TEXT & DATA
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The Other Homepage, Library Journal netConnect, April 15, 2003
The online version is recommended since it corrects several errors
found in the printed version.
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Abstract
In an effort to optimize their web sites for diverse user groups, some libraries have chosen to create multiple entry points. The primary home page serves as the library's main web presence; its URL is the one publicized to the world. A separate in-house page may be designed for users at public access Internet stations within the library. Still another home page may be developed for staff use, usually on an intranet. This article discusses the design considerations for these and other types of special-purpose home pages and offers a suggested set of "best practices." It also includes a brief history of the term "home page."
Data
Below are links to the primary, in-house public access, and staff-use home pages of academic and public libraries. Thanks to each of them for agreeing to be listed here. The following is based on data compiled from these pages in February 2003 (numbers in parentheses are from late 2000). Naturally, page designs and contents may have changed.
- In-house and staff-use pages differed in appearance from primary pages.
On a scale of 0-3 (0 = no similarity, 1 = some common elements, 2 = strong similarity, and 3 = identical with minor differences):
Academic libraries' in-house pages averaged 1.2 (1.3)
Academic libraries' staff-use pages averaged 0.5 (0.9)
Public libraries' in-house pages averaged 1.0 (0.9)
Public libraries' staff-use pages averaged 0.6 (0.5)
- Pages intended for staff use had significantly more links than those for public use.
Academic libraries' primary pages averaged 38 links (25)
Academic libraries' in-house pages averaged 35 links (24)
Academic libraries' staff-use pages averaged 43 links (33)
Public libraries' primary pages averaged 34 links (35)
Public libraries' in-house pages averaged 25 links (23)
Public libraries' staff-use pages averaged 65 links (74)
- Menus on these pages showed considerable effort to organize content.
The most commonly used menu styles across all types of pages were:
Text links, grouped into logical categories - 38 pages
Buttons - 23 pages
Text links, not grouped or annotated - 19 pages
Text links, annotated with explanatory phrases - 15 pages
- Terms used to label resources showed considerable variation.
For more information, see:
[WEB4LIB] Terms actually used for "database" etc.
Library Terms That Users Understand
- Pages showed some attempt to provide "fresh content" for users.
Percent of pages featuring a current news item:
Academic libraries' primary pages, 82% (45%)
Academic libraries' in-house pages, 27% (15%)
Academic libraries' staff-use pages, 20% (30%)
Public libraries' primary pages, 85% (73%)
Public libraries' in-house pages, 29% (11%)
Public libraries' staff-use pages, 60% (50%)
- Somewhat surprisingly, academic libraries used photographs more often than public libraries.
Percent of pages illustrated with photographs (excluding logos):
Academic libraries' primary pages, 77% (66%)
Academic libraries' in-house pages, 20% (35%)
Academic libraries' staff-use pages, 30% (40%)
Public libraries' primary pages, 46% (36%)
Public libraries' in-house pages, 13% (6%)
Public libraries' staff-use pages, 10% (8%)
- Content of the photographs reflects ... well, you decide:
Buildings appeared on 21 pages (27)
People appeared on 13 pages (12)
Computers appeared on 6 pages (5)
Books appeared on 2 pages (3)
A lion appeared on one page in 2000, but he's gone now.
Other data are available. Please
if you're interested in some specific characteristic of these web pages.
EXAMPLES - ACADEMIC LIBRARIES
Appalachian State University
PRIMARY: Appalachian State University Libraries
IN-HOUSE: Primary page is used.
Journal and Newspaper Databases page contains a table of databases
indicating how each can be accessed. Links to networked CD-ROMs and
executables are provided through NT Script.
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Austin Peay State University
PRIMARY: Felix G. Woodward Library
IN-HOUSE: Primary page is used.
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
California Institute of Technology
PRIMARY: Caltech Library System
ALTERNATE FOLLOWING CAMPUS GUIDELINES: Caltech Reference Desk
IN-HOUSE: Quick Access
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
California State University, Northridge
PRIMARY: University Library
IN-HOUSE: Primary page is used.
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Central Michigan University
PRIMARY: Central Michigan University Libraries
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: CMU Libraries - Staff Resources
Charles Sturt University
PRIMARY: Charles Sturt University - Library Services
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: Library Staff Home Page
Christchurch College of Education (NZ)
PRIMARY: Library - Christchurch College of Education
IN-HOUSE:
OPAC/database stations use the primary page.
Full Internet access stations use Internet Search
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Cornell University
PRIMARY: Cornell University Library Gateway
USER-PROGRAMMABLE: My Library
IN-HOUSE:
Cornell University Library Gateway
Cornell University Library Catalog
STAFF-USE: Cornell University Library Staff Web Site
DOCUMENTATION:
Karen Calhoun and Zsuzsa Koltay, Library Gateway Focus Groups Report, January 1999.
Karen Calhoun, Zuszsa Koltay, and Edward Weissman, "Library Gateway: Project Design, Teams,
and Cycle Time," Library Resources and Technical Services. 431:2 (1999), pp. 114-122.
Suzanne Cohen et al., "MyLibrary: Personalized Electronic Services in the Cornell University Library,"
D-Lib Magazine. 6:4 (April 2000).
Indiana University
PRIMARY: Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington
IN-HOUSE: Find Information
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Leeds University
PRIMARY: Leeds University Library
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: Library Staff Menu (some local links will not work from here)
Millikin University
PRIMARY: Staley Library
IN-HOUSE: Primary page is used.
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Mt. Hood Community College
PRIMARY: Mt. Hood Community College - Library
IN-HOUSE: Internet Search Tools
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Ohio University
PRIMARY: Ohio University Libraries
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: Working@OULibraries
Olivet Nazarene University
PRIMARY: Benner Library & Resource Center
IN-HOUSE: Library Databases
STAFF-USE: Ready Reference
St. Philip's College
PRIMARY: Learning Resource Center
IN-HOUSE: Links by Subject
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
San Diego State University
PRIMARY: San Diego State University Library
IN-HOUSE: Primary page is used.
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
University of Akron School of Law
PRIMARY: The University of Akron School of Law - Library
IN-HOUSE: Primary page is used. (as of 1/12/05)
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
University of California, Berkeley
PRIMARY: University of California, Berkeley Library
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: UC Berkeley Library Staff Web
University of California, San Diego
PRIMARY: UCSD Libraries
IN-HOUSE: Individual libraries use their own home pages, designed to a consistent standard.
Art & Architecture Library
Mandeville Special Collections Library
Music Library
Film & Video Library
Science and Engineering Library
Social Sciences & Humanities Library
Biomedical and Medical Center Libraries
International Relations and Pacific Studies Library
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library
CLICS - Center for Library & Instructional Computing Services
STAFF-USE: LIBNET
University of Manitoba
PRIMARY: University of Manitoba Libraries
IN-HOUSE: D.W. Craik Engineering Library
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
University of Northern Colorado
PRIMARY: University of Northern Colorado Libraries
IN-HOUSE: The Source
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
University of Oregon
PRIMARY: University of Oregon Library System
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: Iris: UO Library Intranet
University of Pennsylvania
PRIMARY: Penn Library home
IN-HOUSE:
Entry pages used in various branches.
Annenberg School for Communication Library
Anne and Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library
Health Sciences Libraries
Lippincott Library of the Wharton School
Museum Library
Otto E. Albrecht Music Library
Science and Engineering Libraries
Special Collections
Van Pelt Library
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
University of Texas at Dallas
PRIMARY: UTD University Libraries
IN-HOUSE:
McDermott Library Reference Services (electronic reference center)
Callier Library (satellite facility)
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Vanderbilt University
PRIMARY: Jean and Alexander Heard Library -- Vanderbilt University
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: Jean and Alexander Heard Library StaffWeb
Virginia Commonwealth University
PRIMARY: Virginia Commonwealth University Library
USER-PROGRAMMABLE:
My Library
My Library Test Site (allows non-affiliates to create a page)
About My Library
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Waikato Institute of Technology (NZ)
PRIMARY: Waikato Institute of Technology Library
IN-HOUSE:
OPAC stations use the Web Catalogue page
Full Internet access stations use the primary page.
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Willamette University
PRIMARY: Mark O. Hatfield Library WebStation
IN-HOUSE: InfoStation (screen image)
The InfoStation is a custom software application, not a web page per se.
It is unusually well documented:
InfoStation Features
The Information Commons: Cooperation in the Development of Electronic Resources
by Michael W. Spalti and Keiko M. Pitter (1996)
The New InfoStations: Bringing Information into Focus by Michael W. Spalti (1997)
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
EXAMPLES - PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Aurora (CO)
PRIMARY: Libraries
IN-HOUSE: Aurora Public Library's Online Catalog
LANGUAGE VERSION: Spanish
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Bellingham (WA)
PRIMARY: Whatcom County Library System
IN-HOUSE:
Welcome to WCLS' Internet Workstation!
On-the-Web Databases & Indexes
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (NC)
PRIMARY: Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County
LANGUAGE VERSION: Spanish
SEPARATE, SPECIALIZED WEB SITES:
Bizlink: Your on-line Business Resource
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Story
Reader's Club
BookHive (book selections and reviews for children)
IN-HOUSE: ATTENTION (Internet policy)
LANGUAGE VERSION: Spanish
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Charlottesville (VA)
PRIMARY: Jefferson-Madison Regional Library
IN-HOUSE:
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library: Reference & Information
Monticello Avenue (library-operated community network used in computer lab)
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Clearwater (FL)
PRIMARY: Clearwater Public Library System
IN-HOUSE: Primary page is used.
STAFF-USE:
Clearwater Public Library System Reference Department: Working Page
Coffs Harbour (NSW Australia)
PRIMARY: Coffs Harbour City Library & Information Service
IN-HOUSE:
Public Access Computer
Internal and external Public WebOPAC
STAFF-USE:
Staff Tool Kit (2003 screen image)
Staff WebOPAC
Collier County (FL) Public Library
PRIMARY: Collier County Public Library
IN-HOUSE: Collier County Public Library
STAFF-USE: Collier County Public Library Staff Home Page
District of Columbia
PRIMARY: District of Columbia Public Library
IN-HOUSE: Welcome to the District of Columbia Public Library
STAFF-USE: [none]
Garden City (MI)
PRIMARY: Garden City Library
IN-HOUSE: Garden City Library
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Hennepin County (MN)
PRIMARY: Hennepin County Library
IN-HOUSE:
Reference & Research
Several special-purpose variants, see:
Link Centers
STAFF-USE:
Staff Web (2001 screen image)
Extranet (intended for "the broader library community")
Houston (TX)
PRIMARY: Houston Public Library
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: HPLnet Intranet (1999 screen image)
Lakewood (OH) Public Library
PRIMARY: Ephemera: Lakewood Public Library Online
IN-HOUSE: Lakewood's Launch Site
STAFF-USE: Staff Tool Page
Memphis Shelby County Public Library and Information Center
PRIMARY: Memphis Shelby County Public Library and Information Center
IN-HOUSE: (none submitted)
STAFF-USE: The STAFF WEB
Middletown (CT)
PRIMARY: Russell Library
IN-HOUSE: Russell Library
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Milledgeville (GA)
PRIMARY: Twin Lakes Regional Library System - Mary Vinson Memorial Library
IN-HOUSE: Attention! - Internet Safety Policy
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Minneapolis (MN)
PRIMARY: Minneapolis Public Library
IN-HOUSE: Internet Start Page
LANGUAGE VERSIONS: Hmong, Somali, Spanish
Web for Kids
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Morris County (NJ)
PRIMARY: Morris County Library
IN-HOUSE: Morris County Library
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Morton Grove (IL)
PRIMARY: Morton Grove Public Library Webrary
LANGUAGE VERSION: Russian
IN-HOUSE:
General web browsing stations use the primary page.
Stations dedicated to subscription databases use a Reference Database Menu page.
STAFF-USE: MGPL - Staff home (demo version)
Links to specialized pages for computer software/hardware information
and library policies/procedures.
Multnomah County (OR)
PRIMARY: Multnomah County Library
LANGUAGE VERSION: Spanish
IN-HOUSE:
Multnomah County Library
(similar to primary page, with slight modifications for internal use)
Multnomah County Library
("Search Station Light" version is limited to library resources only)
Multnomah County Library KidsPage
(Used in children's areas)
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Northwest Regional Library System (Panama City, FL)
PRIMARY: Northwest Regional Library System
IN-HOUSE: Internet Use Policy
NOTE: This URL leads to a page containing a JavaScript that superimposes a window
containing the library's Internet access policy. The user must click to accept the terms
before viewing the primary home page. When accessed from outside the library, this script
appears as a separate window.
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Pearl River County (MS)
PRIMARY: Pearl River County Library System
IN-HOUSE: Computer Acceptable Use Policy
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Queens Borough (NY)
PRIMARY: Queens Borough Public Library home
LANGUAGE VERSIONS: Russian, Spanish
IN-HOUSE:
InfoLinQ (library catalog)
LANGUAGE VERSIONS: French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean
KidsLinQ (Internet resources for children)
WorldLinQ (multi-language Internet resources in English, French, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Russian)
STAFF-USE: Queens Library: Information for Staff (2002 screen image)
Ramapo Catskill Library System (NY)
PRIMARY: Ramapo Catskill Library System
IN-HOUSE: Reference and Magazine Article Databases
STAFF-USE: Ramapo Catskill Library System [RCLS for Librarians, Trustees, Friends]
St. Joseph County (IN)
PRIMARY: St. Joseph County Public Library
IN-HOUSE: SJCPL Hotlist
STAFF-USE: (none submitted)
Santa Fe (NM)
PRIMARY: Santa Fe Public Library
IN-HOUSE:
Internet Starting Points
Magazine Gateway
Children's Internet Starting Points
STAFF-USE: Librarians' Links
Washoe County (NV)
PRIMARY:
Internet Branch
IN-HOUSE:
Public Internet Access
STAFF-USE:
Staff Tool Kit
Waterford Township (MI)
PRIMARY: Waterford Township Public Library
IN-HOUSE: Public Internet Access
STAFF-USE: Staff Internet Information
RESOURCES
Anita Breckbill and Virginia Baldwin, "Use of Main or Branch Library Web Pages on Public Access Computers in Academic Branch Libraries: Results of a Listserv Inquiry," College & Research Libraries 63 (September 2002), 421-431.
Marshall Breeding, Library Staff Web Servers.
Scott Carlson, "The Deserted Library: As Students Work Online, Reading Rooms Empty Out -- Leading Some Campuses to Add Starbucks," Chronicle of Higher Education (November 16,2001), A35. Online version accessed 1/21/2002.
Laurel A. Clyde, "The Library as Information Provider: The Home Page," The Electronic Library 14 (December 1996), 549-558.
Laura B. Cohen ands Julie M. Sill, "A Comparison of Research University and Two-Year College Library Web Sites: Content, Functionality, and Form," College & Research Libraries 60 (May 1999), 275-289.
Pat Ensor, "What's Wrong with Cool?", Library Journal NetConnect (Spring 2000), 11-14. [supplement to Library Journal, April 15, 2000]
Shirley Duglin Kennedy, "The Web Makes Its Way Mainstream," Information Today 16 (November 1999), 30-32. [cites this page]
David L. King, "Library Home Page Design: A Comparison of Page Layout for Front-ends to ARL Library Web Sites," College & Research Libraries 59 (September 1998), 458-465.
John Kupersmith, "YOU ARE HERE, But Where is That?: Architectural Design Metaphors in the Electronic Library," in Cheryl LaGuardia, ed., Finding Common Ground: Creating a Library of the Future Without Diminishing the Library of the Past (New York: Neal-Schuman, 1998), pp. 58-67.
Peter Morville, "Information, Architecture, and Usability," webreview.com (March 12, 1999).
Jakob Nielsen & Marie Tahir, Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing, 2002.
Lou Rosenfeld, "The 30-minute Web Site Tune-Up," webreview.com ([January 24, 1997]).
Lou Rosenfeld, "Is Less Really More? [designing tables of contents for web sites]," webreview.com (October 2, 1998).
Marian Shemberg, "Through the Web: Door to Academic Libraries," Reference Services Review 28 (2000), 178-187.
Mark Stover and Steven D. Zink, "World Wide Web Home Page Design: Patterns and Anomalies of Higher Education Library Home Pages," Reference Services Review 24 (Fall 1996), 7-20.
Roy Tennant, "Personalizing the Digital Library," Library Journal Digital (July 1, 1999).
Jan Whalen, "A Study of Library Web Sites," John Rylands University of Manchester, November 1996.
Ken Winter, "'My Library' Can Help Your Library," American Libraries 30 (August 1999), 65-67.
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