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Discussing usability & the user experience in the context of library databases.
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Usability, User Experience, &Library Databases
Stephanie Willen Brown Electronic Resources Librarian
University of [email protected]
860.486.4855
Act Like a User: Find Information about Diabetes
Two questions• What’s the first thing you see?• Where can you get information on
diabetes? Site 1 Site 2
http://denverlibrary.org
http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/
TodayDefine UX, usability
Why do they matter?Discuss elements of UX as they affect
web sitesSample patron interaction
UConn’s usability testAssessment TestResults
Why Should We Care About UX?
“Your web site is the embodiment of your library ... For customers to feel they have a good relationship with your library, they must first feel they have a good relationship with the web site — and that begins with the user experience.”
Paraphrased from Garrett, J.J. “Customer Loyalty and the Elements of User Experience”
The Elements of User Experience
Peter Morville, Ambient Findability
What is Usability?
Usability … assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. The word “usability” also refers to
methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process.
Jakob Nielsen, Usability 101
Components of Good DesignLearnabilityEfficiencyMemorabilityError recoverySatisfaction
How to Achieve Good Design
Think like a
user
Consistent
design
Tweak text
ConsistencyConsistency
Color, graphicsColor, graphics
Orientation & Orientation & navigationnavigation
LanguageLanguage
Jargon to Library Users“ERIC, I think it’s
some kind of journal … some kind of citation.”
Reference Shelf “[It’s] very general. You don’t know what to expect as it could be anything.”
Jargon for TravelersYou need the cheapest round-trip
ticket from Boston to London.You go to These are your options – which is
right? Flights & Prices Fares 3 Best Itineraries
How Identify Site Problems?Objectively evaluate siteFocus group of
Current / typical usersNon-users!
Surveys of Current / typical usersNon-users!
Usability studies
Focus Groups vs. Usability Testing UConn usability testing, first round
Patrons couldn’t navigate, find what they needed
Objectively: disastrousBUT: In response to question “Rate this site, 1-5 s”Testers rated to
In response to question “would you recommend this to a friend?” Testers said yes
Usability TestingDefine usersCreate tasks to mimic what users would realistically do on site
Do usability testing early & often3-5 users highlights 85% of errorsBetter to test several small groups
than 10-15 at onceNote errors, redesign and retest
Facilitator
Participant @ computer
Note-taker 2
Note-taker 1
Suggested Usability Setup
Scenarios: Volunteer RequestedSomeone who hasn’t used EBSCO’s Student Research Center
Willing to answer “typical” questions in front of database committeeWhile volunteer attempts to perform
task,Audience:
Note the first thing you seeNote problems encountered
by volunteer
Usability Test Questions: Student Research Center
You really like airplanes and enjoy seeing photos of planes. Can you find images of the Wright Brothers and their first flight?
You have to research Martin Luther King, Jr. for a Black History Month project. Can you find some information about him?
For a class in career development, you need to find information about a job that you might want. You always wanted to be an astronaut ... can you find information about that career?
Audience Reaction to TestThoughts about database
What did you notice first?What problems were encountered?
Thoughts about test processWhat surprised you?
UConn’s Database Locator
UConn’s Redesign GoalsDatabase usage statistics outweighs f2f
library-user contact in 2006:f2f contact with patrons: 55,629Database sessions: 470,327
UConn Libraries Plan 2010 “Scholar’s Portal:“Provide immediate, unmediated, and
comprehensive access to digitized research and scholarly collections worldwide.”
Usage Log AnalysisMarch - May 2006, UConn patrons …Used the subject
browse 18,000 times.
Performed a keyword search 15,800 times; and
Clicked on Databases by Title 6,600 times;
Query Log AnalysisDatabases
america history and lifelexus nexusinfotrack
Subjects educationpharmacy medicine anthropologyu
Topicshamlet insaneadopted children of same sex couples“why doesn’t the us have a eurpean-style welfate
state?”
Terms Used in DC PL OPAC
DC PL data; http://www.walkingpaper.org/1123
Usability Testing: 3 RoundsWho?
3 undergraduates, 1 grad, 1 faculty in each
Storrs & regional campusesWhat?
First tested old systemMajor redesignTested redesignTweaked designTested again
Usability TasksFind articles about diabetes for your
nursing classYour professor said “use a database
named ERIC”Find a newspaper article
from the day you were born… plus 6 more …
Diabetes Article, I
diabetes
Diabetes Article, II
What We DidRemoved search boxCreated topical arrangement that students
would expect (UConn major)Limited to 5 databases per page (Best Bets)
Sorted by relevance: 1st database would be good enough in most cases
Offered more databases if they clicked on “more”
Best bets marked on the longer database page
Shortened written descriptions
http://rdl.lib.uconn.edu/bySubject.php
Best Bets in Library Science
UConn’s Database Descriptions, IABI/Inform Global ABI/Inform Global Full-text articles from 1800 journals covering business, finance, management and related functional areas. ABI/INFORM Global indexes a total of 2700 major publications. Subject coverage includes: business and management, including all functional areas.
Database Description, Essential InfoABI/Inform Global ABI/Inform Global Full-text articles from 1800 journals covering business, finance, managementand related functional areas. ABI/INFORM Global indexes a total of 2700 major publications. Subject coverage includes: Business and management, including all
functional areas.
UConn’s Database Description, II
ABI/INFORM GlobalArticles in business, finance, management, accounting, advertising, banking, insurance, marketing, public administration, real estate, and telecommunications. 1991-current (fulltext); 1971-current (index & abstracts).
Final Round of Testing
Tech NotesRDL is public view of data elements
from “home-grown” electronic resource management system (ERM)
ERM written inPHPMySQL Some javascript
Ajax
UConn Redesign TeamStephanie Willen Brown, electronic resource
librarian & liaison to Communication SciencesSusanna Cowan, undergraduate education &
outreach librarian Kate Fuller, reference collection maintenance
coordinator and / administrative assistant Jill Livingston, reference librarian/liaison to the
school of allied health Tom Wood, applications developerCo-authors: “Making Unmediated Access to E-
Resources a Reality: Creating a Usable ERM Interface,” Reference and User Services Quarterly, Spring 2009
For More InformationRecommended articles about usability testing
http://gslis.simmons.edu/mw/browns/UsabilityKeep in touch!
Stephanie Willen Brown [email protected]: CogSciLibrarian
