Thoughts about Library Websites

Recently I've been noticing poorly designed library websites. I am not talking about the appearance, but rather little thought about usability, lack of coherent structure, and sloppy content. A Website is a library’s public face. Plus it is a regional, national, and even international presence. We should not underestimate the importance of having a good quality website.

Some common mistakes and problems that I've noticed include the following:

1. Out-of-date content such as old announcements, links that do not work, schedules for events that happened in the past.

2. Too much emphasis on who is who instead of what materials are available in the library. I often see significant space of library websites given to photographs of staff or staff rosters (telephone numbers etc.) rather than space given to library materials and services. It is of course okay to have some information about the library staff, but should it take priority?

3. Confusing architecture. By architecture I mean the hierarchical structure of the site. It should not take several clicks into a site to find important information.

4. Confusing navigation. By navigation I mean how users find their way around the site.

5. Lack of consistency of look of web pages across an institution. I often see this when leaving a main web page to go to pages featuring collections or branch libraries. The user should not question whether he or she has left the website of an institution because the appearance of the website changed drastically.

6. And last but not least, where is the library catalog? Items which your users frequently go to should be up front and center. They should not have to click deep into a site, if what they are seeking is popular.

Has anyone else noticed common mistakes or problems with library websites?