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Information Development
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Usability of University Library Home Pages in Southern Africa: a case study

Paiki Muswazi

University of the Witwatersrand Library, Private Bag X1, Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa, Paiki.Muswazi{at}Wits.ac.za, Pmuswazi{at}Yahoo.com

This is a case study of eight Southern African university library home pages. Its purpose is to trace usability from the 1990s in the context of limited information and computer literacy and English skills. Using the Wayback Machine, WAVE, version 4.0 and Readability test tools and manual checks, the evaluative criteria included accessibility, readability, library-user interaction facilities, currency and visual appeal and innovativeness. The main hurdles established are: (i) lack of alternative texts for images, (ii) use of terminology likely to be misunderstood and availability of content not understandable to all users, (iii) invisibility of cutting edge resources and services and (iv) outdated information and use of strenuous color schemes. Usability improvements included online forms to ease library-user communication and increasing adoption of attractive resources and services. The study concludes that the usability of the home pages beyond 2008 depends on rigorous implementation of usability standards and giving prominence to innovative resources and services.

Key Words: accessibility • usability • readability • library home pages • university libraries • Southern Africa

Information Development, Vol. 25, No. 1, 51-60 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0266666908101264
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