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User Experience and Information Architecture of Selected National Library Websites: A Comparative Content Inventory, Heuristic Evaluation, and Usability Investigation

Abstract National library websites are essential vehicles for the general public to access national information and resources. The purpose of this study is to examine the usability, user experience (UX), and information architecture (IA) of a sample of national library websites. Through a three-phased multi-methods investigation featuring (1) a content inventory of 28 websites, (2) a web IA and usability evaluation of five websites, and (3) usability tests for three websites, the study results revealed statistically significant gender differences in participants’ task performance. Significant correlations were found between participants’ satisfaction and the content, visual design, and IA, as well as between heuristic evaluation scores and participants’ ratings. Several factors affected participants’ satisfaction: quality of information, the trustworthiness of the content, the perceived credibility of the content producers/providers, the website’s overall structure, and the visual design. The findings of the research also helped to identify common content elements on website homepages and to present a practical procedure for assessing national library websites.