Focus Groups and Usability Testing in Redesigning an Academic Library's Web Site

ABSTRACT

As the World Wide Web has advanced since its inception, librarians have endeavored to keep pace with this progress in the design of their library Web pages. User recommendations collected from focus groups and usability testing have indicated that the University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library's Web site was not working as intended, and the library's home page, in particular, was cluttered. Focus groups indicated that the process of accessing the library's databases from off-campus took too many steps, key resources were not located in key areas of the page, links were too close together, and the font was too small. Library staff determined it was necessary to rethink and redesign its pages. Self-reports from focus groups were insufficient to get at the mechanics of Web page use. Through usability testing, librarians were able to observe students and faculty completing simple research and directional tasks. Before “going live” with the new page in January 2007, users who had participated in the focus groups and in the usability testing were surveyed about the redesigned library Web page. The users indicated that the new Web page was less confusing, easier to use, and somewhat more intuitive than the previous library Web page. Web sites are always works in progress, and academic librarians should be proactive about making changes to their library Web sites to take advantage of emerging technology and to meet user expectations.     

Beyond Description: Converting Web Site Usage Statistics into Concrete Site Improvement Ideas

Web site usage statistics are a widely used tool for Web site development, but libraries are still learning how to use them successfully. This case study summarizes how Morris Library at Southern Illinois University Carbondale implemented Google Analytics on its Web site and used the reports to inform a site redesign. As the main campus library at a research university with about 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the library included resources from multiple library departments on a single site. In planning the redesign, Morris Library's Virtual Library Group combined usage reports with information from other sources, such as usability tests and user comments. The Virtual Library Group faced barriers to interpreting and applying the usage statistics in the site redesign, including some that were specific to the library's implementation of the Google Analytics tool and some limitations inherent with Web usage statistics in general. Some key barriers in applying the usage statistics to a redesign included sifting through data that did not have implications for the site redesign, interpreting the implications of usage numbers for the site redesign, and balancing competing interests within the library. Nevertheless, the usage statistics enabled the Virtual Library Group to make better decisions by providing a source of factual information about the site's use rather than relying on staff members’ opinions and conjectures.     

The Perfect Storm: Examining User Experience and Conducting a Usability Test to Investigate a Disruptive Academic Library Web Site Redevelopment

Abstract

The researchers conducted a task-based usability test of the effectiveness of online research beginning on the library Web site homepage. The participants included five university faculty members, six graduate students, and six undergraduate students. All participants reported feeling satisfied with their overall research experience, though most were unable to effectively complete all the research tasks of the test. The researchers identified weaknesses in the approach and process of many participants, and overall usability issues of the library discovery tool and other library Web site pages and research interfaces. Findings indicate the need to strategically incorporate self-service information literacy and research skills help into the library Web site, and to implement navigation and design changes to the library homepage, discovery tool interface, online catalog, and across all the library's Web services.     

Assessment from a Distance: A Case Study Implementing Focus Groups at an Online Library

Assessing library resources and services at a distance holds unique challenges in gathering data needed to make informed decisions. This article describes the complete process of piloting virtual focus groups—from planning and implementation through the analysis of results for a completely online student population. The virtual focus group method proved effective in getting qualitative feedback to spur library improvements, and it is transferable to many different library settings.     

Tutorials on Google Analytics: How to Craft a Web Analytics Report for a Library Web Site

Libraries, along with other information service institutions, have entered a digital era in which resources are presented electronically through various digital platforms. The library Web site functions as the main source of information to patrons as well as a community outreach tool. Many library services now either succeed or fail based on how well users interact with the institution's Web site. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of library services, it thus becomes important for libraries to measure the performance of library Web sites. Web analytics is the ideal tool to answer questions regarding the evaluation of Web site performance. However, Web analytics can be hard to understand for those who do not have the time to familiarize themselves with all the terms and data. Writing a thorough Web analytics report can help make Web analytics easier to digest for administrators or Web site stakeholders.

This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions on how to craft a Web analytics report. It provides suggestions on visualizing statistics, interpreting data, and customizing the report based on a real experience. The tutorial is facilitated with customized figures, charts, and tables from a real Web analytics report on the Texas Tech University Libraries Web site and concludes with recommendations on presenting the report to the administration and stakeholders.     

Web Site Usability with Remote Users

ABSTRACT

Incorporating usability into any Web site creation or redesign is essential. Capturing the perspective of the user makes the site more efficient and effective for the people who will actually be using it. There are a number of usability techniques and several can be incorporated in a study of remote users. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how the traditional usability techniques of focus groups and formal usability studies can be extended to studies involving off-campus users.     

Partnering with Undergraduate Students to Conduct Library Focus Groups

Experiential learning is becoming an increasingly important part of the university experience. Academic libraries have long provided practicum opportunities for library and information science students. To date, however, few libraries have documented experiential learning partnerships with social science students. Librarians at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) partnered with the university's anthropology department in an experiential learning opportunity. Undergraduate students conducted focus groups to discover how MTSU students complete research assignments and what role the library plays in the process. This article describes the collaboration, and it discusses the benefits and drawbacks of partnering with undergraduate student researchers.     

Business Library Web Sites Revisited: An Updated Review of the Organization and Content of Academic Business Library Web Sites

This article updates the findings from a study by Hal Kirkwood in 2000 of the organization and content of academic business library Web sites. The authors examined 75 sites, focusing on five general aspects of the sites: organization, terminology, instructional elements, integration of resources across formats, and annotations. Results of the study show that business library Websites have dramatically improved in the 7 years since the original study.     

Toward a Usable Academic Library Web Site: A Case Study of Tried and Tested Usability Practices

Usability testing is an important element when designing useful, usable academic library Web sites. Since 2001, members of the Florida International University Libraries Web team have worked toward establishing a process that identifies user needs through usability testing. Starting with the libraries’ first Web site redesign project in 2001, the team has taken an active part in improving Web site user experience. After engaging in multiple redesign efforts, the Web team has developed a process that supports awareness of user experience through continual usability testing and feedback gathering. This article presents strategies and practices to measure Web site user experience, including classic usability testing methods (e.g., card sorting activities, focus groups, and task-based user testing), as well as the team's latest effort to assess Web site analytics and content to identify Web site usage patterns and areas of concern. A history of the Florida International University Libraries’ Web site redesign process is presented to illustrate lessons learned and best practices to facilitate future redesign and testing efforts. Taking a longitudinal look at usability testing at one institution, the study aims to inform the development of an effective strategy for user research and content management.     

Work of the Web Weavers: Web Development in Academic Libraries

Although the library's Web site has become a standard tool for seeking information and conducting research in academic institutions, there are a variety of ways libraries approach the often challenging—and sometimes daunting—process of Web site development and maintenance. Three librarians at Western Michigan University explored issues related to this topic by conducting a Web-based survey, which was sent to two librarians—Web services and reference/public services—at 149 academic institutions. Survey findings are discussed, including references to Web departments and committees, priority setting, Web authoring, soliciting input, outsourcing, content management systems, redesigns, and user involvement. The participants’ insights regarding the greatest challenges and what seems to be working or not working well are also outlined, in addition to the authors’ suggestions for future research in this area.     

The Researcher's Journey: Scholarly Navigation of an Academic Library Web Site

A qualitative study of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library's Web site identified the ways in which students and faculty of the University of Montana used the site for research purposes. This study employed open-ended interview questions and observations to spontaneously capture a user's experience in researching topics in which they specialized. Four thematic recommendations emerged from nine study participants: increase the readability and consistency of the library's Web site, provide research guidance and ease of navigation, offer task-based services that maximize technology, and enable customization. The study led to Web site modifications and a formalized process by which the library will approach subsequent Web site design.     

The North Carolina State University Libraries Search Experience: Usability Testing Tabbed Search Interfaces for Academic Libraries

Creating a learnable, effective, and user-friendly library Web site hinges on providing easy access to search. Designing a search interface for academic libraries can be particularly challenging given the complexity and range of searchable library collections, such as bibliographic databases, electronic journals, and article search silos. Library Web designers must decide whether to present users with a single search interface—one that searches across content silos by default—or to offer an interface that exposes the various silos available. Designers must also contend with the user's entire search experience and determine how search should appear on the library home page as well as in global navigation systems. In the spring of 2010, the North Carolina State University Libraries sought to answer search design questions for an upcoming Web site design effort. The Libraries evaluated two different search interfaces to determine whether a tabbed search approach with options to pre-select silos is an effective design for end users. Findings show that a tabbed search interface is an effective design device for presenting multiple silos. This study outlines the methods the North Carolina State University Libraries used to conduct usability testing as well as observations, findings, and recommendations about effective design of search on academic library Web sites.     

Reaching Out to International Students: A Focus-Group Approach to Developing Web Resources and Services

Librarians at the State University of New York at Buffalo implemented the Resources for International Students Web guide to support library outreach to a multicultural and multilingual audience. A focus group helped librarians to understand the needs of new international students and tailor Web resources accordingly. In addition to creating awareness of international student cultural challenges, this article presents focus-group guidelines to assist in the planning process of library services and resources.     

Mobile Web Site Ease of Use: An Analysis of Orbis Cascade Alliance Member Web Sites

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes 37 Orbis Cascade Alliance members' Web sites to determine ease of use across mobile devices. Based on that analysis and a literature review, guidance is provided on how libraries' mobile Web sites may be improved. Web sites were examined to determine ease of locating frequently accessed resources on mobile devices that were identified in the literature: contact information, hours, databases, library accounts, and search boxes. Scalability of Web sites on mobile devices was also evaluated and was found to be non-existent in nearly a quarter of examined libraries. Areas for consideration and improvement are presented across Orbis Cascade Alliance libraries that can easily be applied globally.     

Delphi Method in Web Site Selection: Using the Experts

Summary

The development of Web sites is proceeding at an ever-quickening pace. Adult learners can benefit from the wealth of information accessible in both new sites and changing older sites. However, that excitement is tempered by frustration in following blind leads or encountering questionable quality. One approach is to stay abreast of the latest material by attempting to look at and read every new and modified site. However, time is finite, and many of our students have lives filled with conflicting needs. The Delphi method, a sociological research technique first developed in defense research, is used to elicit expert opinion as a short cut to evaluating Web sites. A specific example with business-related sites is presented as a test case in developing and applying the methodology. The use of Delphi, an oracle-based technique, seems quite appropriate as we assist our adult students to allocate their time wisely.     

Services for Graduate Students: A Review of Academic Library Web Sites

A library's Web site is well recognized as the gateway to the library for the vast majority of users. Choosing the most user-friendly Web architecture to reflect the many services libraries offer is a complex process, and librarians are still experimenting to find what works best for their users. As part of a redesign of the Oregon State University Libraries’ Web site, entry points for specific user groups were created. One of these user groups was graduate students. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways other academic libraries design their Web sites for particular user groups, specifically graduate students, in order to determine how the Oregon State University Libraries Web site compared to peer institutions. This study analyzed 112 Association of Research Libraries’ Web sites and 26 Oregon academic libraries’ Web sites to determine the availability of resources and services specifically promoted to graduate students. Since graduate students may view the library Web site through the lens of new student, researcher, or instructor, Web sites were also examined to see if sites were created with any or all of these roles in mind. Nearly a quarter of Association of Research Libraries' Web sites that were examined contained a link on the homepage for graduate students, and another 20 percent provided graduate-student information at a lower level in their site hierarchy. A majority of sites had events, subject guides, or course guides for graduate students. Information for graduate students was typically framed in the context of graduate students as researchers. Ideas and examples are given for ways to improve Web site design to better serve this user group. In order to provide improved services to these students, future studies will explore what graduate students need from academic libraries and the ways these students conduct themselves in their various roles of researchers, instructors, and new students.     

Online work tools: A look at 20 academic libraries technical services Web pages

The 21st century technical services librarian has access to a plethora of electronic and online work tools from which to choose to complete daily tasks. An assessment of the Western Kentucky University Libraries (WKUL) 19 benchmark institutions shows a great disparity of online work tools made available through university libraries technical services departmental Web sites. Four areas (technical services, cataloging, serials, and acquisitions) are discussed. Outcomes indicate that (1) few of these institutions list online work tools and (2) of those that do, there is very little overlap. This paper investigates this phenomenon of inconsistent technical services online work tools.     

Side by Side: What a Comparative Usability Study Told Us About a Web Site Redesign

Library Web sites must compete against easy-to-use sites, such as Google Scholar, Google Books, and Wikipedia, for students’ time and attention. Library Web sites must therefore be designed with aesthetics and user perceptions at the forefront. The Music and Performing Arts Library at Urbana-Champaign's Web site was overcrowded and in much need of a user-focused redesign. This article presents a usability study that compared participants’ use of the old site versus the new site to determine if performance improved on the redesigned site. Participants were asked to complete library-related tasks on both the old Web site and on the redesigned Web site to determine if they could both complete more tasks and complete tasks more quickly on the new site. Participants showed a marked improvement on the new site, and their “think-out-loud” responses to the tasks helped further improve site design and wording. Participants were also surveyed about their perceptions of ease of use and navigation on the old and new sites, and in general, the new site was preferred by participants and seen as a great improvement. Future studies will aim to further involve students and faculty in addressing terminology and site organization.