Page 224 - DLIS001_FOUNDATION_OF_LIBRARY_AND_INFORMATION_SCIENCE

Unit 11: Library Associations: India, UK and USA

Notes
shared his experience for designing and implementation process of developing an academic
library website at De Montfort University (DMU) and gave practical guidance and advice.
McMullen conducted an interview with users to find insight about users’ behaviour with
Library Web Interface for information seeking and revealed problems related to unclear
terminology, proper use of colour, size, and location for navigational links, and the need
for context sensitive help, built-in redundancy, and clear and consistent navigation. Rozic-
Hristovski et al build CMK library website and evaluated the website by using Web
server log files data whereas Milunovich explored the design and maintenance of Law
library websites and described various design principles and identified elements that are
typically included in such sites. Vande Creek conducted a usability analysis using a trilateral
approach: usability testing, focus group sessions, and survey questionnaires for the
Northern Illinois University Library website.
There is an effort for usability testing of virtual libraries by Allen for the University of
South Florida, for a new interface design. There are few studies found for redesigning of
library websites by applying usability approach. George evaluated the usability studies
conducted for the redesign of website of Carnegie Mellon University library and found
key weaknesses with respect to navigation, screen design and labelling, leading to more
revisions and the final release. During evaluation he found that colour and graphics
attract attention; font, labels, and placement increase visibility; chunking and leading
with keywords increase readability; and consistency increases usability. Fang conducted
a survey for Rutgers-Newark Law Library, to improve its design and content by using
Google Analytics. By analysing the visitors’ behaviour, changes were made to the library
website and again compared which showed an improved. Craven explored the awareness
levels of website developers in a supporting study for DISinHE (now TechDIS) between
1999 and 2000. Abels et al identified user based design criteria in websites and found that
users’ rate content and ease of use as more important than appearance. Vasantha Raju &
Harinarayana analysed the usability features of thirty (30) library websites of top science
universities and institutes around the world (list of world’s top science universities
published by the Times Higher Education Supplement).
Hider and Ferguson evaluated the information architectural qualities, given by Gullikson
et al, of 20 Australian library websites by heuristic inspection which were compared with
10 retail websites and concluded the need of improvement and training. Holly dealt with
the need, challenges, tools and methods for library Web content management and provided
several case studies of library websites. Schaffner emphasized the need for good library
Web interface and Online Public Access Catalogues (OPAC). Dinkelman and Stacy-Bates
examined the availability and access mechanism of electronic books available in the
websites of academic libraries in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and provided
useful suggestions to improve it. Similar effort has been made by Rich and Rabine for
electronic serials in academic library websites and Ganski for e-resources in theological
library websites. Krueger et al. adapted Web usability techniques to assess student’s
awareness of their library websites by using a Web browser. They categorized various
approaches according to students’ preference and revealed that forty five per cent (45%) of
the students utilized the library website as first tool of choice. Despite these studies in
Web user interface design and evaluation of library websites, the user oriented content
awareness testing or theoretical model are still rare (Clausen) and extensive theory of
content awareness is yet to come. The present study is focused on the design, development
and establishment of user oriented content awareness evaluation criteria of academic
library websites.
The contents awareness of academic library websites of India has been evaluated as per
the designed evaluation criteria. The 108 point scale has been divided in five grades each
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