ITAL Information Technology and Libraries (E-Journal)
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Engine Of Innovation: Building the High Performance Catalog
Get PDFNumerous studies have indicated the sophisticated web-based search engines have eclipsed the primary importance of the library catalog as the premier tool for researchers in Higher education. We submit that the catalog remains central to the research process. Through a series of strategic enhancements, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in partnership with the other members of the Triangle Research Libraries Network, has made the catalog a carrier of services in addition to bibliographic data, facilitating not simply discovery but also delivery of the information researchers seek
Exploratory Subject Searching in Library Catalogs: Reclaiming the Vision
Get PDFLibrarians have had innovative ideas for ways to use subject and classification data to provide an improved online search experience for decades, and yet, after thirty-plus years of improvements in online catalogs, users continue to struggle with narrowing down their subject searches to produce manageable lists containing only relevant results. This article reports on one attempt to rectify that situation by radically re-envisioning the library catalog interface, enabling users to interact with and explore their search results in a profoundly different way. This new interface gives users the option of viewing a graphical overview of their results, grouped by discipline and subject. Results are depicted as a two-level treemap, which gives users a visual representation of the disciplinary perspectives (as represented by the main classes of the Library of Congress Classification) and topics (as represented by elements of the Library of Congress Subject Headings) included in the results
Editorial Thoughts: Rise of the Innovation Commons
No full textThat the practice of libraries and librarianship is changing is an understatement. Throughout their history, libraries have adapted and evolved to better meet the needs of the communities served. Framed against the historical development of the library commons and technological support, this piece introduces the concept of an innovation commons as a natural evolution for libraries, from information through learning commons, to the organic development and incorporation of library makerspaces
Applying Hierarchical Task Analysis Method to Discovery Layer Evaluation
Get PDFLibraries are implementing discovery layers to offer better user experiences. While usability tests have been helpful in evaluating the success or failure of implementing discovery layers in the library context, the focus has remained on its relative interface benefits over the traditional federated search. The informal site- and context specific usability tests have offered little to test the rigor of the discovery layers against the user goals, motivations and workflow they have been designed to support. This study proposes hierarchical task analysis (HTA) as an important complementary evaluation method to usability testing of discovery layers. Relevant literature is reviewed for the discovery layers and the HTA method. As no previous application of HTA to the evaluation of discovery layers was found, this paper presents the application of HTA as an expert based and workflow centered (e.g. retrieving a relevant book or a journal article) method to evaluating discovery layers. Purdue University’s Primo by Ex Libris was used to map eleven use cases as HTA charts. Nielsen’s Goal Composition theory was used as an analytical framework to evaluate the goal carts from two perspectives: a) users’ physical interactions (i.e. clicks), and b) user’s cognitive steps (i.e. decision points for what to do next). A brief comparison of HTA and usability test findings is offered as a way of conclusion
Static vs. Dynamic Tutorials: Applying Usability Principles to Evaluate Online Point-of-Need Instruction.
Get PDFThis study had a two-fold purpose: to discover through the implementation of usability testing which mode of tutorial was more effective: screencasts containing audio/video directions (dynamic) or text-and-image tutorials (static); and to determine if online point-of-need tutorials were effective in helping undergraduate students use library resources. To this end, the authors conducted two rounds of usability tests consisting of three groups each, in which participants were asked to complete a database-searching task after viewing a text-and-image tutorial, audio/video tutorial, or no tutorial. The authors found that web usability testing was a useful tutorial-testing tool while discovering that participants learned most effectively from text-and-image tutorials, since both rounds of participants completed tasks more accurately and more quickly than those who received audio/video instruction or no instruction
President's Column: Making an Impact in the Time That is Given to Us
No full textPresiden't Column: Making an Impact in the Time That is Given to U
Evaluating Web-Scale Discovery Services: A Step-by-Step Guide
Get PDFSelecting a web-scale discovery service is a large and important undertaking that involves a significant investment of time, staff, and resources. Finding the right match begins with a thorough and carefully planned evaluation process. In order to be successful, this process should be inclusive, goal-oriented, data-driven, user-centered, and transparent. The following article offers a step-by-step guide for developing a web-scale discovery evaluation plan rooted in these five key principles based on best practices synthesized from the literature as well as the author’s own experiences coordinating the evaluation process at Rutgers University. The goal is to offer academic libraries that are considering acquiring a web-scale discovery service a blueprint for planning a structured and comprehensive evaluation process
Editorial Board Thoughts: Information Technology and Libraries: Anxiety and Exhilaration
Get PDFEditorial Board Thoughts: Information Technology and Libraries: Anxiety and Exhilaratio