Leveling up: A Checklist Comparison of Pennsylvania Public Libraries’ Web Presence in 2010 and 2018

Abstract

Abstract In a technology-driven world, libraries must have quality websites that deliver meaningful information in a structured way. Measuring the ease of access to information through website evaluation studies can help site creators assess the efficacy of presented information. This study, performed in 2018, recognizes the importance of maintaining quality websites for successful communication of information to the public. It replicates Powers’s 2010 content analysis of Pennsylvania public libraries’ websites. The author employs Powers’s evaluation checklist and seeks to discover how current levels of web presence for Pennsylvania public libraries compare with the results of Powers’s original study. A sufficient number of websites were reviewed to allow for generalizability to all Pennsylvania public libraries. This study finds that public libraries’ web presence in Pennsylvania has increased since Powers evaluated websites in 2010, in terms of the range of available information. In addition, the 2018 results show which website development areas public libraries must improve in to maintain relevance.