The Role of Information Architecture in Designing a Third-Generation Library Web Site

Library Web sites have evolved over the past decade, from simple pages with a few links to complex sites that provide direct access to hundreds of different resources. In many cases, this evolution occurs with little overall planning, often resulting in Web sites that are hard to manage and difficult for users to navigate. This article outlines the process of using Information Architecture (IA) to redesign a third-generation library Web site from the ground up. The result was a much more usable and cohesive library Web site that meets the needs of a broad range of users.