Research was conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study the usability of two search interfaces – one tabbed interface similar to the current UNC-CH library homepage and one with a single search bar similar to Google. The UNC-CH Libraries also developed a combined search tool that pulls library resources from the Serials Solutions Summon service and from the Endeca-powered catalog. The usability test involved several tasks to determine interface preference, autosuggest’s utility, and the optimal location for the “best bets” recommendation box within the results. The usability testing also included having participants respond to a proposed library homepage to gather feedback for a redesign project. The resulting data showed users preferred the tabbed widget, but overall were not averse to the use of the simple widget on the proposed library homepage since the information they found most important was still available. Researchers observed the adaptability of users to search tools as long as those tools provided them with the results they needed to perform research.
1. Quick Searching at the Library
A Usability Study on Combining Web
Scale Discovery Tools for the Ultimate
Search Interface
2. Sarah Arnold
Adult Librarian
District of Columbia Public Library
Emily King
Coordinator of E-Learning Services
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
9. How would you find ...
The Book, Assessment as Learning : Using
Classroom Assessment to Maximize Student
Learning
The Article, “Assessment - A Powerful Lever
for Learning”
Library Hours
Psychology Article on “Play Assessment”
15. References
Arnold, S. (2013). Quick searching at the library: A usability
study on combining web scale discovery tools for the
ultimate search interface (Unpublished master’s thesis).
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
OCLC. (2010). Perceptions of libraries, 2010: Context and
community. Dublin, OH: OCLC.
Purcell, K., Rainie, L., Heaps, A., Buchanan, J., Friedrich,
L., Jacklin, A., Chen, C., et al. (2012). How Teens Do
Research in the Digital World. Pew Research Center’s
Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Student-Research
Editor's Notes
Sarah
Users turning to online search engines like Google instead of the library’s website and search tools
Focus on meeting users where they are with the types of search interfaces that they are accustomed to seeing and using
Growth of library resources and the amount of information available to users needs to be addressed in a way that allows for easier access and organization
Today we’ll discuss
Usabiilty study performed at UNC in Spring 2013 and how it shapes the current UNC library website’s search widget
How usability testing can benefit our users and ourselves
BOTH
Who we are
EMILY
UNC Libraries adopting summon and moving to a new website
Introduction of Summon and Library Website Redesign
User experience department goals (Emily provide?) Kim added
The UX dept will:
Focus on creating a patron experience that is a seamless connection between the library’s services, collections, physical spaces and virtual presence.
Oversee the web content/presence to create unified user experience.
Coordinate service policies and projects that have impact across multiple Library departments to ensure a consistent user experience.
Use evidence-based decision-making (from web analytics, usability studies, focus groups, surveys, interviews and observational studies) to inform current and future library services.
First Project - new library website
Website goals: Discovery, Access, Services, Branding, and Device Neutrality. -KV
Sarah
Set out to do something useful for the library system at UNC for both librarians and students/faculty
Findings of the Pew Research Center and OCLC
Pew: Internet makes today’s students more self-sufficient researchers; expect to access information quickly and easily; research = “googling”
OCLC: decrease in library website use from 2005 to 2010
Web scale discovery tools and their uses
Creates a single entry point to library resources (print and electronic)
Fill gap between what users know of the Internet and library resources
Purpose was to parse out certain aspects of the users’ opinions on:
Using the library’s new Articles + Catalog tool (click to show results page image)
Combination of two discovery tools: Endeca and Summon
Search widget layout preferences
These aspects included:
Expectations met based on search results
How easy each search widget was to navigate
If they would use the combined search again for their day-to-day researching
Sarah
Details about the actual test
Jakob Nielsen: usability testing is comprised of 3 components
Representative users
Representative tasks for users to perform
Observation of the users performing tasks
Participants were recruited using a questionnaire
Self-selected for follow-up
13 participants
4 undergraduates, 3 graduates, 1 doctoral, 5 faculty
From art history to political science to psychology
Demographic and preliminary questions about recent library website use
Series of 6 tasks based on common library tasks (compare two search widget interfaces; search for a book, an article, database)
Used Techsmith’s Morae usability testing software to record each participants thoughts and interactions with the widgets
Concluded with viewing of new website mockup with questions about how it compares visually to the current/old site
Methodology
Focus on both what participant said and what they actually did
www2.lib.unc.edu/instruct/newsite/test.html
www2.lib.unc.edu/instruct/newsite/test2.html
Tasks 1 & 2
Show simple search page then show tabbed search page. Answer questions twice based on each page.
Looking at this search page what do you expect to be searching?
How would you search for a book using this search page?
How would you search for an article using this search page?
If you wanted to search a specific database, where would you look or click?
Thinking about the search widgets you just observed, which display do you prefer?
Simple
Tabbed
Why do you prefer that display?
Only if results working; perform search after 1A and potentially cut 1B-1D in interest of time:
Observe the following search: You are starting on research related to water conservation in North Carolina in relation to UNC’s campus wide theme of “Water in Our World.” Using the search page in front of you, find a book or journal article that you would use to research this topic.
What are your thoughts on the effectiveness of this search tool?
How satisfied are you with the results?
What is your first reaction when you see the results on this page? (Include or not? Could show an example results page from live site)
What are your thoughts on this combined results screen? (Include or not? Could show an example results page from live site)
Sarah
Examples
9 of the 13 participants stated they preferred the tabbed search widget over the non-tabbed one
8 out of these 9 actually used the tabs
5 of the 13 did not actually notice the tabs until they were pointed out
Faculty considered the needs of their students when researching, not just themselves
They assumed students would prefer and work better with the simple/non-tabbed interface to the tabbed one
Participants and users will follow the paths they know and are comfortable with when accessing library resources
Participants would potentially change their search habits to save time in the future
Participants like the options that a tabbed search widget provide them
Must conform to what students/users know and what they can use based on their online experiences
Simple search widget is flexible for future and is effective enough to handle current users’ needs
Most seemed fine with using the combined search results page as a jumping off point into the library’s more detailed search interfaces, Summon and Endeca
Many mentioned being overwhelmed by the sheer number of results
No mention of lack of facets > Happy with ability to jump into each individual interface (Endeca, Summon)
Application of findings (Emily)
Changes to site plans
Everything goes into a single search box
Combined search naming problems
How we contextualize how we saw users using the site vs. what they said they wanted
How results were used
usability results can convince staff to rethink their perception about library practices. -KV
Beefing up Best Bets
Sarah
Back to Jakob Nielsen: usability testing is comprised of 3 components
Representative users
Representative tasks for users to perform
Observation of the users performing tasks
Hard evidence from your users to back up what you already think/know about your site/tool
Teaching your users how to use your website as much as them teaching you how a typical user will use your site
SARAH
Previous usability test at UNC comparing results layouts (Duke, VCU, NCSU)
User preference for single column, but 2 column was pursued due to budgetary considerations
When creating library search tools, not only are we creating for our current users, but also for future ones as well
Trend to simplify library search widgets > UNC following
Allowing users to shape the websites that we create through usability testing will improve the services and tools we provide them, rather than forcing them to be shaped by the tools
So do a usability test then do it again and again as your tools/site develop/change (iterative process)