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Georgia State University Library: Website Analysis Khyle Hannan MLIS 7998 Web Programming John R. Bennett Valdosta State University 7/18/12

1. Introduction Georgia State University Library is the main campus library for Georgia State University (GSU). GSU is a leading research university in the southeastern United States located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. According to Bowen, L. (n.d.), Georgia State University was founded in 1913 as the Georgia Institute of Technologys Evening School of Commerce. Throughout the middle Twentieth Century, the university grew and expanded until 1965 when the state board of regents made it an independent university. According to Bowen, L. (n.d.), Georgia State University Library was officially created in 1948 by a private donation of books from then university president Dr. george Sparks. At the time, one of the universitys classroom buildings stored the librarys collection. In 1969, the university completed construction on Library North, a five floor building to house the library and all of its collections. In 1989, the university built Library South, an eight floor building to house the librarys growing collection, and public space needs. Today, Georgia State University Library, is a leading research institution in the southeastern United States. Georgia State University expanded significantly since 1913 and currently has 32,000 students. According to Library Overview - University Library - Georgia State University. (n.d.), During the 2011 fiscal year, the library received 1,580,745 visitors, housed 1.5 million volumes in its collection and counted 1,709,154 visits to its website. The library employs 110 individuals whose goal it is to meet the needs of researchers and university patrons. According to Mission - University Library - Georgia State University (n.d.), The librarys mission is as follows, Georgia State University Library supports the Universitys goal to become a leading public research university by providing resources and services for teaching, learning and research, which enable discovery and the use of information and the creation of knowledge.

2. Content Analysis Effective content is essential for a website to accomplish its intended goal. Jones (2010) states, Many people are on the web, and they need content to help make them make decisions. (p. 13). Georgia State University Library has a large organizational website and serves several different audiences. The website contains many different kinds of content each with a target audience and different goals. A content analysis is essential in determining the value and effectiveness of the library websites content. My analysis will include the following four criteria: Context - This criterias focus is on the librarys different types of audience and what goals the organization is seeking to accomplish. Rhetoric - This criterias focus is on the rhetorical devices used on the website whether they are effectively serving the organizational goals. Psychology - This criterias focus is on the techniques of influence used on the website and whether they are effectively serving the organizational goals. Usability/Organization - This criterias focus is on the websites usefulness, organizational scheme and how easy it is for users to find the information they are seeking. Content analysis is crucial in determining the type and amount of content that a website has and whether it is accomplishing the organization's goals. Content needs to be consistent address users needs and provide relevant information. An effective website will always consist of efficient, targeted, and informative content.

a) Context Georgia State University Library is an academic library at a large research university. The goal the library seeks to accomplish is to be the first destination for university affiliated research needs. The librarys users can be divided into four categories; undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and nonuniversity users. Each of these diverse user groups has different needs, searches for information in a unique way and requires a distinct strategy for website organization. The unique needs of each user group each require a different approach to content creation and structure. Here, is an example of each of the four user groups: Undergraduate Students - Want information quickly and prefer full-text online sources, they use the online study room reservation system and computer availability tool more than research-based tools such as databases. Graduate Students - Involved in more serious research, use subject-specific databases frequently and are more likely to communicate with librarians via the website. Faculty - Involved in serious research, use subject-specific databases as well as additional library resources such as the archives and the institutional repository. Nonuniversity Users - Use the OPAC to locate materials, limited in the amount of electronic resources they can use, must be physically in the library to use electronic databases.

Persona A persona is a fictional person designed to represent a user group of an organization. Organizations begin developing personas by first evaluating demographic data such as age, ethnicity, income level, and occupation. A demographic analysis provides the framework for a

persona. Construction of behaviors such as motivations, frustrations and typical skillsets from the persona is the primary goal. Developers use these characteristics to create a tool that can help when developing web content. The persona serves as a reminder that the demographic data represents real people. It helps add a human touch to what could otherwise be a quantitative process.

Undergraduate Persona

Image courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosavvy/847612371/

Persona Type: Undergraduate Library User Name: Jessica Brown Age: 20 Location: Metro Atlanta Job Title: College student, part-time work Backstory: Jessica is a sophomore in college.

She is a full-time student, works part-time and is a business major. She grew-up and attended high school in the Atlanta metropolitan area. She is active in social/networking organizations on campus and is developing her resume to benefit her future career. Motivations: Jessica uses the library daily for quick computer access and to meet and study with her friends, in between classes. She has only used the librarys website twice for a class assignment and finds the amount of information and choices overwhelming. The librarys catalog does not display properly on her iPhone. She uses Google first for all her assignments because it is easy and works perfectly on her iPhone. She is about to begin a class that will require her to learn how to use the librarys more in-depth research tools, and she wants to excel and maintain her GPA. Frustrations: Jessica has been frustrated in her limited attempts to use the librarys website for her assignments. She wishes the librarys website and related resources (Databases, etc.) were mobileready. She is intimidated by the thought of approaching a librarian to help with her assignments and wishes there were some way to communicate with them on her own time, online, preferably via chat or text.

She wishes that most of the library resources were electronic, full-text articles available online rather than having to check a book out. Their Ideal Experience: Library website services offered 24/7. Chat and text reference help available. Greater availability of online, full-text resources. Improved self-service web features. Library website and linked resources are all mobile friendly. Quote: Im in the library every day between classes but the library website doesnt allow me to find information on my own.

Jessica Brown is a persona that represents the typical undergraduate student at Georgia State University. All of the Jessica Browns demographic characteristics help to paint a picture of whom GSUs undergraduate students are, what they want and how to help them. The Jessica Brown persona contributes context and help differentiate between the needs of undergraduate library users and graduate, faculty and nonuniversity users.

Graduate Persona

Image courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/393283710/

Persona Type: Graduate Student Name: John Lee Age: 24 Location: Metro Atlanta Job Title: Graduate student, graduate research assistant Backstory: John is a first year graduate student in the chemistry program. He is a full-time student and works as a graduate research assistant in the chemistry department. He grew up in California and relocated to Atlanta two years ago to attend school. He is active in an honors fraternity and leads a chemistry study group. Motivations: John is serious about his studies and spends a large amount of time in the library typically on the quiet floor.

He uses the library website daily. He uses the chemistry databases most frequently and is on a first-name basis with the chemistry subject librarian. He is writing an article that he hopes to publish in an academic journal. He would also like to deposit the article into the institutional repository but is unsure about the copyright ramifications of such an action. Frustrations: John has been frustrated with the level of detail of the librarys own online chemistry resources. He feels the institutional repository needs an effective web presence. John wishes the website has resources to help him understand copyright issues more. Their Ideal Experience: Library websites chemistry area content should be segmented into basic, intermediate and advanced user sections. Robust institutional repository area including better means of communication with the institutional repository librarian. A web-based copyright guide managed by the library for faculty authors. Quote: I feel the library should strive to be my academic partner in everything from research to deliverable.

b) Rhetoric Rhetoric is the use of effective persuasion. All websites are attempting to persuade users of their inherent value. Georgia State University Librarys website is attempting to persuade its users that

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the library should be their first choice for research. There are several principles of rhetoric, and the librarys website utilizes all of them to persuade its users. Here, are examples: 1. Credibility Credibility is essential for users to trust an organization. If users do not trust the library, for example, than they will use research alternatives instead. The library has inherent organizational credibility being the official library for the university. According to Jones (2010), Sometimes your organization or product has a rich and relevant history. (p. 48). Librarians reinforce the organizational credibility as they are subject experts in all respective fields on campus. The librarians curate high-quality content and ensure it is accessible via the website. 2. Logic Logic focuses on forming effective arguments. The library is making an argument that it should be the first research choice for academic users. The librarys website supports this argument with the following rhetoric, statistics and data: A library overview statement written by the Dean of Libraries. The library Mission Statement. Copies of all annual reports from 2000 to 2011. An assessment section that includes a large number of survey, focus group and study results. A section describing the librarys role in the Georgia State University strategic planning process. A Quick Facts section that contains data from the previous year such as the number of visitors, collection size, circulation statistics, website visits, instructions sessions and virtual reference transactions.

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3. Emotion This aspect of rhetoric involves using user emotions to influence behavior. The librarys website conveys a serious research institution through effective use of design and content. The website uses the Georgia State Universitys school colors of blue and white. The color combination is soothing to the eye, presents a recognized brand to users and conveys an intellectual atmosphere but a vibrant energy nonetheless. Images represent students and library staff which is useful in establishing the impression that peers use the library. The majority of the websites written content does not contain an emotional appeal. 4. Identification Identification focuses on users identifying with an organizations goals or mission. Users can identify with the library on a shallow level based on university commonality. The images on the library website reinforce this identification by depicting undergraduate and graduate student peers. Achieving a deeper connection with library users via the website is more difficult. 5. Repetition Repeating content that reflects an organization's core message is an effective way of ensuring that it reaches its intended audience. Repetition can be overdone, however, and a message repeated too many times may cause the audience to tune it out. The librarys website uses the amplification technique to repeat core messages through diverse content formats. A message may be repeated through an article by a subject librarian, a blog post and image and even using a video or audio file. The varied formats diversify the message repetition and provide several options for users who prefer one format over the other. 6. The Opportune Moment

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The Opportune Moment centers around delivering content at the best possible time. The timing of content is essential for many library functions such as promoting an upcoming event or new service, informing library users about service changes and providing timely help when needed. The library website has an advertising module on its homepage that changes based on what the library is trying to promote at any given time. The module is near the middle of the screen, which makes it, highly visible and an effective means of taking advantage of the Opportune Moment. The library also has a chat help widget on every page of the website. This feature allows the library to respond to users requests for help and, therefore, be available during an Opportune Moment. The Opportune moment in this case being whenever a library user needs help. I believe the rhetorical devices used on the website are effectively serving the librarys organizational goals. The library has strong credibility on campus, provides effective logic through data and uses subtle but effective emotional appeals through design and color scheme. The library encourages identification through images, repeats important messages in varied formats and takes advantage of the Opportune Moment through well-placed advertising modules and help widgets.

c) Psychology Psychology as it relates to web content is the science of how people decide. According to Jones (2010), People dont have the time to think deeply about every little decision. Often without realizing it, people rely on these principles as timesavers. (p. 82). There are several examples of psychological techniques in use on the library's website. Here, are some examples: 1. Framing

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Framing is the concept of a package of expectations and assumptions about a set of content. The library frames its content in different ways depending on its intended audience. The library frames content for undergraduate students to help them understand how to accomplish fundamental research tasks. The library frames content for graduate students to help guide them towards research tools that will save them time and energy. The library frames content for faculty related to advanced research techniques or new information in a particular field. 2. Curation Curation refers to the creation, management and maintenance of information. The library curates information for its multiple groups of users. The website contains information in various formats such as a blog, articles, videos, images, audio files, and the institutional repository. 3. Social Proof The concept of social proof revolves around users basing their opinions on the opinions of others. User generated content such as ratings reviews and testimonials are typical examples of social proof. The librarys website does not have any examples of social proof. The library displays social proof on its Facebook page. The library encourages users toLike the librarys Facebook page and post comments detailing experiences they have had interacting with the library. I believe the psychological devices used on the librarys website are effectively serving the librarys organizational goals. The library frames content based on the intended audience and need. The library curates valuable content for users and presents the information in a variety of formats. The library displays social proof through user interaction on its Facebook page.

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d) Usability/Organization The usability of a website is an essential element and deals with the organization of content. A well designed website has a highly intuitive organization. Optimally, users should be able to find exactly what they looked for with minimal effort and without needing assistance. 1. Homepage Georgia State University Librarys website serves a large user base and, therefore, contains a lot of information on its homepage. The homepage is by far the most important page on the website as it establishes the format for content organization and serves as a portal to all of the additional content offered. At the top, of the homepage is a small group of links to nonlibrary university services such as campus email, campus learning management systems, admissions, registration, academic calendar as well as a search box for the campus directory. These links are helpful because the majority of library users are affiliated with Georgia State University and will need access to campus-based services. The center of the homepage is divided into two sections, left and right. The left section has a large search box with tabs that allow the user to control which resource to search. The search options include; discover, catalog, journals, research guides and reserves. The well designed search box is easy to use and clearly displays, which resource a, user is searching. The search box also contains an alphabetical link to library databases and an advertising module. The right section of the Homepage contains a chat widget that allows users to communicate with a librarian via instant message. The instant message service is available most hours the library is open and provides immediate help for users.

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Below the search box, and chat widget is a horizontal navigation menu. The menu is divided by categories which contain links to all of the websites child pages. Here, are the categories listed with a brief description: Home - Directs users back to the homepage. About - Contains links to library information such as the staff directory, hours of operation, employment opportunities, floor maps, policies and feedback. Services - Contains links to library services such as interlibrary loan, computing, study rooms, borrowing materials, subject librarians, reserves, and software. How Do I...? - Is a compilation of answers to frequently asked questions such as How do I check out books? Search & Find - Provides links to core library resources such as the catalog, Galileo, research guides and databases. Collections and Archives - Contains links to the library archives and the institutional repository. Information For You - These links are arranged by an audience specific organizational scheme with content segmented by user group such as undergraduate student, graduate student and faculty. My Library Account - Provides access to a users library account so they can manage items checked out and renewals among other things. The homepage below the horizontal navigation is divided into three columns, left center and right. The left column contains the librarys blog. The blog features content curated by subject librarians involving current academic topics. The center column contains the librarys hours and events for the day of the week it is. The right column contains an area label Information For

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You which provides audience-specific information. Also in the right column is an additional advertising widget and a link to the librarys online feedback form. 2. Child Pages There are many child pages on the library's website and they have a variety of different layouts. The pages have a three column layout with the horizontal navigation menu from the homescreen at the top. The left column contains a vertical navigation menu that includes all of the links from that subheading. The center column contains the page content. The right column contains the chat help widget as well as an advertising module and the librarys online feedback form. The chat help widget appears on every page of the website so that users do not have to search to find help. I believe, from a usability perspective, that the library websites organization is useful. The homepage contains a large amount of information but the layout is intuitive, and the segmentation by audience and task help users locate what they need. The child pages resemble the homepage organization making them easy to navigate. The chat widget located on every page ensures that help is always available when users need it. 3. Targeted Content Improvements Georgia State University Librarys website has well designed and compelling content, but content can always be improved. Optimizing and refining content is necessary to ensure that users needs continue to be met. Ive identified three content/organizational changes that I believe will benefit the librarys website. a) Contextual Instruction The library has a complicated website with a large amount of content. It would be relatively easy for website users, especially new ones, to get confused regarding the myriad of choices available

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on the homepage alone. The chat widget provides the option to talk to a librarian if a user needs help, but the librarians are not available every hour of the day. According to Jones (2010), Sometimes, helping people act requires more than a well-labeled button. (p. 75). Whats needed is contextual help or help related to a specific task or action. An excellent example: a new undergraduate student is trying to find a book their professor put on reserve. The student might just be looking for a book their professor says they have at the library. The student would not know these are course reserves. If they do not know the term reserves, then they would not know to click on the reserves tab on the homepage. Contextual help can be an asset for this user. A tooltip with the explanation Use This Link to Access Your Professors Material is a perfect example of contextual help that can make a positive impact on a new user's experience. b) Website Complexity A websites level of complexity is a highly influential factor in determining its effectiveness. According to Usability (n.d.), Too much content or too little content can drive users away. The librarys website is in danger of having too much content. Organization on the homepage provides content for all four audience segments. Navigation is audience-specific, but this may not be enough to prevent confusion. I recommend the content on the homepage be separated entirely by segment. The top of the homepage can have four rectangular boxes, oriented vertically, side-by-side with each being a link. In each box would be a picture of typical user from that segment with a label at the top. The undergraduate box, for example, would have the picture from the persona with the label Undergraduate Students. All four boxes would be arranged across the top of the homepage. The boxes serve as a visual cue for users and when clicked would bring them to an audience-

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specific child page. These child pages would feature content that is most valuable to that user group. Users would find it easier to locate content targeted at their group and the website would benefit from an improved organizational structure. c) Creating a Wow Moment The library website contains a lot of information relevant to academic research. The librarys mission is to serve the university, and this drives content creation. The inherent danger of fulfilling this mission is that, over time, users can find the librarys content boring. The website could stand to benefit from a Wow moment or occasional related content differing slightly from the standard fare. An excellent Wow moment would be a web-based game on the homepage, targeted at undergraduate students. Jones (2010) states, You can create special moments efficiently by repackaging existing content and data in a unique way. (p. 151). The game would need to be an appropriate mixture of fun yet teach fundamental library skills. The game would benefit the library's mission while being a welcome change from the standard website content.

4) CMS Recommendation A Content Management System (CMS) is a powerful tool that allows an organization to separate its web content from the actual web structure. A CMS gives an organization the ability to allow staff to create content while leaving the website administration duties to trained individuals. There are many different types of CMS, and they have certain advantages and disadvantages. Selecting the appropriate CMS for the library will involve different examining different criteria.

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a) CMS Type There are two categories of CMS, open-source and proprietary. An open-source CMS has a significant advantage in that it is available free of charge. The disadvantage of an open-source CMS is that the library will need staff with technical expertise to implement and manage the software. This includes all necessary technical support and security issues. A proprietary CMS has advantages in that trained staff will implement and provide technical support for the life of the software contract. In the event of a security issue, the proprietary CMS staff would be responsible for fixing the issue as well as any damages that may have occurred. The main disadvantage to using a proprietary CMS is the cost associated with it. To select an appropriate CMS for the librarys website I will conduct a comparison using all three criteria. Here, are the criteria including a brief explanation of the librarys corresponding needs: 1. Cost - Cost is a significant factor for Georgia State University Library. The library has had its budget cut several times in the last few years. Funding has been flat will probably remain this way for the foreseeable future. 2. Security - Security is always a concern for a website. The library employs information technology staff that are capable of providing necessary security and can respond in the event of a security breach. 3. Technical Support - Similar to security, effective technical support ensures the website functions properly. The librarys information technology staff is capable of fulfilling this role, as well. I recommend the library uses the Wordpress CMS for its content management needs. The most relevant criteria considering the librarys economic environment is the cost. Wordpress is an

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open-source CMS and, therefore, has no direct cost. Wordpress meets all of the librarys content management needs without impacting the organization's bottom line. b) Functionality The librarys website is complex and serves a diverse user group. The website requires a CMS that can provide many different features. I have included a list of core CMS features and a brief explanation of the librarys corresponding need: Customizable page design- The library needs the ability to create many different pages and customize them given many different content formats. Content used includes text, images, video and audio. Accommodate different file formats - The librarys website uses a wide variety of file formats. Open source - The library has relationships with many different organizations and vendors. Occasionally, library staff require access to the CMSs source code to ensure compatibility with other products. Multiple communication options- The CMS must have robust communication options as users will need to contact subject librarians and library staff through various means such as instant message, email, phone, and SMS. In addition to the core CMS features, the library will also benefit from the added functionality that widgets and plugins provide. Here, is a brief list: Broken Link Checker - This plugin monitors the website and generates a report of broken links. The librarys website is large, and a plugin like this could help automate a critical maintenance task.

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Thank Me Later - This plugin automatically sends a follow-up Thank You email to anyone that posts a comment on the blog or feedback page. Useful for reciprocation and increasing engagement with users. What Would Seth Godin Do - Creates a welcome box for new users, which disappears after their fifth visit. The box could include informational content for new users such as instructions, links to guides and contact information. Google XML Sitemaps for Videos - This plugin ensures search engines properly index the librarys video content, which raises the possibility that users can find it. Sharebar - This plugin adds a small sidebar with links to the librarys social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter. This would be useful on the Undergraduate and Graduate student audience pages to encourage them to friend/like the library.

5) Evaluation Evaluation is a necessary step to understand if changes to the website are effective or not. Evaluation should be ongoing to ensure that the librarys website content is serving the users best interest and represents the organization's mission. There are two categories of evaluation techniques; quantitative and qualitative. Jones (2010) states, Quantitative methods help you understand what exactly is happening with your content, while qualitative methods give you rich insight into why its happening. (p. 170). To evaluate my recommended website changes, I will use a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The following is a list of methods, divided by category, along with a brief explanation: 1. Quantitative Methods

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Survey - A one-time data collection device. Useful for gathering user feedback regarding my recommended changes. The library will create different versions of the survey for each audience segment. The links for the each survey will appear in the audience-specific child pages. Website Analytics - An ongoing collection of user data. Useful for monitoring users behavior on the website. Search and Keyword Analytics - An ongoing collection of search and keyword data. Useful in monitoring website efficiency and the terms users are searching. 2. Qualitative Methods Trend Review - This evaluation method revolves around monitoring trends in the academic library world. This is a long-term evaluation method but one that will ensure the librarys website will continue to produce relevant content. Content Audit - This method is an in-depth audit of the websites content. The library can use an audit to gain a better understanding of their content including competing librarys website content. User Interview - The library will use this method to diagnose an issue or problem. If some of my recommended website changes are not well received, the library can employ this method. Through the interview, the library will hopefully gain an understanding about why the changes did not work as planned and what changes will be successful.

6) Conclusion In conclusion, the Georgia State University Librarys website is serving the organization's mission but could benefit from design improvements. The addition of contextual instruction will

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ensure new users can find relevant content. Dividing the website content into audience-specific child-pages will reduce confusion and target content at a specific user group. Creating a Wow moment such as a learning-based game will be a refreshing change for new and frequent users alike. Migration of the library's website to the Wordpress CMS will make it easy to implement my recommended changes, and ensures high quality maintenance and editing of website content. The website will also benefit from the large amount of useful plugins and widgets available. The library will gain a functional website CMS without the cost associated with a proprietary alternative. Through the use of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, the library will understand how its users react to the website changes and why. The Georgia State University Librarys website is an excellent example of effective content and design. A combination of recommended changes, CMS migration and evaluation techniques, will ensure that it continues to maintain its reputation of high quality.

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References Bowen, L. (n.d.-a). Library Research Guides. Special Collections and Archives: A History of the Library. Origin & Early History. Retrieved July 5, 2012, from http://research.library.gsu.edu/content.php?pid=315980&sid=2585599 Bowen, L. (n.d.-b). Library Research Guides. Special Collections and Archives: Georgia State University History. Home. Retrieved July 5, 2012, from http://research.library.gsu.edu/GSUhistory Jones, C. (2010). Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content (1st ed.). New Riders Press. Library Overview University Library Georgia State University. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2012, from http://library.gsu.edu/626.html Mission University Library Georgia State University. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2012, from http://library.gsu.edu/236.html Usability. (n.d.). The Impact of Aesthetics on Attitudes Towards Websites. Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://www.usability.gov/articles/062009news.html