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1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries in Digital Age May 28, 2007

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Page 1: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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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

Page 2: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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Outline

What is Usability?Usability of Digital LibrariesUser-centered DL designMethods of Usability Evaluation IE Lab @ UMC

Page 3: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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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

Page 6: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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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

Page 10: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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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

Page 12: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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Methods of Usability Evaluation

Participatory designFocus group researchSurveysDesign walk throughPaper-pencil evaluationExpert evaluationUsability auditUsability testingField studies

Page 13: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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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.

Page 14: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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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

Page 16: 1 Usability of Digital Libraries Sanda Erdelez & Borchuluun Yadamsuren Information Experience Laboratory University of Missouri – Columbia USA Libraries

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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: [email protected] o Borchuluun Yadamsuren, IE Lab Senior Coordinator:

[email protected] 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)