Usability Studies and User-Centered Design in Digital Libraries

ABSTRACT

Digital libraries continue to flourish. At the same time, the principles of user-centered design and the practice of usability testing have been growing in popularity, spreading their influence into the library sphere. This article explores the confluence of these two trends by surveying the current literature on usability studies of digital libraries. This article focuses on the methodology of studies of multimedia digital libraries.     

Walking in Your Users’ Shoes: An Introduction to User Experience Research as a Tool for Developing User-Centered Libraries

In the past decade, User Experience research and design has gained significant traction in the business world. It also has much to offer to academic libraries. In this framework, the center of attention is always the users and their experience with an organization at all physical and digital touchpoints. User Experience research can be used to discover how patrons interact with the library as well as any potential trouble spots, where patrons become frustrated or even choose not to use the library at all. This research can then be used to inform user-centered design. User Experience research is an iterative process, and the work of discovering how patrons experience the library is never done.     

Providing Access and Preservation Services to Collections in Remote Storage Facilities

ABSTRACT

As libraries continue to acquire, catalog, and preserve paper-based collections, and the early promise of digital technologies to put everything online has not yet been fully realized, the need to physically retain little used analog collections has intensified. Thus a growing trend in the field of academic and public libraries is an increased awareness of the importance of remote storage facilities (RSF). A recent American Library Association meeting featured speakers who were involved with such a facility. The speakers offered tips and hints on surviving and even thriving in one successfully. The authors of this article hope that by documenting the highlights of these presentations, other librarians and staff in the planning, construction, or implementation phase of a RSF will be better prepared for the challenges and difficulties they will face when trying to provide access to and physically maintain a collection geographically distant from their main library.     

Our Experience with User Experience: Exploring Staffing Configurations to Conduct UX in an Academic Library

ABSTRACT

A research project was undertaken by a university library system to develop a sustainable user experience strategy. A task force was convened to conduct a pilot project with members from both libraries in the system to assess staffing responsibilities, guidelines, processes, and data-gathering procedures. The team tested an electronic resources list common to both libraries. In describing the methods employed by the task force in their research, this article outlines the benefits and drawbacks of staffing configurations to initiate user experience practices in an academic library setting.     

高校图书馆用户服务的创新发展趋势研究

[目的/意义]总结近年来高校图书馆在转型与发展的进程中,用户服务所呈现出的变化趋势,以期为这方面工作的开展和理论研究提供参考。[方法/过程]主要采用文献调查法和案例分析法,探讨高校图书馆用户服务体系的再构建和用户服务的发展趋势。[结果/结论]为适应信息化社会的到来,高校图书馆积极调整其职能定位,不断探索用户服务的新模式和新手段,并在此基础上重新构建用户服务体系,在这一进程中,用户服务在理念、机构、模式、内容、亮点、营销、合作等方面呈现出明显的变化趋势。     

Managing Discovery and Linking Services

There is a growing trend toward a consolidation of services for electronic resources management, A–Z journal listings, full text link resolving, and discovery services under a single service provider. In many cases, the adoption of a discovery service from a provider that is not the same as the libraries’ existing link resolver service means managing multiple knowledgebases. In this session, three librarians gave an overview of their experiences and strategies for maintaining separate link resolving and discovery services in lieu of adopting a full suite of services from a single service provider. Each speaker presented a case study on the advantages and challenges of managing their chosen discovery service: EBSCO Discovery Service, Ex Libris’ Primo and ProQuest’s Summon, in conjunction with the CUFTS/GODOT open source knowledgebase and link resolver service.     

关于图书馆信息服务功能性用户体验量化的实验研究

[目的/意义]选取两所大学的图书馆网站，从用户角度出发开展图书馆信息服务功能性用户体验量化实证研究，定标比超，结合实验数据和实际情况，寻找差距、发现问题，为提升图书馆网站的用户体验提出可行性的建议。[方法/过程]全面了解用户体验的量化方法及工具、关注用户与图书馆网站之间的交互设计，通过实验法和问卷调查法获取各测度相关数据，真实地反映用户参与图书馆信息服务的全部体验过程。[结果/结论]为图书馆网站提出可行的建议：奠定服务基础，加强传统信息服务；优化服务流程，避免重复操作；增加站内搜索，凸显服务模块；强化有效沟通，切实解决用户问题；挖掘个性特征，提供深度服务。     

LibX: The Small but Mighty Button for E-Resource Discovery and Access

LibX is an open-source browser extension that pushes access to a library’s e-resources and services out to users wherever they are on the Internet (e.g., Amazon, Wikipedia). In Fall 2012, University of Connecticut (UConn) Libraries unveiled their instance of LibX along with homegrown user guides and instructional materials, as well as targeted marketing and promotion efforts. In this session, the presenters described the successes and challenges of UConn’s LibX implementation and promotion, as well as an analysis of LibX.     

从文献调研看国外公共图书馆分馆读者服务研究

对国外有关公共图书馆分馆读者服务研究的论文和文章进行统计分析,从论文年代、来源期刊和文献语种等方面论述了研究所呈现出的特征,最后对相关文献的内容作了进一步分析,指出了研究的重点。     

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.     

Beyond Circulation: The Evolution of Access Services and Its Relationship to Reference Librarianship

Academic libraries have undergone a variety of organizational changes in the last two decades. One area that has evolved out of these changes is access services. Relationships between circulation, interlibrary loan, and reference have been explored though informal and formal organizational structures. Because of these types of interactions it is feasible for reference librarians to consider positions in access services.     

Our Experience with Two Virtual Reference Services at IUPUI University Library

Summary

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) University Library first introduced virtual reference in May 2001 after four months of preparation. In the summer of 2002, University Library decided to reconsider the virtual reference software and provider and implemented a new service during the fall 2002 semester. A Reference Team Working Group was formed to review replacement options for the virtual reference software the library had been using for about a year. The decision to find a new virtual reference service was prompted by the connectivity and electronic resource compatibility problems experienced with the first virtual reference software the library chose. This article compares and contrasts the two virtual reference services used at IUPUI University Library and describes the two virtual reference projects. Following the article is a checklist of “Seven Questions to Ask When Choosing a Virtual Reference Service.”     

用户体验——信息服务研究的新视角

从服务经济迈向体验经济,各行各业都关注用户体验,基于信息化发展和面向国家创新的信息服务也不例外。文章在分析体验经济的特征及体验经济时代用户行为特点的基础上,探讨了信息服务中的用户体验特征与要求、内容及价值。基于用户体验设计的应用,个性化服务和交互式信息服务中的用户体验得到极大提高,从而推动了基于网络平台信息服务的发展。     

Conversations with Web Site Users: Using Focus Groups to Open Discussion and Improve User Experience

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.     

中美高校图书馆网上用户培训服务对比分析研究

对中美25所著名大学图书馆的网上用户培训服务进行调查,从服务范围、服务内容、服务层次、服务可获取性四个方面分析了两国网上用户培训服务的特点,指出了国内图书馆网上用户培训服务存在的问题,并提出从统一认识、加大服务的内容和深度、采取多种形式和建立反馈制度四个方面改进的措施。     

Web日志中用户存取模式的聚类研究

基于用户访问网页的不同序列反映了用户特定的兴趣,提出了Web日志中用户存取模式的聚类算法。利用传统的Leader算法只扫描数据集一遍的优点,以及粗糙理论在处理含有不确定信息问题上的优势,给出了结合粗糙理论的改进Leader算法对用户存取模式进行聚类方法,使得同一类中的用户存取模式尽可能的相近或相似,不同类中的模式尽可能的相异。实验结果表明,该算法在可承受的计算时间内可对Web日志中的用户存取模式进行有效聚类。     

The Importance of User-Centered Design: Exploring Findings and Methods

SUMMARY

Given the rising number of information resources available, it is increasingly important for digital libraries and archives to create usable services that meet their users' needs. Seeking input from users at all stages of development can help achieve this goal. This article briefly defines four methodologies for gathering user input: focus groups, interviews, questionnaires, and usability testing. In addition, it presents the “top ten” themes that emerged from over four years of assessment and evaluation activities at the California Digital Library.     

Evaluation of a Resource Discovery Service: FindIt@Bham

In autumn 2012, the University of Birmingham launched FindIt@Bham, a Primo-based Resource Discovery Service, after a series of focus groups with students and staff to help determine its initial configuration and customization. This article presents the results from a large-scale online survey and focus groups that were conducted to poll users’ attitudes to the service over twelve months later, adding to a small body of research on user satisfaction with established resource discovery services. From the survey the overall level of appreciation was high with 71.13% rating FindIt@Bham to be “Good” or “Very Good.” The level of appreciation was compared across undergraduates, postgraduates (taught and research), and academic staff which revealed that undergraduates are the group of users most happy with the service with academic staff being least satisfied. The reasons for this discrepancy are considered, along with users’ behavior and a discussion of their perceptions of individual functional areas. The survey results led to focus group activities tailored to extract deeper information on system usage and satisfaction. From these combined activities, future customizations and developments to FindIt@Bham such as tuning of result relevancy, improved online help, and additional functionality can be prioritized.     

Welcome to the Neighborhood: The Merger of Interlibrary Loan with Access Services

In March 2006, the Interlibrary Loan unit was physically merged with the Access Services Department (circulation) at the University of Denver, Penrose Library. Consolidating the units into one service desk resulted in a more distributed and efficient workflow. This article describes the process and the impact of the consolidation.     

Historypin and Pinterest for Digital Collections: Measuring the Impact of Image-Based Social Tools on Discovery and Access

ABSTRACT

For the past several years, the adoption of social media platforms has increased significantly as academic libraries have emphasized the importance of finding new ways to promote collections and services. Recently, many libraries have embraced Historypin and Pinterest because of their specific focus on images. This article examines the impact of these platforms on digital libraries and explains how each affects the discovery and access of digital collections.