Somewhere, on a library website, there is a photograph or graphic showing a stack of books.
You know the one. Sometimes the books have a pair of glasses sitting on top. Sometimes there’s a coffee cup nearby (because it’s generic and is probably better suited to a coffee shop). It’s a perfectly okay picture. But what is it doing there?
You might think that question isn’t worth asking. It’s “making the page look better!” you might answer. But it’s worth considering, especially if visitors have to scroll past it to get to something actually useful.
It’s time to ask that picture a hard question
A picture of books looks appropriate on a library website. So does a person holding a tablet, a child reading, or a person using a computer. But “this relates to libraries” is a pretty low bar. Your website already has the library’s name on it. Users probably don’t need additional pictorial evidence to prove the site belongs to a library.
What they likely need to know are things like whether the library is open, when story time is, or where to park during construction. A generic picture can occupy a lot of space without helping answer any questions.
Imagine a page about your library’s meeting rooms. At the top is a large stock photo of smiling people gathered around a conference table. Below it, eventually, are the room details.
Now imagine replacing that image with a photograph of your actual meeting room.
Visitors can see the tables, seating, windows, and general arrangement. They have a better idea of whether the space will work for their group. Same kind of page, but with a much more useful picture. That picture is now doing a very useful job.
Is your image doing useful work, or wasting people’s time?
Pictures need to earn their keep
An image can show someone what to expect, help them recognize a place, or explain something that would be more difficult to describe.
A picture of a book locker could help someone recognize it when they arrive. A close-up of a craft project could help a parent and child decide whether they want to attend. Those pictures answer questions. “Here is a stack of books” usually doesn’t. Stock photos and AI-generated art don’t tell anyone anything useful and can even turn people away.
And yes, ambiance can count for something. A photograph of people enjoying your library can make it feel welcoming. Your website doesn’t have to remove all the pictures. That’s not the point.
But, be honest about what a particular image truly contributes. “It makes this page feel welcoming” is a reasonable answer (again, as long as it’s a real picture and not something generic). “The template had a spot for a picture” or “I wanted to jazz up the page, it looked boring” are not convincing reasons for anything.
Try this
Choose one page on your website. Look at its main image and ask: “If this picture disappeared, what would visitors lose?”
Would they lose information? A useful view of a space? An example that helps them understand the page? Or would they reach the information they came for sooner?
If removing the image would cost visitors nothing useful, you have the answer. Get rid of it. Just looking relevant isn’t the same as being useful.