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1.
Abstract

Library Web pages are increasingly designed to be the initial entry point for research, whether used from the library or off campus. But the pages must be intuitive and easy to use or students may bypass them completely, in favor of more familiar Web resources. This article presents the process, results, and evaluation of a Web usability study conducted at Linfield College with undergraduate participants. Web usability testing was a relatively quick and inexpensive way to find out how students used the library Web pages, information that proved invaluable in making effective modifications to them. In the process, researchers gained insights into student online searching and research patterns that have informed reference and teaching activities as well.  相似文献   

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3.
《资料收集管理》2013,38(1-2):225-234
SUMMARY

Electronic resources (ER) constitute an increasingly significant portion of library collections, both in usage and cost. It is vital to design easy, efficient access to these collections as users have other online options to meet their information needs. Thus, an important goal for ER librarians is to provide a usable ER site. Formal usability testing is a powerful tool to help librarians create the most useful site for their customers. This chapter will cover the basic components of usability testing and suggest ways in which ER librarians can lead efforts in their institution to improve the customer experience with library Web sites. ER librarians can create buy-in from library staff for usability testing as a worthwhile method to improve access to ER through involvement in the process and sharing results of the testing. The responsibilities of ER librarians vary from one institution to another, but all share in the mission of the profession to serve its customers' information needs. This chapter addresses the possibilities of usability testing as a force to maximize the user experience with the collections ER librarians manage.  相似文献   

4.
Boopsie, Inc. develops mobile applications for libraries, universities, conferences, and businesses. The researchers in this study investigated the usability of the Boopsie mobile application for a medium-sized academic library. Based on data collected from a series of qualitative interviews with undergraduate students, this research captured the users' experiences finding several types of information using a mobile application created by Boopsie. Three thematic findings emerged from seven study participants: Libraries should carefully select resources and features for inclusion in mobile applications; the simplicity of the mobile application interface offers some advantages over a conventional library Web site; and users may find the application more compelling for in-depth research than for answering quick questions. As result of this research, one library made modifications to its Boopsie application to improve usability. The results offer librarians or libraries practical advice about the promises and pitfalls of implementing a mobile library application.  相似文献   

5.
ABSTRACT

Can we use the methods of Web usability testing to learn about library instruction? This article is among the first in the field trying to establish a link between usability and instruction. The author discusses useful insights that Web usability can bring to our pedagogy as well as to the efficiency of library instruction. The result of a Web usability study conducted at LaGuardia Community College in 2005 are examined. Findings suggest direct relationships between what is being taught in library instruction sessions and how students browse and search library resources. The author discusses vocabulary test results and draws some parallel with students' success at finding information on the library Web site. Finally, a conceptual model of library instruction assessment through usability studies is presented. The author hopes to provide an innovative approach to library instruction assessment.  相似文献   

6.
In the Fall of 2009, the Moraine Valley Community College Library, using guidelines developed by Jakob Nielsen, conducted a usability study to determine how students were using the library Web site and to inform the redesign of the Web site. The authors found that Moraine Valley's current gateway design was a more effective access point to library resources than a mock-up site which incorporated a central-search box on the site homepage. This finding stands in contrast to the observed trends of library Web site design that emphasizes a “Googlized” search.  相似文献   

7.
ABSTRACT

At Eastern Michigan University, information about library resources and services for Extended Programs (off-campus and online) students was provided in a number of online locations and was sometimes inconsistent and difficult to manage. The library formed an internal task force to evaluate all of the library information and instructional materials provided to Extended Programs students. The task force consolidated key information in one location on the library Web site and collaborated with departments within the library and around campus to provide links from the relevant online locations. This case study describes how Google Analytics was used to assess the use of the revised library Web site and online instructional materials by Extended Programs students. The researchers describe examples of techniques for using Google Analytics and explain how the data collected was used to identify further enhancements to the information provided to Extended Programs students.  相似文献   

8.
Abstract

Three sources indicated the need for designing a usability study of the Western Michigan University Libraries' Web site: the results of the 2004 LibQUAL+ survey; the completion of the library's new strategic planning document; and suggestions by library customers and library staff. LibQUAL+ findings and customer comments suggested customers desired more independent use of the library site; better and easier electronic access to library resources, allowing customers to search for and find content on their own; and improved online help. A usability analysis was conducted with graduate and undergraduate students. The results from a task-based questionnaire, observations by investigators, and follow-up discussion sessions are presented. Investigators found usability testing alone may not be adequate to gain the qualitative data necessary for ascertaining the site's ease of use and usefulness and that a multipronged approach might be needed when evaluating a library Web site.  相似文献   

9.
Abstract

The MetaLib Library Portal (MetaLib) is a federated search tool that enables simultaneous searching of multiple electronic resources in a single interface and provides links to resources' native interfaces. Many libraries have already implemented this library portal or various components of it. Prior to launching MetaLib at the University of Florida, the authors conducted a usability study to ensure MetaLib features implemented were appropriate for UF's research community. A total of fifteen faculty researchers and graduate and undergraduate students participated in testing and discussing the product during the spring 2006 semester. This paper illustrates the process used to evaluate MetaLib, which included determining a timeline, developing scenario-based and focus group questions, recruiting participants, and conducting usability tests and focus groups. In addition, the authors describe some of the major findings of the study and the solutions recommended in the formal “Usability Test Report for MetaLib,” and provide an analysis of the challenges associated with usability testing of a federated search tool.  相似文献   

10.
ABSTRACT

In the past decade, academic libraries have struggled with the design of an effective library home page. Since librarians' mental models of information architecture differ from those of their patrons, usability assessments are necessary in designing a user-centered home page. This study details a usability sequence of card sort and paper and online survey methods conducted at the Auraria Library, which serves the University of Colorado Denver, the Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the Community College of Denver. The three top complaints about the existing Web page included information overload, lack of visual cues and guidance, and difficulty getting to what students knew was the heart of the library's Web page: online resources. Using qualitative and quantitative data from the card sorting sessions, the Web librarian, under the direction of the Web Advisory Committee, was able to create a more user-centered home page. Unique to this study are the use of undergraduate students in creating test instruments and a means of gathering information about what students value most in their library's home page.  相似文献   

11.
ABSTRACT

This article describes the card-sorting techniques used by several academic libraries, reports and discusses the results of card-sorting usability tests of the Western Michigan University Libraries’ Web site, and reveals how the WMU libraries incorporated the findings into a new Web site redesign, setting the design direction early on. The article briefly describes open and closed card-sorting techniques and quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing data commonly used in computer and library science fields. Findings from this study allowed the library design team to vastly improve its initial redesign decisions for a new Web site tabbed navigation system. Card sorting not only helped the design team validate its redesign decisions, but it also opened the WMU libraries to outside innovation, inviting Web site visitors to redesign the Web site free from the libraries’ influence. The simple and inexpensive techniques used here may be useful to any Web librarian or design team embarking upon redesign and usability testing of their own sites and interested in building a more compelling, insightful Web site.  相似文献   

12.
This article examines the usability testing of a responsively redesigned library Web site. Responsive design provides a unified user experience regardless of the device used to view a site. The study's aim is twofold: to determine if the responsively designed site and its external online services support users’ information seeking needs, and to discover if there is a singular experience across different devices. A cognitive walkthrough was the main testing instrument used in gathering input. Over two rounds of testing, students of various class years and technological skill from the New York City of Technology (City Tech), CUNY participated in the study. The first round of testing for this usability study on the library Web site was previously documented (Tidal 2015 Tidal, J. (2015) “One Site to Rule Them All: Usability Testing of a Responsively Designed Library Web Site.” In Creating Sustainable Community: The Proceedings of the ACRL 2015 Conference, edited by D. Mueller. Paper presented at the Association of College and Research Libraries, Portland, OR, 25–28 March (pp. 593–604). Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries. [Google Scholar]). This article presents the findings and comparisons between the first and second round of usability testing. The study found not only numerous improvements that could enhance the library Web site, but also the lack of a unified experience between tablet, smartphone, and desktop users, despite using a responsive design. Smartphone users were at a disadvantage in utilizing library resources. The study also found there was a significant usability impact in using a mobile-optimized discovery tool among users in comparison to its Web OPAC predecessor.  相似文献   

13.
ABSTRACT

By conducting a survey of a cross-section of researchers at six major research libraries, the author sought to determine the usefulness of specific online resources to find primary sources, to ascertain researchers' awareness of these sources, and to uncover their discovery methodology. The survey results demonstrate that the majority of researchers continue to utilize traditional methods of uncovering primary sources and do not take full advantage of online resources. The author offers four recommendations that archivists can implement to assist researchers with online discovery.  相似文献   

14.
ABSTRACT

User feedback on Web site design can be vital to understanding what issues library users may encounter when visiting a Web site, but obtaining this feedback can be time consuming, difficult to structure, and expensive. In past years, staff working on the Cal Poly Pomona University Library Web site collected user feedback from surveys and usability testing. This team was interested in acquiring a more basic understanding of how users interact with the Web in general, whether for research or other purposes, and how such experiences could inform design decisions. This article will discuss what focus groups are, why libraries should consider conducting focus groups for Web site testing and development, how focus groups can complement usability testing, and if focus groups are worth the time and effort. Results from focus group sessions will also be shared and discussed including information that fueled design decisions and benefits that participants gained from the experience.  相似文献   

15.
ABSTRACT

Web site usability concerns anyone with a Web site to maintain. Libraries, however, are often the biggest offenders in terms of usability. In our efforts to provide users with everything they need for research, we often overwhelm them with sites that are confusing in structure, difficult to navigate, and weighed down with jargon. Dowling College Library recently completed a redesign of its Web site based upon the concept of usability. For smaller libraries in particular, such a project can be a challenge. The Web site is often maintained by one or two people, and finding the time and resources to conduct a usability study is difficult in that situation. Additional demands of a site redesign, from restructuring page layouts to adding visual appeal, only add to the burden. However, our team of four librarians was able to do it. We focused on vocabulary and organizational structure using a card-sort analysis. This analysis taught us how our users approach the information on our site. Task-based testing confirmed what the card-sort analysis had taught us and smoothed out design problems. Incorporating user feedback at nearly every stage of the process allowed us to create a site that more closely mirrors how our users look for information on our site. This study details how using testing and analyzing results throughout the redesign process created a better, more user-friendly Web site.  相似文献   

16.
ABSTRACT

The primary purpose of an academic library Web site is to serve as a portal to library-acquired content. Navigational design of a library Web site affects the user's ability to find and access content. At Albertsons Library, the goal of the navigational design of the Web site is to mimic user behavior on the Web site to help them access information and articles from over 300 different library vendors. Coordinating with different vendors makes tracking the navigational flow of user behavior difficult with the tool Google Analytics. Using the events feature in Google Analytics, the team responsible for Web design was able to track user flow, and was able to quantify how many users were actual “drop-offs” versus those that were clicks into library resources. Decisions made after acquiring these data resulted in a Web site with a 10 percent or less bounce rate, and decreased the number of clicks required for users accessing the library's content.  相似文献   

17.
Like many libraries, the Bridge Consortium (the shared library of Carleton College and St. Olaf College) had outgrown the existing catalog and needed to find an improved search interface for collections. Seeking something that would work with the existing Innovative Interfaces Inc.'s Millennium integrated library system, researchers explored everything from catalog enhancements provided by Innovative Interfaces to a completely separate, Web-scale discovery tool. For the past year, they worked to implement VuFind as a catalog overlay, continually customizing and enhancing it based on user feedback. At the same time, they continued to research a broader solution and recommended a discovery tool to their consortium leadership group that they believe will redefine student research at their colleges and give new shape and direction to their consortium. By thinking of discovery as more than a product and staggering their implementation, they were better able to meet their consortium's needs. This article details their evaluation process and provides reflection on the decisions made. Many libraries are considering Web-scale discovery products. As part of the process, they confront questions about open source tools, Web site redesigns, incorporating user feedback, and consortial needs. The researchers hope to contribute to these libraries' processes by outlining their process and considerations, and what they learned along the way to arrive at their current solution.  相似文献   

18.
ABSTRACT

Search engine use is one of the most popular online activities. According to a recent OCLC report, nearly all students start their electronic research using a search engine instead of the library Web site. Instead of viewing search engines as competition, however, librarians at Binghamton University Libraries decided to employ search engine optimization strategies to make their Web site more visible on the search engine result pages. Although search engine optimization is used frequently by commercial Web sites, few libraries have attempted to optimize their own sites. This article describes Binghamton University's experiences in developing and implementing an optimization pilot project. The research presented in this article has importance for libraries who may be considering an optimization project for their own sites.  相似文献   

19.
ABSTRACT

At University of Maryland University College (UMUC), librarians have designed and led a number of multiday, asynchronous online workshops for faculty. The workshops teach faculty how to meet information literacy goals in the virtual classroom. Through hands-on activities and discussion among their colleagues, participants in the faculty workshops learn about the university's information literacy standards, library resources and services, free Web tools, and how best to design class assignments involving library research. Library-led faculty workshops at UMUC have increased library visibility and furthered collaboration between faculty and librarians. This article discusses 5 workshops, detailing workshop content and logistics and demonstrating how librarians can help distance faculty further information literacy goals for students.  相似文献   

20.
ABSTRACT

Based on in-person, task-based usability testing and interviews, the authors' library Web site was recently overhauled in order to improve user experience. This led to the authors' interest in additional usability testing methods and test environments that would most closely fit their library's goals and situation. The appeal of card sorting methods became evident: learning more than users' points of confusion interacting with the site, but learning users' preferences for grouping pages or concepts and naming various library links. The appeal of the online venue for card sorting was first that testing could incorporate input from a larger base of users than in-person testing alone, and, additionally, that testing could include the university's online-only student population.  相似文献   

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