Library Websites for
Elementary-aged Children:
A Comparative Analysis
Tyson Carter, Dayna Durbin, Jenny McCraw
INLS 180 Term Project / April 24, 2006
Kids and the Web
A 2003 NCES study showed that
approximately one-third of kindergarteners
and half of first through fifth graders use the
Web.
These numbers have been increasing since
the late 1990s.
Kids surf the Web for both education
(homework help, school projects, research)
and entertainment.
INLS 180 Term Project / April 24, 2006
Defining the Problems
What makes a website appealing and
appropriate for an elementary-aged (5-11
years of age) child?
How do library sites designed for children of
this age group measure up?
How do different types of library websites
(elementary school library media centers,
public libraries, and digital/virtual libraries)
compare?
INLS 180 Term Project / April 24, 2006
Our Criteria
Content
Age-appropriateness
Information about the library
Types of resources provided
Instructional content and support
INLS 180 Term Project / April 24, 2006
Our Criteria
Design
Text
Backgrounds
Images
Navigation
Design that appeals to children
INLS 180 Term Project / April 24, 2006
Data Collection
Applied our set of criteria to 30 library
websites for elementary-aged children
10 public elementary school media center
sites
10 public library sites for children
10 virtual/digital libraries
We looked at homepages and first level
supporting pages (in most cases)
INLS 180 Term Project / April 24, 2006
Some Noteworthy Examples
Hiddenite Elementary School (Alexander
County, North Carolina)
America’s Story (Library of Congress)
Denver Public Library (Denver, CO)
INLS 180 Term Project / April 24, 2006
Reflections
Patterns that emerged
Things that our criteria did not capture
Recommendations
If we had more time…
INLS 180 Term Project / April 24, 2006