If there is one area of the website that is in most serious need of an overhaul on Informational Design (not just aesthetic) grounds, it is the Internet Resources Page. There is poor structure overall to the page which makes finding an appropriate link difficult. Some of the section titles link and some do not. How many links contained in each section is unhelpful and distracting information. Most importantly there is no explanatory information of the mass of various links which makes the page even more confusing and difficult to navigate - the exact opposite of what you want for a resources page.

It’s All About the Information

First and foremost, the site could use a more intuitive hierarchy. This goes for both site structure and cross-linking and valuation and structure of information.

The main points of information and resources for which one might visit a library website are available (locations, hours of operation, schedule of programs, collection access tools, etc) but the most important pieces of information are often buried while extraneous ones are highlighted. Best evidence of this would be the “Plain Text Version of the Main Menu” - the main points of information for which a patron might visit the site are “below the fold” of the page (meaning one has to scroll down to see them in a typical load view) while links to other information that has less service-centered value to a patron (such as personnel policies) are listed higher. Here too, links to “Frequently Asked Questions” - something of high value - is lost between those for “Board of Directors” and “Support Your Library.” Again, while the information is there to be found, something of the meaning and essence is lost because of the poor structure.

Another example of poor information “weighting” on the site: the current date is featured on every page in a position of prominence, while one has to click through and navigate a table to see hours of operation for a particular location. Each location has its own page and it would be an easy remedy to put the hours of operation under the address as text versus as a link to a table. So too are “directions” not intuitive; instead of direct linking to a map of a location, the link goes to a map of all the locations in the system.

This issue is further addressed in the Usability Design portion of this review as the meaning of the information is clear but because the

There are two places where information relay is most effective: The Children’s Area Page(s) and the Spanish Language Pages. These are well formulated, well designed and (thus) information is readily available without a great deal of extraneous information vying for users’ attention.

In all the site could be more strategic and (along with a graphical update) information could be presented in a more straightforward and streamlined way. Outdated information should be removed (see the Director’s Corner with only 2 updates from 2009) and ways to integrate more topical information should be explored (such as incorporating the library’s @AthensClarkeLib Twitter feed.) A return to basics in terms of explanation of unfamiliar terms (those new to the Georgia Library System will not know what PINES or BOOKFlix are) and a refocus on what the typical user will want to find should help restructure the site so it excels from an Informational Design Perspective.