Technology can help us keep things simple, and in the case of the CPUT Libraries website, simple has proven better.
An increase in the use of e-books coupled with results of a student survey indicating a move towards online interaction with the library sparked the redesign of the official library website, which has proved a huge success.
Annually the old site received up to 450 000 hits, but over a period of just three months the new libraries website has already received a total of 170 000 hits.
“Websites must be simple and easy to access and navigate,” says Lovemore Nalube, head of the ICT Innovation and Development Unit, who worked alongside Marketing Librarian, Hillary Hartle, to ensure a more user friendly site.
As part of the redesign, Nalube says they grouped information together according to users needs, simplified search capabilities, introduced concise navigation and improved on the entire look and feel of the website.
They also streamlined users interaction with the website, ensuring that users follow the same procedure to access information, whether at campus or from home.
Hartle says the revamped site addresses their user’s needs, which was highlighted in the student survey conducted in 2015.
In the survey students were asked what library services they would like to access via mobile devices.
Hartle says 70% indicated that they would like online access to library guides and academic papers, 79% wanted to renew books online, while 78% indicated they would prefer an online request system for a library item. Results also showed that 65% wanted to have access to online notes and 63% indicated a need to access online training sessions or podcast.
Hartle says the current number of hits far indicate a huge step in the right direction and like all websites, it will continue to grow and improve with emphasis on user needs.
To access the new CPUT Libraries website, go to: www.cput.ac.za/lib
To share your view of the new website, go to: http://www.cput.ac.za/lib/about/improve
