Library Website Comparison
A Comparison of the
Bayville Public Library
and
The Memorial and Library Association of Westerly
websites
LSC 548
Authority
| Name of Search Website | Bayville Free Library | Memorial and Library Association |
| What is the URL? | http://www.516web.com/library/bayville/menu.htm | http://www.clan.lib.ri.us/wes/index.htm |
| Is there a recognizable sponsor of the web site? Who is it? Will it be possible to find background information about this sponsor? | This site is produced by This
site is maintained by the Nassau Library System.
|
This site is produced by and
for the Westerly Public Library.
|
| Has descriptive information about the sponsor been provided, either on the opening page or via an "about us" link? |
Yes, detailed information. |
This site is produced by and
for the Westerly Public Library
.. |
| Is there an address, phone number, or fax number provided for the sponsor? | The library is located at 34
School St. Bayville, NY 11709.
The telephone number is (516) 628-2765
|
The library is located at 44 Broad Street, Westerly, RI 02891. The telephone number is (401) 596-2877 or 860-535-9045 |
| Is a personal author identified for the information, articles, or documents presented at the web site? | The site was designed and is maintained by Regina Mascia. Copyright 1998. | The only indication of authorship are the initials "c.b." on each page |
| If an author is identified, is it clear what his/her credentials are? | No credentials were specified. | N. A. |
| Is there a way to contact the author? | No. | N. A. |
| Will it be possible to find background information about the author? | No | N. A. |
Scope and Purpose
| Does the content appear to be fact or opinion? | Fact | Fact |
| What is the scope or purpose of this web site? | The purpose of the web site is to provide patrons with information about the library's information about the library's services. | The purpose of this site is to provide information about the services of the Westerly Memorial and Library Association and nearby Wilcox Park. |
| Does the information presented here seem to be complete and comprehensive? What is included? What is excluded? | A sufficient amount of information is provided about the library. | This site offers complete information about library services and other nearby attractions. |
How can you tell? Is the scope
described
|
Links on the homepage indicate what information is included in the site. I felt this site was simply yet attractively designed. There was no help file or FAQ section. | The scope of the page is indicated by links in a window on the right of each page. No help section or FAQs are offered. |
| How does this site compare to similar information elsewhere? | The site is quite adequate for a library of this size. While simple in design it is attractive and informative. | The site is informative about the library and other cultural resources in Westerly. |
| How is this database structured? | This library web site is not, in itself, a database. Rather, the site provides information about the library and offers links to additional resources, such as InfoTrac, Alta Vista and Lycos. | This library web site offers information about the library's services and provides links to online resources, such as online medical and legal information, State of Rhode Island links and a bibliography and picture file of the 1938 hurricane. |
| Are there links provided to other sources of information on this same topic? Is it clear how these links are selected? | The Bayville Free Library site includes links to SearchBank, Alta Vista, Excite, Hotbot, Infoseek, Lycos, Webcrawler and Yahoo. Selection criteria for these resources are not given. | Westerly P.L. offers an e-mail question answering service and the following resources online: the Code of Federal Regulations, The Federal Register, Congressional Record, the GPO Online Bookstore and a list of RI Federal Depository libraries. Additionally, there are medical and legal resource links. |
| Are the links reliable? Do they get you where you need to go? | Yes. | All links worked. A link to 'volunteer opportunities' is available from the "Memorial & Library Association" page |
Accuracy
| How accurate is this information? | The accuracy of this site is difficult to evaluate without actually going to the library. | Yes. |
| How can you tell? | One possible indication of accuracy is the copyright date, which is 1998. There is nothing to indicate what changes, if any have been made since that time. | As mentioned previously, the criteria I used for accuracy is copyright date. Pages on the Westerly library site are dated 5/01. |
| When statistics and other factual data are presented is it cited so that one can verify it? | No statistics, charts or graphs are included. | No statistics, charts or graphs are included |
| Are tables, charts, and graphs clear and easy to understand? | N.A. | N. A... |
| Is there any bibliography? | No bibliography is included. | No bibliography is included. |
| Is the document generally well-written? Free of spelling mistakes and typographical errors? | The site is well-written. | The site is well-written. |
Objectivity
Check the domain to ascertain
possible reasons for the provision of this information
|
The Bayville Free Library web site is an 'org' site. It's purpose is to provide information about the library to patrons and potential patrons. | The Westerly library web site does not include a domain extension. Rather, it is an .htm site. However, the sites purpose is similar to that of an 'org' site. It provides information about, and access to library services for people in Westerly and throughout the state. |
Is the subject controversial?
If so,
|
N. A.
|
N. A. |
| Is the information free from advertising? | There was no advertising on the site. | There was no advertising on the site. |
Currency
Are any of the following dates
provided?
|
The site has a copyright date of 1998. | All pages include the date at the bottom of the page, May 2001. |
| When was this site last updated? How can you tell? Is there any information on how often the site is updated? | Other than the 1998 copyright date, there is no indication that material was added or updated after that time. There is no indication that material was added or updated after that time | The site was last updated May 2001. |
| What was updated? | N. A. | No information is given about what was updated. |
| How does the creation of the database stay current? | The site includes a notation that it is maintained by Regina Mascia. | The initials "c.b." which appear on each page indicate that one person (c. b.) is responsible for keeping the site current. |
| In cases where there is statistical data or factual data is it indicated when that data was gathered? | No statistical information is included. | No statistical information is included. |
| Does the information seem out of date? | Yes. The only date given is the creation date (1998). While the site notes that it is maintained by Regina Mascia, there is no indication of what was has been updated, or when the last updates occurred. The information contained in the site did not indicate anything about currency. | No. The Westerly site was updated in May, 2001. |
| How stable is this site, its address and its information? Is it here today and gone (or moved) tomorrow? | This site appears to be stable. I have had no difficulty getting to it. | This site appears to be stable. I have had no difficulty getting to it. |
Arrangement and Format
| How easy is it to find and use this site? | The Bayville web site is a little difficult to get to if you do not know to go through the Nassau Library System. | Westerly's web site is easy to reach, either through he link on the CLAN website or by going directly to the Westerly Web address. |
| How convenient is it? | The difficulty with this site is getting into it. You have to go to the http://www.naussaulibrary.org/ site and select a link to the Bayville library. At times this method was unsuccessful. I solved this problem by book marking the site on my computer. | If you don't know the web address accessing the Westerly Library homepage requires a few mouse clicks, via CLAN. Once there, searching the site is straightforward. Circulation, programming, reference, children's departments are all available with a single mouse click. |
| How well-organized? | The organization of the site is simple and easy to use. | The Westerly site is well-organized and easy to navigate. |
| How quickly can you usually get to this site? Get around the site? | Once you know to reach the site through Nassau County library system this site is easy to reach. | This site is easy to get to and loads very quickly. |
| How appropriate is the format of the database for its intended audience? | The format is appropriate for its intended use. | The format is appropriate. |
| Does the information seem out of date? | While it was not obvious that information was inaccurate, the fact that the only date on the site was 1998 suggests that the site may need to be updated. | The information is current (5/1/01). |
| Are there any hardware, software or multimedia
requirements?
|
The library must have Windows95, 98 or Windows NT and a dial-up connection in order to connect to the Nassau County Library network. | As part of Rhode Island's CLAN system, Westerly P.L. website is part of a state-wide network which is connected with a Dynix computer system. |
Design Considerations
| Does it function well with different browsers? | Yes. | Yes. |
| Is too much filler used? | No. | No. |
| Is it obvious when you leave to a different site? | Yes. | Yes. |
Layout Considerations
| Enough white space? | Yes | Yes |
| Overdone styles? | No | No |
| Too many links? | No. | No. |
| Links with too many words? | No. | No. |
| Textual descriptions too brief or too long? | Descriptions were brief, yet clear. | Descriptions were appropriately brief and to the point. |
| Use of color? | The use of color in this site was attractive. | This site was not as appealing as the Bayville site, the Westerly site had enough color. |
Graphics
| Do the graphics relate to the surrounding text? | The graphics used in the Bayville site are primarily for visual appeal. | The graphics included in each section relate well to the subject to which they are connected. |
| Do the graphics provide important information? | The graphics are not informational. | Graphics are used as a visual cue to the area they are a part of (i.e.: the link to children's' services has a picture of a Jack-in-the-Box. |
| Does the size of the graphics relate to the page content? | No. | Yes. |
| Are pictures missing? | No. | No. |
| What is the quality of the graphics? | The graphics quality is adequate, but not outstanding. | The quality of the graphics is good. |
| How long does it take for the graphics to display? | Immediately. | Immediately. |
| Are textual descriptions of graphics provided when a text-based browser is used? | No. | Only one graphic in the site offered text description. "Questions or comments" displayed while moving the cursor over the picture of the library on the home page. When you click the mouse an e-mail message screen comes up for you to write your message. |
| Are the textual descriptions appropriate? | N. A. | Rather than a comment text box, I would have expected more information about the library services here. |
Help Information
| Is "help" provided? | No "help" section is provided | No "help" section is provided |
| Is "help" information easy to find? | N. A. | N.A. |
| How helpful is the "help" information? | N. A. | N. A. |
| If "help" isn't provided, should it be provided? | The site is easy enough to use that help isn't necessary in most cases. Perhaps a note recommending that patrons speak with a librarian if they experience problems would be useful. | "Help" seems unnecessary. |
Feedback Information
| Are opportunities for feedback provided? | The Bayville library provides
both a street address and an e-mail address where you can send your
comments.
|
No. |
| Are feedback opportunities easy to find? | The street and e-mail addresses are listed at the bottom of the Nassau Library System homepage. | No feedback opportunities are available on the Westerly website. |
Overall Feel and Look
| How well organized is the site? | This site is well-organized. The layout is uncomplicated and would be a easy site to use for those with little computer experience. The site is visually appealing to young children and others.. | Although not a simple as the Bayville site, the Westerly site is well-organized. |
| Are the pages consistent from page to page? | Yes | Yes. |
| How easy is it to locate important information? | It was easy to find information about most of the library services. The thing I found missing was information about circulation policies. | It is easy to find the information you need. |