Browsing by Author "Thorpe, Angie"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

A Design Analysis of Indiana Public Library Homepages
(Taylor & Francis, 2015-06) Thorpe, Angie; Lukes, Ria
This article describes the results of an analysis of 430 Indiana public library homepages. The authors examined each homepage for 129 total elements, such as navigation, search, content, and Web 2.0 features. Our findings reveal common trends in public library homepage design, including twenty-one elements that appear on at least half of the surveyed homepages. The results of this study provide a profile of public library homepage design in Indiana. Additionally, this study blends two preexisting library content checklists in order to provide a replicable methodology for additional libraries to apply to their homepages or websites.
Discovering user behavior: Applying usage statistics to shape frontline services
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2015) Cohen, Rachael; Thorpe, Angie
This investigation sought to develop a broad view of discovery service user behavior by analyzing vendor-provided and Google Analytics usage data from discovery service implementations at two Indiana University campuses. The results of this analysis demonstrate how usage data can communicate both intermediary and end results of user interactions within discovery services. The findings reveal user behavior trends, which may be used to develop strategies to improve information literacy instruction techniques, as well as discovery service interface enhancements.
The Impact of the Academic Library on Student Success: Connecting the Dots
(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016-04) Thorpe, Angie; Lukes, Ria; Bever, Diane J.; He, Yan
In an age of assessment and accountability, academic libraries feel much pressure to prove their value according to new university measurements of student success. This study describes a methodology for how libraries may examine student interactions with services to assess whether library usage impacts student grade point averages (GPAs) and retention rates. Usage data were collected at six library service points during the 2013–2014 academic year. Analysis suggests an association between student use of the library and higher GPAs and retention rates. The findings may help demonstrate the value of the academic library to stakeholders and thus further integrate library services into course curricula.
Library Homepage Design at Medium-Sized Institutions
(Taylor & Francis, 2014) Jones, Scott L.; Thorpe, Angie
This study sought to describe and analyze the homepages of academic library Web sites at 313 medium-sized bachelor's and master's general institutions. The authors evaluated an unprecedented number of library homepages for the presence of 118 design elements and reported common and uncommon design practices at these libraries. They found 21 elements present on at least half the homepages studied. Seven of these occurred on at least 80 percent of the pages studied: links to the university homepage, library hours, images, portals by subject or links to subject guides, links to interlibrary loan services, “about” sections, and catalog searches. This study serves as a baseline for the current practices of homepage design for a large population of libraries. The results of this survey indicate trends and common design elements for library Web site design and show which elements Web designers and librarians at medium-sized libraries should consider including on their Web pages. Findings are compared with a similar study conducted in 2010, and this study in turn may provide a comparison point for future research. The study also reports characteristics of the implementation of discovery services for this population of libraries in unprecedented detail and provides descriptive information about homepage links to social media sites and mobile applications.
Promoting Discovery: Creating an In-depth Library Marketing Campaign
(Taylor & Francis, 2013) Thorpe, Angie; Bowman, Heather
This case study aims to describe how librarians at Indiana University Kokomo designed a marketing campaign to promote its discovery tool to undergraduate students during the Fall 2012 semester. The authors illustrate how, through the use of a coordinated marketing plan, librarians applied marketing principles to select a target audience, create promotional designs, organize events, and assess campaign effectiveness. The authors express how libraries can construct cost-effective yet comprehensive marketing campaigns, as well as learn from both unexpected successes and shortcomings of such projects. Ultimately, these takeaways can inform a library’s future marketing endeavors.