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Testing The Usability Of The Stanford University Library's Cataloging Services Website

Appendix F. Equivalent Sites Analysis

Contents

Table F1-A: Site Overview

University

Stanford

Cornell

Princeton

University of Virginia

Site Name

Cataloging Services

Central Technical Services Website

Technical Services Department

Cataloging Services Department

Address

www-sul.stanford.edu/
depts/catdept/

www.library.cornell.edu/
cts/

infoshare1.princeton.edu/
tech/hptsd.html

www.lib.virginia.edu/
cataloging/

Serves

Cataloging Services

Entire technical services staff (incl. separate sections for music catalogers; network admins)

Entire Technical Serv. Staff (incl. Circulation, Order and Catalog Div.); separate sections for Circ and Order Div.)

Cataloging Services Department

Path from Library Home Page from

Staff>>[About SUL/AIR]>>Stanford Libraries, Programs & Units>>

Library home page>>CU websites page>>Divisions, Collections and Programs>>

Library home page>>Staff information/Employment>>

Library home page>>Directory of Libraries & Departments>>

Mission statement

No

  Included on Home page

No

No

Search

Yes

Yes

No

No

Scope of search

Site/library/SU

Entire library website

NA

NA

Index

yes

No

No

No

Sitemap

no [removed]

No

No

No

Created by

CS Web Advisory Group

staff?

staff?

staff?

Maintained by

same

staff?

staff?

staff?


Table F1-B: Site Overview

University

Harvard

Northwestern

University of Maryland

Yale

Site Name

Technical Services Resources: Technical Resources Managers Roundtable

Catalog Department

Technical Services Division

Cataloging at Yale

Address

www.gse.harvard.edu/
~library/*AD/technical.html

staffweb.library.
northwestern.edu/
catalog/index.html

www.lib.umd.edu/
TSD/tsd.html

www.library.yale.edu/
cataloging/

Serves

Entire Tech Services staff

Catalog Department (Serials Cataloging incl in Serials Dept.; MARC (Mono Acq and Rapid Cat) also separate)

Entire Tech Serv staff

SML Cataloging dept

Path from Library Home Page from

Libraries/Museums>>Hollis>>Staff Resrouces>>Harvard University Library>>Staff Resources>>Technical Services Resources>>

Staffweb>>Staff websites by Division>>

Library home page>>Information for Library Staff>>

Departments & Staff>>[Department & Staff contact info]>>

Mission statement

No

No

Included on home page

No

Search

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Scope of search

NA

Entire library staff web

TS/library/U of Md

Cataloging site

Index

No

No for site; index for cat procedures

No

No

Sitemap

Home page/entire site is index of links

No

No

All linked

Created by

staff?

staff?

library's webmaster

Catalog Dept Web Planning Group

Maintained by

staff?(contact Head of Tech Services)

staff? (feedback to University Library webmaster)

same

same


Table F2-A: Home Page Design

University

Stanford

Cornell

Princeton

University of Virginia

Format

Welcome statement

  Links to internal and external sites; mission statement

Links to internal sites; library home page

Links to internal directory pages;

Navigation

Javascript menu

  table of links

List of links

List of links 2/ icons (linked)

Number of direct links (not including header/footer

1 (not including menu)

22

18

6

Internal links (w/in site)

1(59)

14

17

6

Number of  linked local pages with same design

all

11

11

5

Internal links (University)

6

4

1

0

External links

0

3

0

0

Header

Rosette logo; library/department label

  none

Princeton Libraries logo

UV Library

Header links

none

none

none

none

Footer

top of page; CS home page; site index; search; credits; feedback; modified date

  CU; Library; Search (site); Library Catalog; Forms & feedback

Updated…

Comments/Library web/UVa web

Footer links

all

All linked

None

All linked

Menu bar (horizontal)

no

none

no

no

Menu bar (vertical)

yes - Javascript

none

no

no

Accessibility - meets Bobby AAA rating

no

  No

No

No

Reason

Style sheet and script problems; absolute pixel size for text; others

  Alternate texts for images; improper nesting of headings; other.

Alt. Text for images; absolute size used for text

Alt text for images; confusing use of color; tables; headers


Table F2-B: Home Page Design

University

Harvard

Northwestern

University of Maryland

Yale

Format

Links to external sites; no text

Overview; links to internal sites

Mission; list of internal links; director's office contact info

Menus; table of links

Navigation

list of links

table of links

list of links

menu; table of links

Number of direct links (not including header/footer

74

13

17

41

Internal links (w/in site)

0

13

17

25

Number of  linked local pages with same design

NA

13

two designs

0

Internal links (University)

4

0

0

16

External links

70

0

0

0

Header

?? (broken link to image)

Cat Dept home; Staffweb;  Northwestern Library home on bar

Library logo;TSD header; menu bar for sections

Yale University; Yale Libraries; menu bar (Cataloging; Cat tools & resources; cat archives; search); title label

Header links

none

all

All

all

Footer

Gutman Library footer (Education school)

Staffweb; Library; Nucat; Northwestern; Search. Cat Dept mailto; last modified

Search; address/feedback; edit and update dates

none (footer info at bottom of vert menu bar)

Footer links

all linked

all

UM Libraries

NA

Menu bar (horizontal)

no

yes

no

yes

Menu bar (vertical)

no

no

no

yes

Accessibility - meets Bobby AAA rating

No

No

No

No

Reason

Alt text not provided for image map; identical link text for multiple links

Alt text tags; no alt content for SCRIPT tags; problems with tables; absolute size used for text; image map links not present elsewhere on page.

Alt text tags for images; problems with tables; absolute size used for text; form accessibility issues; others.

script and style sheet problems; absolute pixel size used; no alt to mouse-over event handlers; obsolete language features;


Table F3-A: Internal Page Design - Directory Page

University

Stanford

Cornell

Princeton

University of Virginia

Design

consistent with home page

varies

varies; new and old designs?

Consistent with one exception (Preservation -- own design)

Navigation

same as home page

  Tables of links; home icon

Table of links; header/footer links

Tables of links

Header

same as home page except w/out address

Cornell University

Princeton tech services;  documentation indexes: Princeton U. Lib.'s Cat. Documentataion; Cat. Home page link

Icon from home page; header: Cataloging Services Department, University of Virginia Library

Header Links

none

  None

All linked

None

Footer

same as home page

Home icon

Cat. Home page link; no update given

Home; Manual; Library Web; Uva Web; VIRGO; updated note

Footer Links

same as home page

linked

All linked (except modified note)

Menu bar (horizontal)

none

none

no

no

Menu bar (vertical)

yes; same as home page

none

no

no


Table F3-B: Internal Page Design - Directory Page

University

Harvard

Northwestern

University of Maryland

Yale

Design

NA

Consistent

2 designs; some are mix of directory and text (unit description/contact info)

Yes

Navigation

NA

table of links; header and footer navigation

table of links; header and footer navigation

same as home

Header

NA

Same as home page

U Md Libraries; link bar; TSD header; table of bookmarks

same as home

Header Links

NA

Same as home page

All linked except TSD name element

same as home

Footer

NA

Same as home page

Same as home page w/ additional links to TSD home; search (U Md libraries site)

same as home

Footer Links

NA

Same as home page

links except contact/credit/update info

NA

Menu bar (horizontal)

no

yes

no

yes

Menu bar (vertical)

no

no

no

yes


Table F4-A: Internal Page Design - Document

University

Stanford

Cornell

Princeton

University of Virginia

Design

Same as home page and dir pages

  varies

consistent within sections

varies

Navigation

same as home page and dir pages

  Links (internal and external)

header/footer links

varies: some have no navigation at all

Header

same as dir pages

varies

text links

Varies

Header links

none

  Varies

link to section and TS home

Generally none

Footer

same as home and dir pages

varies

text links

varies

Footer links

same as home and dir pages

  varies

link to section and TS home

generally none

Menu bar (horizontal)

none

none

no

no

Menu bar (vertical)

same as home and dir pages

none

no

no


Table F4-B: Internal Page Design - Document

University

Harvard

Northwestern

University of Maryland

Yale

Design

NA

Consistent

consistent

varies wildly

Navigation

NA

Header and footer

header and footer

varies

Header

NA

Same as home page

same as dir. Page

varies

Header links

NA

Same as home page

same as dir. Page; with additional section link

varies

Footer

NA

Same as home page

same as dir page

varies

Footer links

NA

Same as home page

same as dir page with additional section link

varies

Menu bar (horizontal)

no

yes

no

yes

Menu bar (vertical)

no

no

no

yes


Table F5-A: Design Comments

University

Stanford

Cornell

Princeton

University of Virginia

Strengths

Comprehensive site; consistent design throughout; navigation easy from any point

Comprehensive tech. services procedures manual; separate manuals for software (ILS [Voyager]) and MacroExpress. Intern projects featured in separate section.

Nice index for cataloging policies and procedures; with search capability; apparently comprehensive documentation

Upper level navigation good; fairly consistent upper level design

Weaknesses

Navigation sometimes tricky to use - does not work well with older browsers; some categories and button labels confusing (eg home button); navigation from keyboard inconsistent

No unified design. Some sections are easier to use than others and differing navigation confusing. Not always easy to tell where you are (although most pages have link to CTS home page. External and internal sites undifferentiated.

Varied design across TS; no overall site search; inconsistent linking from TS icon. Dead links on home page. Some organization obtuse (within Cataloging procedures section)

Varied design; very poor navigation and little formatting within documents.

Design Consistent with Library site?

No

No

No

No; Library site is much more sophisticated

Design Notes

Consistent design a plus; attractive colors; accessibility could be better

Varied design confusing

Pages generally consistent within sections. Gray background for Cataloging Services pages somewhat difficult to use.

Attractive design at upper levels; very little effort at lower levels


Table F5-B: Design Comments

University

Harvard

Northwestern

University of Maryland

Yale

Strengths

Useful set of links

Consistent and clean design

Consistent design; easy navigation to top and section

Home page and main directory pages are comprehensive; content-rich site

Weaknesses

No local documentation??

Use of underline in documents confusing

Search on interior pages searches entire library site; home page search gives more options

No consistent presentation for internal pages

Design Consistent with Library site?

No.

No

No

No

Design Notes

Very minimal set of resources.

Easy to use. Consistent design a plus.

Fairly consistent design. Easy to navigate; useful headers for orientation

Lack of control for interior pages makes navigation between documents difficult except by using Back button. Design of home and main directory pages is attractive except for an annoying animated gif floating on bottom right of screen.