An analysis of American academic libraries' websites: 2000‐2010

Purpose The current study seeks to describe and analyze academic library websites in the years 2000 and 2010, as they appear both in the Internet Archive and in current library websites. Design/methodology/approach A content analysis of 31 academic libraries homepages which were selected from the ACRL accredited LIS schools was conducted. Findings Findings reveal that the content of academic library websites in the years 2000 and 2010 has much changed over the ten years, presenting an increasing use of e‐journals and Web 2.0 applications, as well as a focus on library users, and a great use of graphics in websites. Practical implications The comparison documented in the paper should prove very interesting and important to librarians, information scientists, LIS scholars and students, presenting trends, changes and innovations that have occurred within the scope of academic libraries over the last ten years. Originality/value This study presents a yet unexplored dimension: the comparison, focusing especially on content, of academic library websites over a decade as they appear in the Internet Archive in 2000 and in the present library website in 2010.