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Website Redesign: User Testing and Web 2.0
Bennett Claire Ponsford - Digital Services Librarian Christina H. Gola - Coordinator of Undergraduate
Instruction and Outreach
Internet LibrarianOctober 29, 2007
Session C104Inspiration for Your Library Redesign
Why are We Redesigning?
Background
Main library and 6 branches, 3 catalogs, 900+ databases, all usual library services but not well integrated
Discontent expressed with current default search
Branch libraries need for their own homepages to meet special needs
Questions to Ask Users
How do users want to search? What type of items are users searching for? How do they discover new resources?
What to do with subject and class guides? Audience and function questions Format, location, and terminology
What Web 2.0 features do users want?
Methodology: Phases
1. Initial surveys
2. Discussion forums
3. Focus groups
4. Individual interviews
5. Create functional specifications
6. Task based testing of prototypes
7. Modify prototypes and re-test, etc.
Methodology: Recruiting
Traditional Blanket campus emails Advertising in student newspaper Announcements in classes
New tools Facebook group Blog Discussion forum
Results: First Survey
Undergraduates vs. Grad. Students/Faculty Both primarily looking for our stuff Searching differences Need for information about the library Interaction with the libraries' website
Web 2.0 issues Limited interest in tagging Limited faculty interest in user-generated content Traditional preferences for communicating with the
libraries
Results: Second Survey
Confirmed summer’s results on use of the website
Default search Want books or everything, but last searched
for articles
What to keep on home page Emphasis on simplifying the home page No consensus on what that means
Results: Bulletin Board
Intense hatred of our pop-up windows Frustration
Want to search, click on fulltext Not interested in all the options we give them
Confusion Often can’t even describe where they got lost
Results: Focus Groups
Google Scholar Integrate Systems (catalogs, edocs, etc) Discovery of databases Subject and Class Guides
Audience different than previously assumed Interdisciplinary issues Not a library jargon issue -- location & format
issues
Results: Focus Groups
Need more ways to allow self-discovery and shared knowledge
Visual & “sexy” is good Use of Web 2.0 tools
Undergrads and Humanities mentioned potential uses for Wikis
Use of RSS – glass half full or half empty? Personalization features
Did 2.0 Work for Recruiting?
Email was best method Web 2.0 tools (Facebook, blog, discussion
forum) did not help much Why?
Web 2.0 in Academic Libraries
How far should we go? Academic standard vs. Web 2.0 How much education do we provide?
Recommendations
Help them find our stuff and then get out of the way
Reaffirmed tradition design rules Let the user control the interface Integrate our systems Better personalization options
Determine user groups needs before using Web 2.0 tools on website
Next Steps
Undergraduate focus groups One-on-one interviews with faculty Revisiting information architecture Prototype testing Article to come
