Slides from a talk I gave to the Merri-Hill-Rock Public Library consortium in Hooksett, NH on October 10, 2012.

1. “why can’t I find anything?”
an exploration of
user-centered
library website design
Emily Singley
Systems Librarian
Southern New Hampshire University

2. A usable website is….
 Readable
 Navigable
 Understandable
 Searchable
 Browser and Device Neutral
 Familiar
 Accessible

3. 1 - Readable
 Avoid clutter
 Avoid dense text – white space is good
 Pages should be easily scannable
 Easy on the eyes – comfortable color scheme and font sizes
“Studies report that about 80% of users scan any
new page. Only 16% read each word.”
http://usability.gov/pdfs/chapter16.pdf

4. 2 - Navigable
 F-shape – eyes travel across top once, across top again,
then down left (or right) side:
http://www.usability.gov/articles/newsletter/pubs/032010news.html/
 Minimize the number of clicks
 Eliminate horizontal scrolling
 Use dropdown menus and breadcrumbs
 Make sure users can always get home – clickable logo
 Make sure users don’t “get stuck” in external sites –
i.e., catalog, events calendar, LibGuides, etc.
“People won’t use your Web site if they can’t find their way around it.”
– Don’t make me think / Steve Klug

5. 3 - Understandable
 Information needs to be presented in the user’s
language – know your users!
 Avoid “Librarianese”
 Find out what terms mean to your users: Catalog?
Interlibrary Loan? About the library? Database? etc….
Library terms that users understand / John Kupersmith:
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qq499w7
User survey example from Texas A&M:
http://www.wtamu.edu/library/usability/survey2.shtml

6. 4 - Searchable
 Site should be searchable from every page
 Search boxes should indicate what they will search –
clearly distinguish searching the catalog and the site
 Search boxes need to work! Test them.
 Make sure all your content is searchable from site
search – including calendar events.
 SEO – how Googleable is your site? Test it!

7. 5 - Browser and device neutral
 Test your site on as many different browsers and
devices as possible
 Avoid formats that require special software: Word,
Adobe Acrobat PDFs, Windows Media Player, etc.
 Easiest solution: use a template that has already been
proven to work in every environment (i.e. Wordpress,
Drupal, etc.)
 “Responsive” sites are increasingly replacing separate
mobile sites

8. A “responsive” library website:
http://www.cantonpl.org/
Uses Drupal CMS

9. A “mobile first” library site template:
http://influx.us/onepagerdemo/
from Influx library user experience

10. 6 - Familiar
 Meet user expectations – don’t flout them
 Look at the most popular websites – they set the
standards
 Site search box in upper right
 Login in upper right
 Navigation menus remain the same on every page
 Contact info and copyright date in footer

11. Top websites in the US by usage:
Google
Facebook
YouTube
Yahoo
Wikipedia
Twitter
Blogspot
Amazon
Library site that follows familiar standards:
http://www.jocolibrary.org/
Library site that does not:
http://www.rochestervtpubliclibrary.com/

12. 7 - Accessible
 Follow standards - ADA and Section 508
 Test with visually-impaired users
 Test with a screen reader and other assistive
technologies
“Access problems often occur because website designers
mistakenly assume that everyone sees and accesses a webpage
in the same way. ” – ADA best practices toolkit

13. Let’s test some
library websites:
 Readable?
 Navigable?
 Understandable?
 Searchable?
 Browser and Device Neutral?
 Familiar?
 Accessible?

14. some usability test questions:
 Is the library open on Sundays?
 How do I get a library card?
 Does the library have a copy of Huckleburry Fin? (note spelling)
 Is there a Storytime on Saturdays for my 4-yr old?

15. Website examples - Readable:
Not so good:
http://www.doverfreelibrary1913.org/
Good:
http://benningtonfreelibrary.org/wordpresshome/
http://www.slcpl.org/

16. Website examples - Navigable:
Not so good:
http://www.webrary.org/mgplhome.html
http://www.ci.ellensburg.wa.us/index.aspx?nid=144
Good:
http://www.broward.org/library/Pages/Default.aspx
http://www.dbrl.org/

17. Website examples - Understandable:
Not so good:
http://www.ifpl.org/
http://www.ilsleypubliclibrary.org/
Good:
http://www.pequotlibrary.org/
http://www.thomascranelibrary.org/
http://www.jocolibrary.org/

18. Website examples - Searchable:
Not so good:
http://www.blakememorial.org/
http://www.washoecounty.us/library/
http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/index.htm
Good:
http://denverlibrary.org/
http://www.monterey.org/library/Home.aspx

19. 5 common problems with
library websites:
1. Jargon: Interlibrary Loan, Databases, Catalog, Libguides, etc.
2. Catalog search box is not explained; site search and catalog
search are not clearly distinguished
3. Navigation is non-intuitive: Once in the catalog, users cannot
get back, logos do not link, menus change from page to page
4. Events calendar does not easily show regularly recurring
events and is not searchable from site search
5. Information is buried under too many pages and links do not
explain where you are going.

20. 5 big library websites I like:
1. Saint Paul Public Library
2. Cleveland Public Library
3. Daniel Boone Public Library
4. Iowa City Public Library
5. Johnson County Public Library

21. 5 small library websites I like:
1. Steamboat Springs Public Library
2. Princeton Public Library
3. Ipswich Public Library
4. Western Springs Public Library
5. Waterville Public Library

22. 5 mobile library websites I like:
1. Enoch Pratt Public Library
2. Mount Prospect Public Library
3. Canton Public Library
4. Chelmsford Public Library
5. San Francisco Public Library

23. 5 steps to a user-centered library website:
1 - Test the site
 Perform a simple usability test on the current site
 Test browsers, devices, and accessibility
 Determine what works, what doesn’t
 Usability testing is easy!
 You only need to test with 5 users
Jakob Nielsen - http://www.useit.com/
“All you really need is a room with a desk, a computer, and two chairs.”
– Don’t make me think / Steve Klug

24. You only need 5 users for valid results:
“Why you only need to test with 5 users“ Jakob Nielsen, March 19,
2000 http://www.useit.com/

25. 2 - Identify your audience(s)
 Who is using your site?
 What do they use the site for?
 Who is not using the site, and why not?
 Quick 1-minute survey on the site
 Focus groups with library patrons
 Mail/email/telephone surveys
http://usability.gov/methods/analyze_current/learn/in
dex.html

26. 3 - Identify and organize content
 Ask your audiences what they need (and want) on the
site
 Create a content inventory
 Involve users in a card sorting exercise
 Identify language and labels that make sense to your
users
 Design a mockup (or wireframe) of the new site layout
 Test the mockup with users
http://usability.gov/methods/design_site/define.html

27. 4 - Create the site
 Code the site yourself from scratch
 Choose a CMS and template that works well for your
design (Wordpress, Blogger, Drupal, etc.)
 Hire someone:
http://www.websitesforlibraries.com/
http://influx.us/

28. 5 - Go back to step 1
 Perform the same usability test you used in step 1.
 Are there any improvements?
 What still isn’t working?
 Website design is iterative
“Websites are like living organisms…
if they stop changing, they die.”
-- Heather Shaw, graphic designer

29. some final thoughts….
 Your website should provide the same high level of service as
your physical library.
 Involving your users in your website design makes it their space.
 Your site doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive, it just needs to
work for your users.
 You don’t need much technical knowledge.
 Use the templates and resources that have already been proven
and tested.
“Websites are the electronic front door to your library; as such they deserve the same
planning and care that your library receives. ” – RI State Library

30. Resources
I. Usability resources
Usability.gov: http://usability.gov/
Usability Guidelines: http://usability.gov/guidelines/guidelines_book.pdf
Klug, Steve. (2005). Don’t make me think: A commonsense approach to web usability.
2nd ed. Indianapolis: New Riders. Find it at Amazon.
Steve Klug’s website: http://www.sensible.com/
Jakob Nielsen’s website: http://www.useit.com/
“Top 10 mistakes in website design” by Jakob Nielsen:
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html
Mobile Usability from Jakob Nielsen: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/mobile-
usability.html

31. II. Library website design
Libsuccess.org section on website design:
http://libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Website_Design
Library terms that users understand:
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qq499w7
ALA’s website wiki – lists award winning sites:
http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php?title=Websites#Library_Websi
te_Award_Winners
Public library website standards from Rhode Island State Library:
http://www.olis.ri.gov/pubs/plstandards/websites.php
College library website of the month from ALA:
http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections/cls/clsweb
site/websiteofthemonth

32. Library website design, continued:
“Usability in the library” University of Michigan’s usability site
http://www.lib.umich.edu/usability-library
The “One-Pager” from Influx – a very simple, mobile-friendly, usability-tested
library website template:
http://influx.us/onepager/
Userslib.com – a good library blog on usability:
http://userslib.com/
Library User Experience – an excellent usability blog from the University of
Virginia:
http://libraryux.wordpress.com/
Accessible design for library websites
http://senna.sjsu.edu/lmain/isdaccess/home.html

33. III: Mobile library site design:
Mobile friendly library websites: a step-by-step guide to creating
mobile sites using CSS:
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/digicoll/libraryweb/mobile-websites.pdf
How to create a mobile library site without technical knowledge:
http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2011/7-tools-to-create-a-mobile-library-
website-without-technical-knowledge/
Blog post comparing mobile library sites:
http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2010/04/comparison-of-
40-mobile-library-sites.html#.UFtr4bJlQf4
Tips on designing and developing mobile website from Code4Lib:
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2055
Blog: Mobile learning, libraries, and technologies:
http://mobile-libraries.blogspot.com/

34. Mobile library site design, continued:
W3C Mobile Checker – check to see if your site is mobile compatible:
http://validator.w3.org/mobile/
Library Anywhere – a mobile library site app:
http://www.libanywhere.com/
Mobile site creation:
Boopsie: http://www.boopsie.com/library/
Winksite (free): http://winksite.com/site/index.cfm
Zinadoo (free): http://www.zinadoo.com//
Wordpress plugin (free) – will create a mobile version of your WP site:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/mobilepress/

35. IV. Accessibility
ADA best practices toolkit: http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap5toolkit.htm
Accessibility chapter from usability.gov: http://usability.gov/pdfs/chapter3.pdf
Section 508 guidelines: http://www.section508.gov/
United States Access Board: a federal agency committed to accessible design
http://www.access-board.gov/gs.htm
Good blog post comparing screen readers: http://usabilitygeek.com/10-free-screen-
reader-blind-visually-impaired-users/
Demo version of JAWS: http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/jaws-
downloads.asp
Free screen readers:
http://www.screenreader.net/index.php?pageid=11
http://webanywhere.cs.washington.edu/
http://www.nvda-project.org/

36. V. 10 Web Design Resources I can’t live without
Firebug – a Firefox addon for debugging code
Wappalyzer – Firefox addon shows what CMS a site is using
Notepad++ -- a free code editor
Browsershots – free site to check browser compatibility
Google Analytics – a free way to track your site’s usage
Color Cop – identifies colors on websites
W3 Schools color picker – a good color chart
W3Schools – learn HTML, CSS, and more!
Codecademy – self-paced coding tutorials
W3 validator – a HTML code validator

37. This presentation and more:
http://emilysingley.net/resources/