Computers and mobile devices make it possible for people to visit the library’s virtual space as well as going to the actual building during opening hours. A dedicated website is effectively the digital front door of the library (Thorpe & Lukes, 2015, p.134).  Auckland libraries are available to me whether I am in New Zealand or here in Turkey (Auckland Council, n.d). I am about to go to New Zealand for our three week winter break so I went to the website to search the catalogue and then reserve some books for this course (as well as few to read while on the beach).

What constitutes an effective library website?

The home page should have the following design features:

1. Library name (Thorpe & Lukes, 2015, 153).
2. Online catalogue search box (Thorpe & Lukes, 2015, 153).
3. Hours of operation (Thorpe & Lukes, 2015, 153).
4. Links to own social media presence e(Hofschire & Wanucha, 2014, 8).
5. An about us section (Thorpe & Lukes, 2015, 153).
6. Contact us (Thorpe & Lukes, 2015, 153).
7. Library address and phone number (Thorpe & Lukes, 2015, 153).
8. Navigation bar along the top of the page horizontally (Thorpe & Lukes, 2015, 153).
9. Link to mobile app or ways to find mobile apps (Lazaris, 2009,p).
10. B e colourful and visually appealing (Lazaris, 2009, n.p).

Auckland libraries website meets all these criteria.

1. The Auckland Libraries name is clearly displayed. There are 55 different branches of the Auckland Libraries. There is clear navigation to find a branch near you using a Google map.
2. The catalogue search is available on every page.
3. Hours of operation are shown under a quicklinks button
4. Links to the social media presence are on the page: Facebook, Twitter, Historypin and their own mobile app
5. There is an about section clearly marked. It has a drop down menu with many more options including locations, plans and policies, job vacancies.
6. There is a contact us section clearly marked at the bottom of the home page. It takes the reader to a form to fill in with complaints, requests or compliments. It also provides phone numbers and the social media links.
7. The library addresses and phone numbers are easy to obtain in the locations button.
8. The navigation bars are very clear. There is horizontal navigation along the top and also quick links down the left hand side.
9. There are links to mobile and apps on the home page and on other pages including the contact us page.
10. The page has a green background but it goes from a deep shade of green on the left to a lighter lime green on the right. It is visually appealing and the main information is before the scroll. The scroll is only half a page down.

Overall the Auckland Libraries website is a great example of a well designed and well managed digital front door.

References

Auckland Council. (n.d.). Libraries home page. Retrieved December 14, 2015, from http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/Pages/Home.aspx

Hofschire, L., & Wanucha, M. (2014). Public library websites and social media: What’s #trending now? Computers in Libraries, 34(8), 4-9. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database. (Accession No. 103903332)

Lazaris, L. (2009, November 27). Designing websites for kids: Trends and best practices, Smashing Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/11/designing-websites-for-kids-trends-and-best-practices/

Thorpe, A., & Lukes, R. (2015). A design analysis of Indiana public library homepages. Public Library Quarterly, 34(2), 134-161. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2015.1036708