Evaluation of University Library Websites in the UAE: A Comparative Study of Their Content Organization Mechanisms

Abstract

The Internet constitutes an important source of information, as people from a wide range of groups and disciplines rely on it to obtain information by visiting websites available online. This has encouraged organizations, authorities, ministries, and other institutions to employ their resources in developing effective websites through which services can be delivered. Since the present study concerns the websites of governmental and private university libraries in the United Arab Emirates, it analyzes and evaluates these websites in terms of their information, content, general structure, and technical criteria. To achieve the study objectives, the descriptive-analytical method was adopted as one of the research approaches most suitable for studying and analyzing websites.   The study aimed to analyze and organize the websites included in the sample by comparing their components and services, the way their content is organized, and the extent to which they comply with standards for the design of academic library websites. The research problem arises from the need to assess the quality of these websites and their role in supporting teaching and research, particularly in relation to access to information, integration of digital services, and updating of electronic content. The findings showed that governmental university library websites outperformed those of private universities. The former demonstrated good compatibility with modern web browsers, accessibility through search engines, advanced search functions, responsiveness to user needs, and a strong commitment to providing a distinctive user experience through simple interfaces, clear guidance, and ease of navigation.   The study also found that both governmental and private university library websites are attractive and appropriate in their design, taking into account visual consistency, clarity of icons, content organization, and the presentation of major services on the home page. These elements support the user experience and reflect contemporary trends in academic website design. Overall, both groups of websites received an “excellent” evaluation, with governmental university library websites scoring 96%, compared with 92.2% for private university library websites. The study proposed several recommendations, most notably encouraging other academic libraries in the UAE and elsewhere to benefit from the strong model represented by governmental university library websites in the UAE, ensuring correct Arabic spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and using clear and unambiguous terminology.