or expert behind it?• does the author have standing in the

field? can the author be contacted?• are sources of information stated?• is the information verifiable?• URL clues!!!• if no source is given for the

information, the author does not appear to be an authority on the subject


Purpose / Audience

• who and for what reasons will be using the library site?

• is the purpose clearly stated (to inform, educate, etc.)?

• are resources fulfilling the stated purpose?

• who are intended users?


Content / Relevance

• authority

• accuracy

• currency

• coverage

• objectivity

• uniqueness

• links to other resources

• quality of writing


Organization

• logical organization - easy navigation

• navigation through the site should be intuitive, easy-to-understand and easy-to-survey

• getting lost in the links!• user aids: link Back to homepage,

Site Map, Search functions


Design / Appearance

• first impression• harmonization• appropriate use of colors, textures,

images, etc.• attractiveness• length• distinctive character of the site


Maintenance / Currency

• Who will be responsible for the maintenance of a library site?

• Is there a development and growth plan?

• Is it necessary to establish a special protocol, rulebook etc., which will define the authority and the maintenance of the site?


Technology / Functionality / Usability

• no additional programs

• standard file formats

• <ALT> tags have to provide an alternative text

• required computing environment

• "text only" version of the site

• searching

• interactivity

• users with seeing and hearing difficulties


Size of the Croatian web space

Croatian library web space

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600

NUL

Academic Libraries

Special Libraries

Public Libraries

School Libraries

TOTAL

tottaly 1998*** on web - Sept 2000


8 basic elements

general information;

contact information;

library’s online catalog;

library services description;

working hours;

news;

authority data;

the last update data (currency);


General information- address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail

- general information on the library, the area it covers, user profile it’s intended for, library’s mission (mission statement)

- a note from a director/manager of the institution

- working hours info, the holidays on which the library is closed

- a part of a city map with instructions on how to get to the library (it is desirable to provide a bus or tram line)

- library’s layout/blueprint (with a list of area, institution, or other related libraries)

- a guide through the library, multimedia if possible (images, video, sound)

- library’s staff, with job descriptions, telephone numbers, and e-mail contact addresses, and possible links to home sites


General information- volunteering possibilities and conditions

- special collections

- library’s publications (annual reports, catalogs, recent acquisitions)

- the history of the library and future plans

- statistical data (lending, Web site access, etc.)

- friends of the library (donors, financiers, due individuals etc., especially present in public libraries).


412

412

412

367

421

412

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Number of libraries

address

telephone, fax

e-mail

library's staff

general information on the library

w orking hours info

Cri

teri

a

Figure 1 General information

no

yes


Online catalogues (OPAC)

- catalogs of the own collections of books, periodicals, and other library material;

- the list of the current periodicals, unless the periodicals are already included in catalogs (especially important for academic and special libraries);

- the bibliography of the works of its staff;

- other libraries’ catalogs;

- collective catalogs.


349

2914

17

2635

8

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Number of libraries

catalogs of the ow ncollections of books

catalogs of the ow ncollection of periodicals

list of the currentperiodicals

other libraries' catalogsand collective catalogs

Cri

teri

a

Figure 2 Online catalogs

no

yes


Internet resources

- electronic magazines, newspapers, books etc.;

- electronic text, articles archives (so-called preprint archives);

- online databases;

- projects associated with digital libraries;

- various digital collections (images, numerical data, video etc).


Internet resources

• Electronic sources can additionally be divided according to:- topics, scientific field;

- categories of users (children, young people, etc).

• The electronic sources divided according to topics can grow into the so-called subject gateways.

• The local information sources can also be added to this category: - regional electronic information sources (city, province,

state);

- government electronic information sources;

- online exhibitions.


26

17

23

20

16

27

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Number of libraries

electronic journals,new spapers, books etc.

online databases

Internet resources insubject categories

Cri

teri

a

Figure 3 Internet resources

no

yes


Library services- acquisition – suggesting a new book, magazine, etc;

- lending – local, possibility of reservation;

- interlibrary loan;

- electronic information supply;

- Xeroxing;

- microfilming;

- special collections and the rules of usage;

- questions related to intellectual copyrights;

- the rules of usage of other libraries;

- services related to the Document Supply Centers;

- services for persons with disabilities;

- providing e-mail (public libraries);

- providing the Internet access


Reference desk

- the online reference collection (dictionaries, manuals, encyclopedia, address books, etc.);

- FAQ (frequently asked question) – on many levels, with various topics;

- “Ask the librarian” (via e-mail, or appropriate forms).


23

20

8

35

19

24

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Number of libraries

information aboutlibrary services

interlibrary loan

online referencecollections

Cri

teri

a

Figure 4 Library Services and Reference desk

no

yes


Education, instruction, help

- instructions and help for using the library itself (links to the Library Services);

- instructions and help for using the certain programs frequently used by users, such as Web browsers;

- instructions on the library’s catalog browsing;

- instructions on the online databases browsing;

- instructions on the Internet browsing;

- information sources evaluation elements;

- instructions on citing the literature (on all media) in different formats;

- introduction to computers;

- learning and practicing materials, especially important for academic libraries (associated to the lesson plan and program);


Searching

- searching the library web site itself;

- searching the entire (or parts of the) web.


News

- the news associated with library holdings, e.g. data on the arrival of magazines, notices on access to a new magazine or database;

- weakly schedule of lectures, seminars and other library/institution happenings;

- interesting facts and news relevant for the users of a library (new electronic magazines, a new database, an interesting article etc.);

- what’s new in the library, e.g. a new area, new service, new materials;

- what’s new on the web site (What’s New Page), with the possible changes on the web site (the most recent information are stated first) – it is desirable to put the link to this page on the site’s homepage!

- the schedule of happenings in a library, institution, region.


18

25

19

24

20

23

0 5 10 15 20 25

Number of libraries

Instructions, help, learningmaterials

w eb search engines

new s

Cri

teri

a

Chart 5: Education, Instructions, Help, Searching and News

no

yes


Conclusions about Croatian web space

• early stage of web sites development• lack of financies• lack of staff• lack of continuous education of

librarians• lack of technical support• no English translation• offten false credibility (institutions!)


Library web sites today (Brinkley, M. 1999)

• promotional tool• information about the library

services• guides and help facilities• gateway to information resources


Library web sites tomorrow

• seamlessly integration of all functions and services

• coherent “virtual” services• factors:

– changing world of information– changing nature of library users


The future library will have the same old goals

• to provide access to the information, regardless of format, location, or subject;

• to facilitate access, through guides, training, and the way information is organised;

• to do so in an integrated manner such that services can be offered to users when and where they need them.

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Library web sites: a content analysis Jadranka Stojanovski Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb,...

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