This study aims to evaluate website satisfaction levels and impact factors by surveying the actual users who frequent the website. Thus based on the result of the survey, this study will make suggestions as to how to improve the university library web...
This study aims to evaluate website satisfaction levels and impact factors by surveying the actual users who frequent the website. Thus based on the result of the survey, this study will make suggestions as to how to improve the university library website. Detailed items for evaluation were determined in comparison with the recent studies and their evaluation items. The evaluation items are access environment, design, contents, search engine, and user service.
The following are the results of this study.
First, access environment in terms of accessing the relevant websites showed a high satisfaction level whereas the depths of information thus obtained showed low level of satisfaction. It is necessary to make the websearch process easier for the users by analyzing the menus and categories of the website and giving more clear definitions for the analyzed categories to facilitate the users' search process.
Second, in the area of design, the consistency between the main page and sub page showed high satisfaction level whereas the overall website design and standardization showed a low level of satisfaction. University libraries should make sure that the web designs better reflect the information and functions they provide.
Third, in the area of contents, while the search for web resources and original documents showed high level satisfaction, there was low satisfaction in the maintenance and renewal of the items for recent information and contact information for further inquiry. It is very essential to continually update the web-provided information for accuracy and correctness.
Fourth, in the area of search engine, the variety of search engines showed high level of satisfaction whereas the supplementary search engine didn't. Since the search engine plays a key role in the library websearch, it ranked top 1 and 2 in the satisfaction items in the survey. The search engine should be modified further to make it more user friendly in its service.
Fifth, in the area of user service, the loan service for the variety of data and materials showed a high level of satisfaction whereas feedback system showed a low level of satisfaction. Being equipped with an effective feedback system is very important in the university library for interaction and customer service.
Sixth, demographically, the satisfaction levels in the survey varied depending on what year the user is in and the university he or she attends. In design, the higher the years are, the lower the satisfaction was whereas, in user service, variety was the key point in eliciting higher level of satisfaction.
Seventh, the study showed the overall satisfaction with the library website is closely related with the above five items used in the survey. Moreover, access environment was the item which showed the highest relevance with the overall satisfaction with the library website. This recognition is enough in reminding the importance of access environment. Therefore, the problems and solutions the study suggests in the paper will further help the users in their future practice and search result.
This study has two limitations : ⅰ) the survey was done to the users of the university libraries located within the Kangwon Province areas. ⅱ) the survey is mostly based on the evaluation the users made and problems they recognized.