In her article “Engaging Users: the Future of Academic Library Web Sites,” Shu Liu compares the content, function, and design of 111 ARL college library web sites. She concludes it would be best for schools to implement a portal design (similar to the Harvard site below) but divide the splash page into user types such as student, faculty, etc. It’s an interesting read.
Liu noticed recurring design patterns on the analyzed sites:
- columns by category
- horizontal sections by category
- mixed columns and horizontal sections
- four equally divided sections with sidebar(s) (Liu, 2008)
She recommends that designers,
Reduce the intimidating appearance of library homepages’ by using as little text as possible to convey only the most necessary access points and by employing an appealing graphical design that accomodates usability and accessibility requirements. (Liu, 2008)
Her ideas are definitely something to keep in mind for your library’s web presence.
Liu, S. (2008). Engaging users: the future of academic library web sites.
College & Research Libraries, 69.1, 6-27.
