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.     

Measuring Law Library Catalog Web Site Usability: A Web Analytic Approach

ABSTRACT

Although there is a proliferation of information available on the Web, and law professors, students, and other users have a variety of channels to locate information and complete their research activities, the law library catalog still remains an important source for offering users access to information that has been evaluated and cataloged by experts. The usability of the catalog needs to be effectively measured before any necessary improvements can be made. This study was undertaken to investigate the information retrieval patterns of users of the Rutgers Law Library Online Public Access Catalog and to develop the catalog into a more effective search tool for these users. This study used an experimental approach to measure the usability of our catalog by analyzing the transaction logs from the OPAC system and the results from Google Analytics. The findings provided not only important information on user demographics and their computer systems, but also more insight on the search behaviors of users. The specific findings included the following:

1. As a Web-analytic tool Google Analytics provided extensive information on the OPAC and the navigational behaviors of users.

2. Fifty-eight percent of our users visited the Web site regularly.

3. The most popular search method, which was employed by 37% of our users, was by title.

4. Most patrons used computer systems with a high resolution and color depth monitor and visited the catalog Web site with a high-speed Internet connection.

5. Suggestions were made by the authors to improve the users’ search experience of the catalog Web site.

This study is significant to libraries with Web catalogs because it demonstrates the potential value of using Google Analytics as a Web analytics tool in combination with the OPAC transaction logs to measure catalog usability.     

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.     

Scriblio：基于Web2.0的图书馆新一代OPAC系统

传统OPAC界面呆板,个性化不强,构建新一代OPAC系统势在必行。OPAC2.0是图书馆2.0的一部分,图书馆2.0又是Web2.0趋势下的产物。Web2.0技术及理念对图书馆2.0的发展起着积极推动作用。Scriblio是一款构建图书馆OPAC系统的优秀的组合开源软件,在一些图书馆得到应用,提出利用Scriblio构建图书馆新一代OPAC系统具有明显优势。参考文献19。     

浅谈图书馆网站的设计与制作

论述图书馆网站的设计与制作, 并介绍了大量实用技术和技巧。     

One Site to Rule Them All,Redux: The Second Round of Usability Testing of a Responsively Designed Web Site

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.     

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.     

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.     

2006—2008年我国关于图书馆2．0的研究综述

回顾了图书馆2．0的兴起与发展,从图书馆2．0的四原则、五定律,以用户为中心、开源互动的基本理念、常用技术以及在图书馆2．0框架下的OPAC与图书馆个性化服务等几个方面,概述了我国图书馆2．0的最新研究进展。     

图书馆网络社区信息服务模式研究

分析了网络环境下图书馆社区信息服务的新变革,从面向全民共享的信息服务需求出发,以网络社区数字生活交流平台架构为基础,植入Web2.0重力核心理念,共享图书馆知识信息源.探讨了公民共享知识信息的服务模式,重点研究了Web2.0模式下网络社区信息服务建构的核心.     

高校图书馆用户OPAC检索失败应对方式及启示——以北京师范大学图书馆为例

[目的/意义] 探讨高校用户使用图书馆OPAC系统遭遇检索失败时提问调整的应对方式。[方法/过程] 以北京师范大学图书馆为例,收集并对OPAC日志数据进行编码,分析用户采取停止检索、平移、泛化、专指及混合方式调整应对失败的情况。[结果/结论] 仅有十分之一的调整不做任何努力直接停止检索;在进行应对的情况中,平移调整最为常见（占44.2%）,其次是泛化调整（占24.4%）,专指与混合调整的情况比较少见。最后,从用户检索技巧培训和系统改进方面提出对策和建议。     

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.     

数字图书馆门户网站设计研究——以四川大学图书馆门户为例

四川大学图书馆数字门户网站的改版更新,以建构主义、用户需求导向、开放性、便捷性、扩展性、交互性作为设计原则。从读者角度出发,排列布局页面,重组资源内容,收集读者访问数据,还为读者提供访问支架,帮助读者完成充分的交互,使读者获得创新、多元、个性化的服务。     

从美学角度谈图书馆网页的设计

伴随着互联网的日益发展,网页设计越来越成为人们关心的课题。本文试图从美学的角度谈图书馆网站设计的风格、色彩、字体等三个方面,以提高网站的设计水平,更好的为读者服务。     

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.     

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.     

高校文库多元化发展模式的架构——以辽宁师范大学文库为例

基于辽宁师范大学文库现状实证调查,论述高校文库建设的终极目标——特色化服务。架构高校文库多元化的发展模式,即组建未刊本阅览室、本校出版机构样本库、自存储、灰色文献的征集及建立呈缴本制度等保障机制。