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.     

OAI-PMH Harvested Collections and User Engagement

ABSTRACT

Discovery tools are used in libraries to bring together books, articles, and other resources. Research has focused on user and librarian evaluation of these tools, but there are few evaluations of non-book and non-article sources. Discovery tools can also include metadata for local collections harvested through the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). Creating these harvests can be time consuming for staff, so it is important for libraries to understand if and how patrons use these records. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries (UNL Libraries) harvests metadata from local collections into the Encore discovery tool. A study was conducted to analyze patron use of OAI-harvested records. This study analyzed usage data for harvested collections obtained from different discovery sources and referrals through Encore. Google Analytics was used to evaluate searcher behavior differences between content referred through Encore and other referrals. Although discovery through Encore did not result in high numbers of traffic, there is evidence that patrons who discover records through Encore take more time looking through records than patrons using other discovery methods. This increase in time is a measure of engagement and may be reason enough for libraries to consider adding OAI-harvested collections to their discovery tool.     

基于Google Bigtable的海量数据存储探索

随着网络技术的快速发展,存储网络中的海量数据已经超越了传统关系型数据库的负载能力.如何存储海量数据,以及如何基于海量数据提供高效的数据查询的能力,使得程序的使用者能够得到及时的回应等诸多问题是Google等网络服务供应商们所亟需解决的挑战.为了解决这些问题,Google研发了Google文件系统(Google File System,GFS)、Bigtable以及很多其他相关的技术和算法.本文介绍了Google Bigtable的数据模型,并且详细解释了Bigtable是如何提供可扩展性,如何提供高效率的读和写操作,以及Bigtable是如何控制并发事务的.读者通过阅读可以更加深刻地理解Bigtable的技术架构.     

基于Google Maps的水库基本信息管理掌上系统设计与实现

为了在野外和行进中管理水库基本信息,提出了基于Google Maps的水库基本信息管理掌上系统,设计了系统功能、数据库和系统结构。该系统采用了安卓、Google Maps、全球定位系统、SQLite等技术,实现了水库基本信息管理、水库定位、水库导航等功能。该系统不需要购置电子地图,且在将来使用中无需更新地图,免去了地图维护工作。通过一个省的水库基本信息验证了该系统的可行性及实用性。     

Google搜索引擎及其技术简介

搜索引擎已经成为人们网络：生活必不可少的工具，因此，国内外的各种搜索引擎纷纷出现。而Google搜索引擎以其雄厚的技术为支撑，凭借其强大的检索功能和高质量的检索服务，逐渐吸引和留住了世界各地的大量网民，成为了世界上最著名的搜索引擎之一。本文在介绍Google基本概况、检索特色及特色功能的基础上，介绍了其核心技术及工作机理，最后对其发展趋势作了分析。     

从Google看第二代搜索引擎

文章介绍了Google的起源、富于创新的搜索技术,并对第二代搜索引擎的发展提出了若干点建议。     

世界上最大的信息搜索引擎--Google

介绍几个著名中外文搜索引擎的网址.重点介绍世界上最大的搜索引擎Google.它的特点、搜索操作要点、特殊功能和服务.通过实例阐明Google搜索引擎在现代生活各个方面具有非同小可的影响和作用.     

Through the Looking Glass (Self): The Impact of Wearable Technology on Perceptions of Face-to-Face Interaction

Advancements in wearable technology have allowed for extradyadic social cues to be inserted directly (albeit conspicuously) into face-to-face interactions. The current study simulated a fictitious “Looking Glass” program that (a) autodetects (via facial recognition) one’s partner and (b) displays that person’s last 12 social media posts on a pair of Google Glass. In a randomized case/control experiment, nonwearers were more likely to perceive Glass wearers as physically attractive and socioemotionally close, while feeling lower self-esteem and having higher mental and physical demand with the conversation. Open-ended data suggested Glass wearers to be less attentive to the conversation, and Glass-present conversations were less on topic. These data, while preliminary and based on a small sample of users, hold implications for future application and research on cyborgic face-to-face interactions.     

Device-Driven Research: The Impact of Chromebooks in American Schools

Chromebooks and the G Suite group of products, like Google Search, Gmail, and Google Docs, have rapidly expanded in American schools during the past 5 years. The impact of one-to-one Chromebook devices and the pervasive use of Google's software products in American education cannot be overstated. This article explores some of the influences of these products on research, based on the experiences of a librarian and technology coordinator at an elementary education level. The author has several suggestions for effective research with these products in mind.     

Million Book Project vs Google^TM Print

INTRODUCTION Google’s announcement that it intended to digi- tize all the books in several major research libraries was met with mixed reactions. John Wilkin at the University of Michigan declared “This is the day the world changes,” while Rory Litwin said in Library Juice that the move would “commercialize the great research libraries with a handshake, suddenly and epochally.” The four directors of the Universal Li- brary and Million Book Project have received many questions ab…