Ula Gabrielle Gaha amp Suzanne Hinnefeld Saint Marys College May 8 2015 Discovery to Delivery VI Indianapolis IN Purpose We believe that our discovery tool OneSearch has flaws but what specific flaws can we identify ID: 782670
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Slide1
All in OneSearch: Usability testing of a web-scale discovery system
Ula Gabrielle Gaha & Suzanne Hinnefeld
Saint Mary’s College
May 8, 2015
Discovery to Delivery VI, Indianapolis, IN
Slide2Slide3Purpose
We believe that our discovery tool, OneSearch, has flaws, but what specific flaws can we identify?
How do these flaws affect users?
When we find a pattern of flaws through data we gather, what
solutions
can we offer?
Ultimately
: how can we make the Library’s home page more user-friendly?
Slide4Slide5Slide6Slide7Participants (n=38)
Total participants
Students by class
Slide8Find a Book
questions
Original
Does the Cushwa-Leighton Library have a copy of
Brave New World
?
If so, is it available for checkout?
What is the call number of the book?
How would you get this book?
Revised
Original study: book was checked out
Revised study: we used a book that was available
A Brief History of Time: from the Big Bang to Black Holes
by Stephen Hawking
Slide9Studies with Students: original & revised
Find a Book
Original study: required users to acquire the book from another library (advanced knowledge)
Revised study: we used a book that was available
Find an Article
Original study: discovered OneSearch’s
default
is full-text articles
Revised study: do users notice limiters on left side of the screen?
Slide10Slide11Find an Article questions
Original
Identify a scholarly article on the topic of nature vs. nurture
Is the article you have identified available in full-text?
Can you demonstrate how to access the article?
If it is not full text, can you demonstrate how to request the full text?”
Revised
Please identify an article on the topic of social media
Can you demonstrate a method to limit to peer-reviewed articles?
Can you demonstrate how to access the article?
Slide12Objective data: success determining if Cushwa-Leighton Library has a copy of the book
Slide13Pattern: icons prove unhelpful
Slide14Objective data: success determining if book was available for checkout
Slide15Availability of an item
Slide16Objective data: success determining call number of book
Slide17Call number display in OneSearch
Slide18Call number display in OneSearch
Slide19Issue #1: confusion over details under “Identifiers” heading
Slide20Solutions
Add the words “call number” inside the parentheses before the actual call number
Add the term “call number” to the list of
identifiers
and repeat the information in this list
Slide21Issue #2: display logic
Slide22Solutions
Prioritize books over A/V materials in the display
Have search results display books before A/V materials, since book searches are more common
Slide23Issue #3 availability of an item
Slide24Solutions
Keep it simple: display only the status of an item’s availability on one line
Add “hints,” such as “See locations tab for details and other locations,” on a separate line after the item’s status
Slide25Issue #4: unpredictable search results
Slide26Issue #4: unpredictable search results
Slide27Slide28Solutions?
What is our solution?
How can we make OneSearch consistent?
Slide29Issue #5
OneSearch defaults to all libraries
Slide30Solutions
Solution
Make this
Saint Mary’s College
tab OneSearch’s
default
setting on our home page
Slide31Article searching...
Image: Center for Inclusive Learning Support
Slide32Issue #1: lack of access
Slide33Slide34Slide35Slide36Slide37Slide38Slide39Solutions
Confirm default settings
Clarify language
Reconfigure “FindText at SMC”
Slide40Issue #2: user confusion
Image: collegescholarships.org
Slide41Solution
Integrate library research skills into first year critical thinking seminars
Systematically review link resolver settings
Evaluate all open access targets in SFX, and systematically select which to activate
Slide42Issue #3:
Unpredictable, non-repeatable search results
Slide43Solution
Review link resolver settings
Consider OneSearch placement on library’s homepage
Slide44Acknowledgment
Thank you to fellow librarian,
Jill Hobgood
.
She participated as an observer in the usability study and provided expert advice.
Slide45References
Djenno, M., Insua, G., Gregory, G. M., & Brantley, J. S.
(2014). Discovering usability: Comparing two discovery systems at one academic library.
Journal of Web Librarianship, 8
(3), 263-285.
Perrin, J. M., Clark, M., De-Leon, E., & Edgar, L. (2014).
Usability testing for greater impact: A Primo case study.
Information Technology & Libraries, 33
(4), 57-66.