Post on 17-Jan-2016
description
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Usability of Digital Libraries
Sanda Erdelez &Borchuluun Yadamsuren
Information Experience LaboratoryUniversity of Missouri – Columbia
USA
Libraries in Digital Age
May 28, 2007
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Outline
What is Usability?Usability of Digital LibrariesUser-centered DL designMethods of Usability Evaluation IE Lab @ UMC
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What is Usability?
Usability is the degree to which an actual customer can use a product or service, such as a Web site, software application, or online store - to perform a typical task or achieve a particular goal.
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What is Usability? cont.
Jacob Nielsen’s definition:LearnabilityEfficiencyMemorabilityMinimum errorsSubjective satisfaction
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Usability of Digital Libraries
Important components: Content Functionality Interface
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User-centered DL Design
It is challenging because:Human information behavior is complex and
highly context dependentDigital library technologies are rapidly
evolving
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Changing Information Environment
• From physical structures ….
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Changing Information Environment cont.
…to an integrated electronic environment in motion- Always accessible- Hyperlinked- Multimedia- Wireless- Mobile
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How to Approach DL Design?
Understand users’ information needs and information seeking behavior in their everyday life context
Design process should be process-oriented and iterative, not product-oriented and summative
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How to Approach DL Design? cont.
Identify your users (not only regular suspects)Find out what is being done to know the
users (you may be already doing a lot)Take a dynamic/holistic look at the users (pay
attention to their lifecycles, transitions, multiple roles)
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What is a DL Usability Evaluation?
It is NOT a single THING It is NOT a single EVENT IT IS a PROCESS integrated with all the
stages of DL development AND maintenance
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Methods of Usability Evaluation
Participatory designFocus group researchSurveysDesign walk throughPaper-pencil evaluationExpert evaluationUsability auditUsability testingField studies
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Usability Testing
Measures usability by giving a close-up look at an individual user’s experience while navigating a site or software application, right down to the user’s verbal and facial expressions.
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Integration of Design & Evaluation
Study users continually and involve them in all stages of the DL design and evaluation process
Conduct usability testing before, during and after designing new services of DL
Be alert to new applications and new user communities
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Integration of Design & Evaluation … cont.
User-centered DL designRapid prototyping Iterative design
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Information Experience Lab @ UMC
We conduct research in human information behavior, human-computer interaction and usability methods
We consult information system developers and researchers at and outside of University of Missouri in usability and information behavior studies.
We teach students in usability evaluation techniques and information behavior research methodologies.
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Information Experience Lab @ UMC
Established in 2003 Includes the Information Experience Room
(data collection) and the Control Room (research & analysis)
Experience Room is set up with five desktops
Portable lab with five laptopsRemote data collection
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Control Room
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Experience Room
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Morae
An integrated software application for usability testing
Enables developers to measure how usable is their website or information system
Pinpoints specific problem areas, and easily share the results
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Modern software-based lab
All-digital software solution- Eliminates costly, complex hardware and videotapes
Truly portable- Take it anywhere on a laptop
Identify areas for improvement faster- Exclusive Rich Recording Technology
Easy to implement and use- Usability implemented throughout
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Data Analysis
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Project examples
MU Libraries Website Study
Task: Usability evaluation of the MU Libraries website
IE Lab helped the library usability team to collect data with Morae.
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Project Examples
UMC Admissions Website study (2006 CASE award winner)
Task: Usability evaluation of the new student admissions website.
IE Lab provided the development team with remote, real-time observation of how prospective students and their parents use the website.
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Project Examples
UMC Office of Research – Illumination study
Task: How useful is the research magazine website - Illumination to the target audiences?
IE Lab conducted one-on-one user interviews and a focus group interview to identify users’ needs for research information and their interaction with Illumination .
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Project Examples
UMC College of Education Website
Task: Content and task oriented evaluation of the CoE website.
IE Lab applied moderated and non-moderated group data collection methodology, enabling better efficiency in Lab space use and short turn-around time for project completion.
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Current and Future Projects
Usability of the MOBIUS website. http://mobius.missouri.edu/. MOBIUS is a consortium of academic libraries with 68 member colleges and universities in the state of Missouri. It provides a virtual collection of 18 million items.
Usability of the library website of the TamKang University, Taiwan http://www.lib.tku.edu
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Questions?
Thank you for
your attention!
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Contact Us
o Dr. Sanda Erdelez, IE Lab Director: erdelezs@missouri.edu o Borchuluun Yadamsuren, IE Lab Senior Coordinator:
by888@mizzou.eduo Information Experience Laboratory:
http://ielab.missouri.eduo School of Information Science & Learning Technologies:
http://www.sislt.missouri.edu
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Selected Resources
Marchinonini, G., et al. The People in Digital Libraries Nielsen, J.(2006). Prioritizing Web Usability Nielsen, J.(1993). Usability Engineering Norlin, E., & Winters, C.M.(2002). Usability Testing for Library
Websites. American Library Association Rubin, J.(1994). Handbook of Usability Testing Palmquist, R.A.(2001). An Overview of Usability for the Study of
User’s Web-based Information Retrieval Behavior. Journal of Education & Information Science. 42(2). 123-136
www.useit.com/alertbox http://www.usabilitynet.org/ http://www.hcirn.com (Human-Computer Interaction Resource
Network) http://www.coe.missouri.edu/~DL/iDLR/sitelist1.php (Interactive
Digital Library Resource Information System)