Levin Library Usability StudyFall, 2011

What we did:

Asked 5 undergraduates to perform 10 tasks

Gave a short preliminary survey to determine familiarity with the website as well as computer use

Videotaped each session

Asked participants to “think aloud” during sessions

Preliminary questions:1: ComputerUse

2: InternetUse

3: Library Site Use

User 1 Proficient Daily Only to find book/article

User 2 Proficient Daily Only to find book/article

User 3 Proficient Daily Rarely

User 4 Proficient Daily Weekly

User 5 Proficient Daily Only to find book/article

The Tasks:TASK 1Library Hours

You want to come to the library on Sunday, November 20th. What are the library’s hours on this day? When will a reference librarian be available?

TASK 2ILL

You need a book that is not owned by the library. How can you borrow the book from another library?

TASK 3Off-campusaccess

You are a commuter student and are trying to get into a library database from off-campus. Find information on how to access the Levin Library databases from off-campus.

TASK 4E-ref

Imagine it is late at night, and the Levin Library is closed. But you have a research question you would like to ask a reference librarian. Is there a way you can ask your question?

TASK 5Databases

You are a nursing student and have been told by your professor to use the CINAHL database to find scholarly nursing articles. Find this database.

The Tasks, continued:

TASK 6SuperSearch

You want to find both books and journal articles for an assignment at the same time. Is there a way you can search for both?

TASK 7Reserves

Your professor has told they have a textbook “on reserve at the library.” Where in the library do you need to go to get this book? Find out if you can check it out, as well as how long you can keep this book.

TASK 8Databases

You are taking a Health Education class and have to write a paper on a health topic. Your professor has said that you need to have at least 3 sources that are articles from scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. Where might you go to find these sources?

TASK 9Renewals

You would like to check out a book and a DVD from the Levin Library. Can you renew both? Can you renew without coming to the library?

TASK 10Library catalog

You want to read the book “Born Digital” by John Palfrey. Find out if this book is available in the Levin Library.

Quick overview of results:

0

1

2

3

4

5

5=Found quickly 1=Did not find

How users got to Levin Library website

-- 4 out of 5 users opened Firefox.

-- 1 user attempted to get to library from Portal in IE and failed due to security block. Then went to public website using IE.

-- 4 out of 5 users navigated through Academic Resources tab on Curry home page.

-- 1 user typed “Levin Library” into Curry website search box.

TASK 1: Library Hours

-- 5 out of 5 students found library hours right away.

-- Only 1 student successfully found reference hours.

-- All 5 students clicked on “hours” box on home page.

TASK 2: ILL

-- 2 out of 5 students found ILL form right away.

-- 3 out of 5 failed to find.

TASK 3: Off-campus access

-- 0 students found the off-campus access PDF.

-- 1 student found it accidentally when looking for ILL.

-- 2 students found EZProxy text on databases page, but did not know what it meant.[text since edited]

TASK 4: E-Ref form

-- All 5 students found the e-ref form.

-- 3 out of 5 found it quickly.

-- 2 clicked on e-ref link on center text of home page

-- 2 clicked on Ask-A-Librarian LH nav link

-- 1 clicked on Ask Us box on home page

TASK 5: CINAHL

-- 4 out of 5 students found the CINAHL database.

-- 2 out of 5 found it quickly.

-- 2 searched for “CINAHL” in website search box

-- 3 scrolled through databases list instead of using subject links

NOTE: the databases page has changed since the study was performed.

TASK 6: SuperSearch

-- Only 1 student used SuperSearch to answer this.

-- Several interpreted the question differently, i.e.:“my understanding is that this means searching two databases at the

same time.” [as in ‘choose databases’ in EBSCO]

“I would go to EBSCOHost and then as a field I would put in ‘book type’… to be honest, I’m not sure.”

-- 1 student attempted to use JSTOR, 3 attempted to use EBSCO databases.

TASK 7: Reserves

-- 1 student found the library policies page. [correct answer]

-- 1 student found some info on reserves in LibAnswers, answered part of the question.

-- 1 student thought the answer was the ILL form. [?]

-- 2 could not find at all and gave up.

TASK 8: Health Education database

-- All 5 students answered this question successfully

-- 4 students answered using a database

-- 1 student used SuperSearch

-- Students were more likely to use databases they were familiar with/had used before

TASK 9: Renewals

-- No student answered this successfully [note: the only place the entire question could be answered is inside

the library catalog]

-- 2 students found partial answers through LibAnswers

-- 1 student went to the library catalog and assumed she could renew from there if she logged in, but did not find tutorial.

-- 2 students gave up

TASK 10: Library catalog

-- All 5 students answered this question successfully

-- All 5 students found the answer quickly

-- 3 students used the library catalog

-- 2 students used SuperSearch

-- 1 student thought they needed to request the book to get it

Summary

“Library jargon” prevents students from finding what they need

Interlibrary Loan

EZProxy

Education Resource Center

SuperSearch

Peer-reviewed

Summary

Library services (renewals, reserves, policies) are completely buried on our website.

Try taking the usability test yourself – can you find info on online renewals? Or on how long you can check out a DVD?

Summary

Students are more likely to use tools with which they are familiar

Most students were familiar with databases page and EBSCO

Students will use tools they are familiar with even when inappropriate for the question – for example, students tried to use

SuperSearch to answer renewal and ILL questions

Summary

When a tool works for a student, they are likely to try it again

I.e.: when LibAnswers worked, student went back to it for another question

Summary

Information under closed “accordion boxes” was hard to find

If the accordion box was clearly labeled (i.e. “hours”) students were more likely to click on it.

Summary

Students like search boxes

They used the Curry website search box repeatedly

Next steps

The Website Task Force will use what we have learned from this study to improve the website

Input from all library staff will be essential in this process

We will start by updating the website to correct most immediate problems (“quick fixes”).

A complete re-design on the site will occur over the course of Spring semester

This will be followed by another usability study, to re-assess the website.