Libraries and the websites they call home

After watching numerous well done presentations in class I have to say I’m surprised at the lack of usability of so many libraries websites. I have to say that my local library has a very efficient and user-friendly system in place. From what I can tell from using it over the past few years is that it is constantly updated, improvements are made to the system to keep it running a solid pace, and the ability to find just about anything with a click or two of the mouse make it one of the best I’ve seen. The Northbrook Public Library has undergone numerous renovations the past few years and each time it improves what they had to previously offer. To be able to access the website and search with ease was something that I took for granted. After seeing the presentations and having accessed some local library databases it is surprising that people use the library’s websites at all. I can see how people would be put off when they are trying to search for a book and there is no clear way to do so on the main page of the library’s website.

It is here that the need to adapt and change with the times is very clear. Many people I’ve talked to say that think libraries are only to check out books and soon will be obsolete because of the digital evolution. It is websites like those in the presentations that keep this notion going because it looks like the libraries aren’t evolving. By adapting and updating the websites for libraries they can better show the public what they have to offer. Libraries are no longer just places to check out books, but centers of knowledge in many different formats. In addition to being a hub of information they should (and hopefully do) have the staff available to teach patrons how to better use the library’s website, new technology, and even teach the basics of computers to any patron.