[WEB4LIB] Photos on Home Pages (was: Library Web Page Use)

[Daniel Messer]

John Kupersmith wrote:

> I agree with Daniel that balance is important and functionality comes
> first, but I also think images on a library's home page can be more than
> just PR fluff.  A photo of people interacting with the library in a
> positive way - especially if it's well coordinated with the other content
> of the page - can help to model behavior, reduce anxiety, and encourage
> return visits.  Given the state of signage on some campuses, I suppose even
> a photo of the building could serve a purpose in helping people find it!

    I completely agree, and that serves well my aforementioned balance of good
looks and functionality. A photo of people interacting in the library would be
great PR. More useful would be your suggestion of a picture of the building
because signage on many campuses is woefully lacking. To many, even the
academics, the library is just another building. A special one perhaps, but
*they* know where it is so *everybody* should know where it is. If they wanted
to get the best of both worlds, and have a little fun, they could install a
live webcam with a caption something like "What the library looks like right
now!" :)


> For what it's worth, a study of 29 academic library home pages in November
> 2000 showed that 19 of them (66%) were using some kind of photo on the
> page.  The photo subjects were: 11 buildings; 2 landscapes; 2
> building/people/computers; 1 people; 1 people/books/computers; 1
> computer/book; and 1 photo related to a news item.
>
> Oddly (IMHO), out of 22 public library home pages, only 8 (36%) had
> photos.  The subject were: 5 buildings; 2 people/building; 1 people/books.

    That makes some sense. I've noticed that universities are always willing to
put pictures of happy and studious students (say that five times fast) anywhere
they can on their pages. And that's fine. Like you said, it's a good idea to
put a picture of the building on the page, not just for aesthetic purposes, but
because someone might need to know what the heck it looks like so they can find
it!
    The discrepancy between public and academic library pages and their use of
pictures surprises me. We have pictures of our libraries on our web page, but
you have to dig for them a little. We did this so folks knew what the library
looked like and because we're proud of our buildings. Granted, we don't have
buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright or anything, but they're nice. I seem
to remember public libraries having some difficulties with displaying pictures
of people on the web. Usually it had something to do with the people in the
pics not wanting to be displayed on the web.

> In both groups of libraries, photos were much less common on home pages
> used for in-house public Internet stations (academic 35%, public 6%) and
> for staff computers (academic 40%, public 8%).

    This is something I've never thought of. How many libraries use a separate
page for their Internet terminals and PCs? We have it set up that, when a
patron sits down to the Internet, the first thing they see is our home page. No
differences at all.
What do libraries put on these separate pages?

--
Mondai wa
The subject in question...
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Daniel Messer, Technology Instructor
Yakima Valley Regional Library
102 N 3rd St Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 452-8541 x712
dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
                     -Hunter S. Thompson