













































What Are You Looking For?


316  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

What Are You Looking For?
Discoveries Made Through a Library Website 
Usability Study
Leslie A. Engelson, Metadata Librarian, Murray State University
David Sye, Research & Instruction Librarian, Murray State University
Bentley Utgaard, Project Coordinator, Murray State University
Megan Wilson, Research & Instruction Librarian, Murray State University

ABSTRACT After providing input on the development of a new website for 
the University Libraries, the librarians at Murray State University decided 
to do a usability study to determine how well the new design supports the 
research and information needs of its primary users, students and faculty, 
before switching to the new website. A usability study group embarked on a 
process of learning, implementing, and discovery. This article walks through 
the implementation process and details how we prepared for the study, 
implemented it, and what we learned from the participants about how our 
library website is used and how to improve the design to better support the 
needs of the users. We share some findings that are broadly applicable for 
improving library websites as well as some surprises we discovered.

BACKGROUND

Murray State University (MSU) is a four-year public liberal arts in-
stitution located in far-western rural Kentucky. Our combined un-
dergraduate and graduate enrollment hovers around 9,500 students. 
The University Libraries consist of three libraries: a main library, a 
special collections library, and a law library that is now closed but 
still houses materials that can be requested.

When we began the project to update the University Libraries’ 
homepage, it was six years old. While this isn’t terribly old for a li-
brary website, it was old enough to know better. The update process 
at the time was neither ideal nor consistent. We had to rely on our 
institutional web developers to make changes on our behalf (and we 
hated to ask!). Additionally, the old homepage had some design flaws 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  317

that needed to be addressed. The hierarchy was indeterminate, and 
it lacked organizational context. There was no persistent navigation 
bar (either a header or footer) from the homepage to the LibGuides 
pages which contained the content behind the homepage. Finally, 
we were concerned with whether the terminology was a help or a 
hindrance.

By creating a homepage using LibGuides, we could shift mainte-
nance and upkeep to the library which would be mutually beneficial 
to the library and IT department. It allows in-house control of the 
homepage while unburdening the University Webmaster. Howev-
er, the University Webmaster does continue to serve as an informal 
advisor/source of support for the Special Projects Coordinator, who 
now manages the website. 

Before initiating this shift to in-house control of the homepage, we 
took stock of the advantages and challenges this shift would bring. 
We knew this would allow the homepage to be more dynamic. It 
would allow us to evolve our site as our user’s needs evolve, and as 
our collections evolve. Additionally, it would enable us to be more 
flexible in tailoring pages/groups of pages related to the entities un-
der the Libraries’ umbrella (i.e., Writing Center, Special Collections, 
Makerspace, etc.) Updates and corrections could be made quickly, 
and we could promptly address issues (technical and otherwise) 
from a library perspective and platform. Finally, we could get more 
value from the LibGuides CMS that we were already using by em-
bracing that potential and we would also have the added bonus of 
the Springshare support and community.

However, while the Special Project Coordinator had served as 
the LibApp administrator for several years and was comfortable 
with configuration and functionality, she was not a front-end devel-
oper and had no programming training or knowledge. In order to 
create the homepage, she needed to teach herself coding within the 
LibGuides environment. This involved repeated binge-watching of 
Springshare video tutorials on Bootstrap, getting more in-depth with 
custom HTML and JavaScript/CSS, and sending many “please help 
me” emails to both Springshare and MSU Information Technology 
(IT) support. An additional challenge would be ensuring we have a 
plan and workflow in place to notify our users in the event there is 
a LibApp outage and training additional personnel to be able to up-
date and troubleshoot.



318  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

If you are exploring the possibility of developing a customized 
homepage via LibGuides but don’t know where to begin, the fol-
lowing are lessons learned that may help make your project more 
manageable: 

• Curate a variety of training resources. There are a lot of 
training materials on the Springshare site including Lib-
Guides customization tutorials, webinars, and knowledge 
base articles on Bootstrap, HTML, and JavaScript/CSS. There 
are many websites devoted to coding instruction and UX de-
sign/accessibility, as well as other academic libraries’ guides 
and presentations about how they customized their Lib-
Guides, which are great. It’s like learning a new language.

• Know your limits, but also push them. If you see something 
you like, it’s most likely doable. Be patient and keep build-
ing your knowledge and skills to the point where you begin 
to understand this new language. While working to syn-
thesize the elements we liked, the Special Project Coordina-
tor had to work within her skill set at the time — what she 
could actually accomplish as a self-taught beginner. Start 
simple then evolve elements as you learn more.

• If your organization has an IT department or web team, 
reach out proactively to determine how they need to be 
involved. Let them know your plans and ask for feedback 
and help. The Special Project Coordinator worked with the 
University Webmaster to make sure our homepage blended 
with the rest of MSU’s branding, and MSU’s IT had to tinker 
with some configurations in the back office of the Univer-
sity’s main site as well to ensure a smooth transition to the 
new homepage.

Appendix 4 includes a collection of resources to assist with a 
homepage customization process. 

TIMELINE

The redesign of the Libraries’ homepage took place over a 15 month 
period beginning in October 2021 with an internal review and sur-
vey of nine academic library homepages built using LibGuides. A 
group of library faculty and staff gave feedback about these pages 
and options available on them. The pages we most liked were those 
where simplicity and clarity were the main attraction, and that, as 
one reviewer mentioned, didn’t “look like” a LibGuide. Between 
October 2021 and February 2022, the Special Projects Coordinator 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  319

synthesized that feedback into a draft homepage for the group to 
review and critique. 

In May 2022, the Usability Testing Group was formed consisting 
of two Research & Instruction Librarians, the Metadata Librarian, 
and the Special Projects Coordinator. Over the summer, the Usability 
Testing Group determined the scope and designed the usability study 
and, in August, invited members of the campus community to partici-
pate in the study. Participants were selected and the usability study 
was then conducted during September and the beginning of October 
2022. After the Usability Testing Group compiled and reviewed the 
results of the sessions, the Special Project Coordinator revised the 
homepage and other site pages; our go-live day was January 9, 2023.

We embarked on the redesign motivated by the goal of having 
the same in-house control of University Libraries’ homepage as we 
do over our LibGuides. We wanted to be able to keep our homepage 
fresh and engage more with our users. Once we got into the process, 
we thought it would be beneficial to our users and ourselves to con-
duct a usability study before going live. Our hope is that this change 
positively impacts how users perceive our integrity, reliability, and 
responsiveness.

DESIGN

None of the members of the Usability Testing Group had any training 
or experience with UX design or testing. The design and implemen-
tation of our usability study benefited greatly from Atla’s Usability 
Testing course available through the Atla Learn (https://learn.atla.
com/) platform. We started with a planning document that walked 
us through the process of determining the scope, logistics, users and 
tasks, recruiting, and other details that we might not have consid-
ered otherwise.

We approached this project with the vague idea that we wanted 
to get feedback from users on how useful the new design is to their 
needs. Intentionally determining the purpose and scope helped 
us refine what areas of the site we wanted the testing to cover and 
which user groups we needed feedback from the most. As we moved 
forward in further development of the study, the purpose and scope 
helped guide decisions about participants and task creation.

https://learn.atla.com/
https://learn.atla.com/


320  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

We wanted the usability study to focus on navigation and find-
ability and to ensure that the labeling was meaningful and helpful. 
We identified the concerns, questions, and goals for the study as:

• Can users navigate to important information from the li-
brary homepage?

• Are users able to find operational information (hours, 
phone numbers, policies)? 

• Can users find and access specific resources and services?

The next part of the process of designing the usability study was 
to determine the logistics of the study. Logistics relate to the who, 
what, where, when, and how aspects of the study.

Developing the purpose and scope helped us focus on which user 
groups would participate in the study. Since students and faculty are 
the primary users of the website, their feedback was crucial to de-
termining how useful and helpful the new design was.

Next, we needed to determine what areas of the website we were 
focusing the testing on and the type of information we wanted to 
elicit from the participants. We wanted the participants to interact 
mostly with the newly designed homepage and to determine how 
easy it was to navigate. We also wanted the usability study to mimic, 
as closely as possible, the ways participants access and use the web-
site normally.

We debated whether we wanted to have a dedicated space in the 
library in which to conduct the usability studies but decided to use 
Zoom as it would allow us to record each session, observe the par-
ticipant’s screen while they were doing the tasks without being too 
intrusive, and the participants could do the study from the comfort of 
their home, office, or dorm room. This minimized the amount of arti-
ficial noise that could influence and affect the outcome of the study.

The timeline and length of the study will often be dictated by your 
schedule, the academic calendar, and possibly an external deadline. 
We absolutely did not want to launch the new website in the middle 
of the semester, so we needed to start and complete the usability 
study in the fall with the goal of a soft launch at the beginning of the 
spring semester. In January 2023, the new homepage was released 
with a link to the old homepage. Then in May, at the end of the se-
mester, that link was removed. Another determination is how long 
each usability test will be. We limited each test to an hour.



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  321

How the usability study is conducted is the critical part of the pro-
cess that facilitates the feedback you want to obtain. This article will 
go into more detail about methodology and task development later. 
Another logistical detail pertains to participants. It is helpful to of-
fer an incentive for participating in the usability study. This signals 
the value of the participant’s feedback as well as compensates them, 
though quite modestly, for their time commitment. In our study, each 
participant received a gift card to the campus eateries and were also 
included in a drawing for two camp chairs (which were donated by 
a vendor).

Next, we circled back to the “who?” question and determined the 
roles that each member of the Usability Testing Group would play 
in the study: facilitator, note taker, and observer.

An important part of the design process is developing personas. 
A persona is a representation of a typical library user; in the case of 
a usability study, the personas represent people in the user groups 
that fit into the scope of the study. They turn the abstract concept of 
“user” into a person with thoughts and emotions, intentions, and 
challenges. At least one persona should be developed for each type 
of user, and you can develop as many as you want and have time to 
develop. We developed multiple personas for each user group (un-
dergrads, graduate students, and faculty) based on the types of users 
within each group.

Personae aren’t pulled out of thin air but are developed and in-
formed using demographic data as well as other data available from 
the library and the institution. Giving each persona a name helps to 
make them more life-like. Fill out the personas with details you know 
from your interactions with students and faculty. Some of the ele-
ments we included in our personas were which program or college 
they were in, how many years they had been at MSU, if English was 
their first language, what access they had to technology, and their 
comfort level related to digital literacy. Elements specific to students 
included whether they were residential, commuter, or at regional 
campuses. Elements specific to faculty included whether they were 
tenured or tenure-track, adjunct, or instructor. The most interesting 
part of the personas entailed thinking about and describing their 
needs as related to library resources, personality traits that might 
influence their approach to and use of the library and its resources, 
and their current feelings related to the library and research.



322  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

Developing our personas was useful for helping us understand 
the needs that drive library website usage and the feelings that us-
ers approach library websites with which affect their usage of the 
website. After developing personas, we then developed tasks that 
were derived from the needs explored in the personas.

When developing the study, one of our early goals was to create 
tasks that participants could complete using the website. The task 
creation process included three phases: brainstorming, differentia-
tion, and creation. In the brainstorming phase, we began discussing 
common tasks and information that students and faculty may come 
to the library website for. We determined that library users would 
navigate to the library website to conduct known-item searches, 
contact a librarian, request an interlibrary loan, search for schol-
arly sources, look up how to cite sources, or look up information for 
specific locations or services within the University Libraries (i.e., 
Writing Center, Oral Communications Center, Special Collections). 
These tasks were supported by our own experiences, in addition to 
data regarding frequently asked questions via library chat, emails 
to librarians, and at the information desk. 

We then differentiated tasks between the student and faculty user 
groups, highlighting the fact that overall, they would have different 
needs and purposes for using the site. When it came time to select 
the tasks that participants would complete, it was important to de-
termine how many tasks to include that would fit within the hour 
time frame and provide sufficient data. We also wanted to include 
some tasks that could be completed using different paths or func-
tions, depending on the participant’s preferences. These tasks are 
included in the scripts for the facilitator to read to ensure consistent 
implementation of the study for each participant. (See Appendices 
2 and 3 for the scripts.)

Since we were using human subjects in the study, we submitted 
an application to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and created 
an informed consent document. The IRB determined that our study 
did not need IRB oversight. However, it is recommended that any 
study involving human subjects be submitted to the institution’s IRB 
for approval before proceeding. We still used the informed consent 
document as good practice.

Once we had approval from the IRB, we were ready to implement 
the study. For that we needed to recruit participants. We wanted to in-
clude both frequent library users as well as those who never darken 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  323

the Library’s door in the study so it was important to broadcast the 
information about the study as widely as possible. We used all of the 
typical ways of communication already in place such as the Library’s 
social media pages, emails, and the University’s weekly electronic 
newsletter. These all included a link to the electronic survey form 
(See Appendix 1). We also handed out paper surveys in the Library, 
added the survey link on our current homepage, and posted a QR 
code to the survey at the information desk in the Library.

In addition to name and contact information, the survey included 
questions that provided information we used to select participants 
and included some diversion elements so that those who filled out 
the survey wouldn’t try to self-select. The selection criteria included 
the degree program they are in, how often they use the library, and 
what type of device they use. Diversion elements included activities 
they have used the library for and categories in the degree program 
that weren’t relevant to our study.

In addition to selecting participants from each user group (un-
dergrads, graduate students, and faculty), we tried to include people 
who represented a variety of disciplines, ranks, and frequency of li-
brary use. We also tried to include users who accessed the library’s 
website from a variety of devices or systems. 

Research on usability studies indicates that no more than five par-
ticipants are needed in a usability study for the results to be repre-
sentative. In addition to the five participants from each user group, 
we selected an additional participant from each user group as part 
of a pilot study intending to use the results from the pilot studies to 
refine the tasks and process. After sorting through 51 completed sur-
veys, we had 18 total participants in the usability study.

We then contacted the selected participants to schedule a day and 
time and sent them a Zoom link for the study.

IMPLEMENTATION

Having participants connect via Zoom was the session modality that 
best fit our needs. We discussed the pros and cons of this method 
compared to having participants come to the library and use the 
website while we were in the room with them. We determined that 
to best inform our study, it was important to be able to see partici-
pants’ screens and observe their cursor, which could be achieved by 
using Zoom’s screen share feature. Additionally, we were able to re-



324  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

cord the session and review the recordings if we needed to. Also, we 
didn’t have software for tracking cursors or eye movements, which 
are two other ways of gathering data for the usability study of web-
sites, but Zoom software is ubiquitous. 

The overall flow of a usability session consisted of participants 
connecting via Zoom, briefly explaining the purpose of the study, 
giving them tasks, and asking follow-up questions.

Tasks could be given one at a time, either verbally or in writing in 
Zoom’s chat, or we could have given all of the tasks at once either in 
chat or through a link to a document. We decided to give tasks one at 
a time verbally, so they wouldn’t be distracted by the other tasks and 
the observers would be able to differentiate between tasks in assess-
ing website functions. If they needed the tasks repeated, we would 
type the task into the chat feature. The facilitator asked participants 
to think aloud while completing each task so that we could gain feed-
back about the site. This think aloud feedback was the primary and 
most important feedback about the usability of the website, so it was 
crucial to the purposes of our study. However, due to the unnatural-
ness for most people of thinking aloud while working on a task, it 
was quite challenging at times to gain this feedback. 

Many participants commented on their concern for not doing the 
task “right.” The facilitator reassured participants that we were not 
so much interested in whether or not they were able to complete the 
task but in how the library website either helped or hindered their 
ability to complete the task.

After each task the facilitator asked three follow up questions:
1. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being difficult and 

7 being easy? 
2. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 being un-

satisfying and 7 being very satisfying? 
3. How confident are you that you completed the task fully 

with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being very confident?

The facilitator typically asked participants to elaborate when they 
gave scores that were in the 2-6 range, as that indicated that there 
was some nuance to their positive or negative response.  

We decided to not debrief any further after each task (although 
that would have been an option) as we didn’t want that debrief to 
influence how users approached future tasks. Other than to elicit 
active feedback, the only time the facilitator intervened was when 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  325

participants left the website completely or otherwise were no longer 
completing the given task. 

After the participant completed all the tasks, the facilitator pro-
vided them with a list of adjectives, and they were asked to choose up 
to three words that best represented how they felt about the website 
after working through the tasks. 

ANALYSIS

In analyzing the feedback from the usability studies, one of the first 
parameters we looked at was how participants felt about the new 
interface overall. To this end we took the adjectives that each partici-
pant was asked to provide at the end of the session and performed 
a frequency analysis. We found that the majority of the terms cho-
sen were positive. The most common comments were related to the 
clean, professional look with lots of white space and the intuitiveness 
of the interface. On the more critical side we also received multiple 
comments that while the page itself looked clean and simple, the in-
terface also seemed complicated or busy. This was likely due to the 
number of options in the menus. 

A second analysis we made was a first click analysis. This type of 
analysis is important as research shows that participants who click 
the correct link the first time will complete their task successfully 
in a majority of cases while participants who chose the wrong path 
are significantly less likely to eventually succeed at the task. To per-
form this analysis, the observers noted the first link that a participant 
clicked on during each task. They disregarded any cursor hover-
ing, expanding drop down menus, or comments made and focused 
specifically on when the participant first navigated away from the 
homepage. The results helped us understand how the participants 
interpreted certain navigational and design elements, as well as pro-
vided insight into how some terminology could be confusing. 

The first click analysis showed that navigational preferences 
varied between groups; undergraduates were much more likely to 
search for an article using the article specific tab in the search bar 
while faculty either gravitated directly to the databases or used the 
general function of the search bar. We also found that graduate stu-
dents and faculty were much more likely to correctly and easily navi-
gate to the interlibrary loan page while undergraduates struggled 
with the task, likely due to not understanding the library jargon.



326  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

Lastly, we looked at the notes provided by the observers as well as 
statements that participants made during each session. As indicated 
before, some participants thought aloud more readily than others, 
but we were able to determine that navigation preferences varied 
and so there was a need to accommodate those preferences. 

There was no distinct preference between using the Quick Access 
Menu and the Dropdown menus so both needed to be available. Some 
participants gravitated immediately to the FAQs to complete the task 
while some faculty were inclined to leave the webpage entirely for 
certain tasks. We were surprised at some navigational choices made 
by participants and learned about some functionality of which we 
were not previously aware. 

Due to the nature of the study design most of the data is qualita-
tive rather than quantitative. This means that we focused largely on 
collecting insights into specific user behaviors through both observa-
tion and participant feedback during the session. We paid particular 
attention to comments and suggestions made by participants during 
completion of the tasks and prompted participants to describe their 
thought process if needed. 

Though the design of our study was intended to gather mostly 
qualitative data, we did collect some quantitative data including the 
amount of time on task and whether tasks were completed success-
fully. Due to the small number of participants and some participants’ 
tendency to explore the site during early questions, we did not find 
this data particularly useful.

There are a lot of options for usability analysis, some of which we 
chose not to focus on. For example, we created our new homepage 
without conducting any wireframing and prototyping nor did we do 
any comparison testing with the old homepage since we knew we 
were sunsetting it. We also chose to focus on conducting moderated 
testing for more in-depth results and therefore did not conduct sur-
veys related to the design. 

MOVING FORWARD

As we observed the participants of the study, it became apparent 
that a good deal of their difficulty in completing the tasks was due to 
deficiencies in our site beyond the homepage. While we knew there 
were areas that needed improvement, the usability sessions brought 
to light issues that we were not aware of. Part of this was due to our 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  327

familiarity with library jargon and where things are located on the 
site. We needed the perspective of those who are using the website 
for the first time and are confronted with new terminology to help 
us understand how our website is hindering users from accomplish-
ing their task. To that end, while the usability study gave us valuable 
feedback for the homepage design, it also provided us with informa-
tion that will inform the revision of the entire website.

After the usability study was complete, a Website Implementa-
tion Committee was formed that is tasked with identifying both im-
mediate homepage revisions based on the study as well as address-
ing longer-term website projects. This group is focusing on ways to 
streamline, better organize, and pare down content.  

We immediately began an ongoing process of reconsidering li-
brary jargon. Some terms that were identified in the usability study 
and the terms we replaced them with include:

JARGON BETTER

LibGuides, Research Guides Research Assistance or Help

Interlibrary loan (ILL), Access Services Borrow from Other Libraries

Circulation Borrowing, Check Out Materials

TABLE 1. Jargon replaced with better terminology 

Next, we added a navigation bar dropdown menu with action-
based options: Now users can find How to Check Out Materials, How 
to Cite Your Sources, and How to Borrow from Other Libraries (In-
terlibrary Loan), among other options.

Since the FAQs were the starting point for many tasks, especially 
for the undergrads, we started overhauling and updating our FAQs 
area. We also adjusted the search box design to make the background 
image less busy and links more prominent.

All of this effort resulted in a library homepage that we have con-
fidence helps users find the resources and information they come to 
the homepage to find. 



328  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

IMAGE 1 Newly revised MSULibraries homepage (https://lib.murraystate.edu/new)

LESSONS LEARNED

Ideally, we would have liked to have more participants in the study. 
Next time, we could have a longer recruitment period or longer study 
period and find new avenues to reach potential participants. 

Participants explaining out loud what they were doing and think-
ing during the usability sessions was essential to understanding if the 
homepage design worked. Asking more questions during this time 
from “Things a Therapist Would Say” might help illicit more feed-
back. For example, a suggested question is “can you explain what 
you are looking at or looking for right now?”

Something that librarians need to keep in mind is that the purpose 
of the homepage is primarily to assist with tasks or helping users find 
information as opposed to providing the information librarians want 
users to know. To that end, we need to streamline the content of our 
LibGuides, avoid duplication, and present information in a concise 
manner. In general, less is more. 

It has been said before but it is worth repeating: avoid library 
jargon as much as possible. This would be a good talk-back board 
topic for students: putting library jargon words on the board and 
asking which ones they know to further our understanding of the 
roadblocks on our site. 

Finally, we must continually strive to improve our universal de-
sign/accessibility. 

https://lib.murraystate.edu/new


LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  329

REFERENCES

“First Click Testing.” Usability.gov. July 7, 2023. https://www.
usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/first-click-testing.html 

Krug, Steve. 2010. “Things a Therapist Would Say”. Rocket Surgery 
Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing 
Usability Problems. http:// sensible.com/downloads/things-a-
therapist-would-say.pdf

Libby, Allan Garrison and Joy L. Yaeger. 2017. “LibGuides As 
a Platform for Designing a Library Homepage.” Virginia 
Libraries 62, no.1 (September 14): doi: 10.21061/valib.
v62i1.1463

Paiz, Gabriela. “50 Must-See User Persona Templates.” Justinmind. 
March 29, 2023. https://www.justinmind.com/blog/user-persona-
templates/

Nielsen, Jakob. “Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users.” Nielsen 
Norman Group. March 28, 2020. https://www.nngroup.com/
articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/ 

Shade, Amy. 2017. “Write Better Qualitative Usability Tasks: Top 
10 Mistakes to Avoid.” Nielsen Norman Group (April 9). https://
www.nngroup.com/articles/better-usability-tasks/ 

https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/first-click-testing.html
https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/first-click-testing.html
http://sensible.com/downloads/things-a-therapist-would-say.pdf
http://sensible.com/downloads/things-a-therapist-would-say.pdf
https://doi.org/10.21061/valib.v62i1.1463
https://doi.org/10.21061/valib.v62i1.1463
https://www.justinmind.com/blog/user-persona-templates/
https://www.justinmind.com/blog/user-persona-templates/
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/better-usability-tasks/
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/better-usability-tasks/


330  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

APPENDIX 1. LIBRARY WEBSITE USABILITY EVALUATION – INTEREST 
FORM

Screener Survery
We are recruiting participants for an upcoming website usability 
evaluation. Participants will be asked to use a website and provide 
comments and feedback about the website.

These in person or virtual sessions will use the Zoom conferencing 
platform and are being scheduled throughout September and Octo-
ber. Each session will last up to one hour. 

If you are selected, as a thank you for your time, you will receive a 
$10 gift card for on-campus food service at the beginning of the ses-
sion and be entered into a drawing to win camp chairs.

1. Are you interested in participating? 
a.  Yes
b. No (thank you for your time, end survey)

2. Do you have 1 hour to participate on a weekday during Sep-
tember or October?

3. Are you okay with us recording your voice and your com-
puter screen during the session? (This will only be used in-
ternally to help us understand your experience of using the 
website)

4. Are you a student, faculty or staff? (redirect students to #5, 
others to #6)
a. Student
b. Faculty
c. Staff

5. What type of degree program are you in? 
a. Student-at-large/Non degree seeking
b. Undergraduate 
c. Certificate program
d. Masters
e. Doctoral
f. Other



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  331

6. How often do you use the library in person or online?
a. Never
b. 1-4 times a month
c. 5-10 times a month
d. More than 11 times a month

7. What activities have you used the library for? (check all 
that apply)
a. Finding articles in databases
b. Finding books
c. Archival and special collections
d. Quiet space for study
e. Help from a librarian (research consultation, help using 

a database, etc.)
f. Other

8. What computer operating system do you usually use? 
(check all that apply)
a. Windows
b. Macintosh
c. Unix
d. Other

Name

Phone

Email

Thank you for your interest! If selected, you will receive an email at 
the beginning of September with further details. Only those contact-
ed and selected to complete the interview will receive the gift card.



332  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

APPENDIX 2. USABILITY STUDY SCRIPT (STUDENT PARTICIPANTS)

Script for Student 
https://libguides.murraystate.edu/new

Thank you for coming to this session today. My name is David Sye. I 
am a librarian and will be the facilitator for this evaluation.

The University Libraries is currently working to improve the design 
of the Library’s website. As part of that process we have asked a few 
people to help evaluate the new design. To do this, I am going to ask 
you to work through doing a few things using the library’s new web-
site to get your feedback on what you experience.

• The purpose of doing this is to understand how well the 
new university libraries’ website meets the needs of users.

• The session is scheduled for 60 minutes and you will re-
ceive a $10 gift card to any of the campus food service loca-
tions for your participation.

• Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may leave 
or take a break any time you would like.

Any questions so far?

With your permission, I will be recording the session with audio 
and video. 

The data from your session will be used to help us figure out how to 
improve the website and the findings may be published. None of the 
data will be seen by anyone except the people working on the project 
and your participation in this session will be anonymous.

I am going to send you the consent form in the chat window. Please 
take a few moments to review the consent form and let me know if 
you have any questions

[consent form] 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekPKarzazw1deUDbDeiw
Xs_6AI9h7moLuusLAHUsylAzr5Lg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

https://libguides.murraystate.edu/new
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekPKarzazw1deUDbDeiwXs_6AI9h7moLuusLAHUsylAzr5Lg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekPKarzazw1deUDbDeiwXs_6AI9h7moLuusLAHUsylAzr5Lg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekPKarzazw1deUDbDeiwXs_6AI9h7moLuusLAHUsylAzr5Lg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0


LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  333

We are ready to get started. The first thing to do is share your screen 
with me & I will start the recording. This is so I can watch what you 
are doing in the browser.

The share screen button should be bottom center of the Zoom screen

(CLICK THE RECORD BUTTON)

I am sending you another document in chat — https://docs.google.com/
document/d/1EFpSzbpET9raMm4W0H7VIGg-yLMI-I00ZQRTq1x6_jY/
edit?usp=sharing

Please read the “Thinking Aloud” explainer out loud to me.

[They read “Thinking Aloud” explainer]

As you are working, think out loud and describe what you are look-
ing at, what you are looking for on the screen, anything that is con-
fusing, anything that surprises you, or even things you wonder as 
you use the site. Keep up a running monologue as you use the site, 
like a stream of consciousness, and anything you say will be helpful.

• Tell me if there is anything on the website that doesn’t make 
sense or that you think is particularly easy to understand.

• Also please do not worry that you are going to hurt my feel-
ings. I am doing this to improve the site, so I need to hear 
your honest reactions.

• I will be taking notes as you work.
• I won’t be talking with you much because the more I talk 

with you, the more I may impact what you do.
• The situation is unnatural and can feel awkward, but please 

try to work as if you were alone, and do what you would 
normally do.

• AND Remember, I am not evaluating you in any way. 
Watching you helps me evaluate the system.

• There is no wrong answer and you can’t do anything wrong 
here.

 I will give you the tasks one at a time. There is no need to rush.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EFpSzbpET9raMm4W0H7VIGg-yLMI-I00ZQRTq1x6_jY/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EFpSzbpET9raMm4W0H7VIGg-yLMI-I00ZQRTq1x6_jY/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EFpSzbpET9raMm4W0H7VIGg-yLMI-I00ZQRTq1x6_jY/edit?usp=sharing


334  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

Go as far as you would if you were alone. When you feel you have 
completed a task or you want to stop doing it at any point, please 
tell me. Say something like, “I am finished,” or “I want to stop this 
task here.”

Do you have any questions?

1. I will read you the task. Please let me know if you need me 
to repeat it. If you would like a written version of the task I 
can send that to you in chat.

2. Please use the link in the chat to go to the website. https://
libguides.murraystate.edu/new 

3. Remember, we are not so much interested in whether or 
not you complete the task but in how the library website 
helps or hinders your ability to complete the task.

[Read through tasks]

1. Determine if the library has access to the book Harry Potter 
and the Chamber of Secrets and indicate to the facilitator 
how you would get it.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

2. Locate an article on the topic of media literacy.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 

https://libguides.murraystate.edu/new
https://libguides.murraystate.edu/new


LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  335

i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 
7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

3. Find a research guide related to your major.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

4. Check to see if there is an online textbook available for a 
class you’re taking this semester.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?



336  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

5. Find the direct phone number of a staff member in the cir-
culation department.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

6. Request a resource that’s not available in the library
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

7. Where is the Curriculum Materials Center located?
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  337

i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 
7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

8. Where is the Pogue Reading Room located?
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

9. Find information about scheduling an appointment in the 
Oral Comm Center.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?



338  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

10. Determine how many books a [undergrad/graduate] stu-
dent can have checked out at the same time.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

11. Locate information for how to cite a book in APA format.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

(After each task)
• [Ask for any comments on the activity and/or ask if any-

thing was particularly easy or difficult.]



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  339

• [Ask specific questions about what you noticed/noted down 
- may want to save this till the very end to avoid leading 
them for the next tasks.]

(At the very end)
• Thank you so much for helping out today.
• Click the button to stop sharing your screen.
• I’m going to share my screen. On it you will see a list of ad-

jectives. [share screen]
• Choose up to 3 words from the list that best represent how 

you feel about the website after this activity (see Table 2).

Boring Exciting Ugly Busy Simple Intimidating

Calm Familiar Old Complicated Fresh Professional

Attractive Impressive Trustworthy Modern Innovative Reliable

Unprofessional

TABLE 2 Adjectives

I am stopping the recording now.



340  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

APPENDIX 3. USABILITY STUDY SCRIPT (FACULTY PARTICIPANTS)

Script for Faculty
https://libguides.murraystate.edu/new

Thank you for coming to this session today. My name is David Sye. I 
am a librarian and will be the facilitator for this evaluation.

The University Libraries is currently working to improve the design 
of the Library’s website. As part of that process we have asked a few 
people to help evaluate the new design. To do this, I am going to ask 
you to work through doing a few things using the library’s new web-
site to get your feedback on what you experience.

• The purpose of doing this is to understand how well the 
new university libraries’ website meets the needs of users.

• The session is scheduled for 60 minutes and you will re-
ceive a $10 gift card to any of the campus food service loca-
tions for your participation.

• Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may leave 
or take a break any time you would like.

Any questions so far?

 With your permission, I will be recording the session with audio 
and video. 

The data from your session will be used to help us figure out how to 
improve the website and the findings may be published. None of the 
data will be seen by anyone except the people working on the project 
and your participation in this session will be anonymous.

 I am going to send you the consent form in the chat window. Please 
take a few moments to review the consent form and let me know if 
you have any questions

[consent form]

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekPKarzazw1deUDbDeiw
Xs_6AI9h7moLuusLAHUsylAzr5Lg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

https://libguides.murraystate.edu/new
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekPKarzazw1deUDbDeiwXs_6AI9h7moLuusLAHUsylAzr5Lg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekPKarzazw1deUDbDeiwXs_6AI9h7moLuusLAHUsylAzr5Lg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0


LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  341

 We are ready to get started. The first thing to do is share your screen 
with me & I will start the recording. This is so I can watch what you 
are doing in the browser.

 The share screen button should be bottom center of the Zoom screen

(CLICK THE RECORD BUTTON)

 I am sending you another document in chat — https://docs.
google.com/document/d/1EFpSzbpET9raMm4W0H7VIGg-yLMI-
I00ZQRTq1x6_jY/edit?usp=sharing

Please read the “Thinking Aloud” explainer out loud to me.

[They read “Thinking Aloud” explainer]

As you are working, think out loud and describe what you are look-
ing at, what you are looking for on the screen, anything that is con-
fusing, anything that surprises you, or even things you wonder as 
you use the site. Keep up a running monologue as you use the site, 
like a stream of consciousness, and anything you say will be helpful.

• Tell me if there is anything on the website that doesn’t make 
sense or that you think is particularly easy to understand.

• Also please do not worry that you are going to hurt my feel-
ings. I am doing this to improve the site, so I need to hear 
your honest reactions.

• I will be taking notes as you work.
• I won’t be talking with you much because the more I talk 

with you, the more I may impact what you do.
• The situation is unnatural and can feel awkward, but please 

try to work as if you were alone, and do what you would 
normally do.

• AND Remember, I am not evaluating you in any way. 
Watching you helps me evaluate the system.

• There is no wrong answer and you can’t do anything wrong 
here.

 I will give you the tasks one at a time. There is no need to rush.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EFpSzbpET9raMm4W0H7VIGg-yLMI-I00ZQRTq1x6_jY/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EFpSzbpET9raMm4W0H7VIGg-yLMI-I00ZQRTq1x6_jY/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EFpSzbpET9raMm4W0H7VIGg-yLMI-I00ZQRTq1x6_jY/edit?usp=sharing


342  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

 Go as far as you would if you were alone. When you feel you have 
completed a task or you want to stop doing it at any point, please 
tell me. Say something like, “I am finished,” or “I want to stop this 
task here.”

 Do you have any questions?

1. I will read you the task. Please let me know if you need me 
to repeat it. If you would like a written version of the task I 
can send that to you in chat.

2. Please use the link in the chat to go to the website. https://
libguides.murraystate.edu/new 

3. Remember, we are not so much interested in whether or 
not you complete the task but in how the library website 
helps or hinders your ability to complete the task.

[Read through tasks]

1. Locate a resource related to your area of research.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being difficult and 7 be-
ing easy?

How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 being unsatis-
fying and 7 being very satisfying?

How confident are you that you completed the task fully with 1 
being not at all confident and 7 being very confident?

2. Request a resource that’s not available in the library
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

https://libguides.murraystate.edu/new
https://libguides.murraystate.edu/new


LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  343

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

3. Determine how many books a faculty member can have 
checked out at the same time.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

4. Check to see if there is an online textbook available for a 
class in your college/department.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?



344  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

5. Determine how far ahead you should schedule a classroom 
before you need it.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

6. Locate information for how to cite a book in APA format.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

7. Determine what recording equipment is available from the 
library.
a. Thank you, that was very helpful. 
b. I am now going to ask you 3 quick questions about the 

task you just completed. 
i. Please rate the task you just worked on a scale of 1 to 

7, with 7 being the most positive answer and 1 being 
the most negative answer.



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  345

ii. How easy or difficult was the task with 1 being diffi-
cult and 7 being easy?

iii. How satisfying was it for you to do the task with 1 be-
ing unsatisfying and 7 being very satisfying?

iv. How confident are you that you completed the task 
fully with 1 being not at all confident and 7 being 
very confident?

(After each task)
• [Ask for any comments on the activity and/or ask if any-

thing was particularly easy or difficult.]
• [Ask specific questions about what you noticed/noted down 

- may want to save this till the very end to avoid leading 
them for the next tasks.]

(At the very end)
• Thank you so much for helping out today.
• Click the button to stop sharing your screen.
• I’m going to share my screen. On it you will see a list of ad-

jectives. [share screen]
• Choose up to 3 words from the list that best represent how 

you feel about the website after this activity (see Table 2).

Boring Exciting Ugly Busy Simple Intimidating

Calm Familiar Old Complicated Fresh Professional

Attractive Impressive Trustworthy Modern Innovative Reliable

Unprofessional

TABLE 2 Adjectives

I am stopping the recording now.



346  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

APPENDIX 4. CODING RESOURCES FOR CUSTOMIZING YOUR LIB-
GUIDES HOMEPAGE

Springshare Resources
(Log in to LibGuides to access Springshare resources.)

Using LibGuides CMS for Library Websites 

This mini-site combines articles, videos, and resources for making 
libguides customizations.

• Video: Creating a Custom Homepage 
• Video: Homepage Advanced Customizations 

Other LibGuides customization training videos not on the above 
mini-site:

• Video: Adding CSS to Your LibGuides System

• Video: More Fun with CSS & Bootstrap

Power Your Website with LibGuides CMS: Academic Library Ex-
amples

• https://library.daytonastate.edu/index – search bar is Primo
• https://library.redlands.edu/home – search bar is Primo

Non-Springshare Resources

Learn to Code – W3 Schools

Tutorials, references, and exercises for many programming lan-
guages. The How To page shows you how to build all kinds of web 
elements.

How do I embed a Primo search widget on my library webpage and 
how can I be sure that it’s accessible? From the SUNY Office of Library 
& Information Services. So much useful information here.

Resources for Developers, by Developers – MDN Web Docs

https://training.springshare.com/libguides/cms-library-websites
https://training.springshare.com/libguides/cms-library-websites/custom-homepage-video
https://springy.libapps.com/libapps/login.php?public=2&target=friendly.php%3Fs%3Dlibguides%2Fcms-library-websites%2Fadvanced-customizations-video&group_id=0&guide_id=0&site_id=16323#s-lg-box-20637849
https://training.springshare.com/friendly.php?s=libguides/css
https://training.springshare.com/libguides/css-bootstrap
https://buzz.springshare.com/producthighlights/libguidescms-as-website/academicexamples
https://buzz.springshare.com/producthighlights/libguidescms-as-website/academicexamples
https://library.daytonastate.edu/index
https://library.redlands.edu/home
https://www.w3schools.com/
https://www.w3schools.com/howto/default.asp
https://slcny.libanswers.com/faq/262108
https://slcny.libanswers.com/faq/262108
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/


LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  347

An open-source, collaborative project with learning resources for 
beginners. Documents Web platform technologies including CSS, 
HTML, JavaScript, and Web APIs. 

• CSS Pseudo Classes (especially tree-structural)
• CSS Attributes Selectors

W3C - Web Accessibility Initiative

https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/

WebAIM Contrast Checker

https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/

WAVE Evaluation Tool 

Add this extension to your browser to aid in checking for accessibil-
ity issues. It doesn’t catch everything, and sometimes it flags things 
that are actually okay, but it is very helpful overall. 

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Pseudo-classes
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Attribute_selectors
https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/
https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/wave-evaluation-tool/jbbplnpkjmmeebjpijfedlgcdilocofh



