An Examination of Home Page Design in New Zealand Tertiary Libraries

The online presence of tertiary libraries is becoming increasingly important, however, research (OCLC, 2010) suggests that library websites are being shunned in favour of commercial search engines. Some scholars (Reidsma, 2012; McCann et al., 2010) attribute this to poor website design. Websites are a valid communication concern and what content is displayed, as well as how it is displayed on library home pages has implications for usability, findability and user perception. Tertiary library websites need to be attractive, modern and user focused in nature. Content needs to be arranged in a way that supports smooth navigation so that users are encouraged to engage with the library.