OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives

Usability testing and design of a library website: an iterative approach

Carole A. George
Article information:
To cite this document:
Carole A. George, (2005),"Usability testing and design of a library website: an iterative approach", OCLC
Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives, Vol. 21 Iss 3 pp. 167 - 180
Permanent link to this document:
[Link]
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

Downloaded on: 01 May 2015, At: 06:13 (PT)

References: this document contains references to 5 other documents.
To copy this document: permissions@[Link]
The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 3435 times since 2006*
Users who downloaded this article also downloaded:
Heather Jeffcoat King, Catherine M. Jannik, (2005),"Redesigning for usability: Information architecture and
usability testing for Georgia Tech Library's website", OCLC Systems & Services: International digital
library perspectives, Vol. 21 Iss 3 pp. 235-243 [Link]
Leanne M. VandeCreek, (2005),"Usability analysis of Northern Illinois University Libraries' website: a case
study", OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives, Vol. 21 Iss 3 pp. 181-192
[Link]
Robert L. Tolliver, David S. Carter, Suzanne E. Chapman, Phillip M. Edwards, Jeanie E. Fisher, Annette
L. Haines, Lana E. Krolikowski, Rebecca M. Price, (2005),"Website redesign and testing with a usability
consultant: lessons learned", OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives, Vol.
21 Iss 3 pp. 156-166 [Link]

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by 586319 []
For Authors
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for
Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines
are available for all. Please visit [Link]/authors for more information.
About Emerald [Link]
Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company
manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as
providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.
Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee
on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive
preservation.

*Related content and download information correct at time of download.

 The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
[Link]/researchregister [Link]/[Link]

Usability testing
Usability testing and design of a and design
library website: an iterative
approach
167
Carole A. George
Carnegie Mellon University Libraries, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of the usability studies used by the
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

Carnegie Mellon University Libraries during the redesign of their website.

Design/methodology/approach – The Libraries used a web-based survey to determine needs,
proceeding to the prototype design, and completing the process with the final design and user testing.
Think-aloud protocols, used to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the final design, asked
participants to verbalize their thoughts as they completed a series of tasks.
Findings – The results of the protocols indicated several key weaknesses with respect to navigation,
screen design and labeling, leading to more revisions and the final release. Testing indicated that color
and graphics attract attention; font, labels, and placement increase visibility; chunking and leading
with keywords increase readability; and consistency increases usability.
Research limitations/implications – This is a case study and therefore not necessarily
representative to the general population of library website design efforts.
Practical implications – This paper describes several methods of gathering feedback during
website design or usability testing with an emphasis on think-aloud protocols.
Originality/value – The techniques used here may be useful to others who are approaching
redesign and usability testing of their own sites and interested in creating a user-centered design.
Keywords Academic libraries, Worldwide web, Design, User interfaces, Tests and testing
Paper type Case study

Introduction
The services provided by university libraries have extended well beyond those offered
at an on-site facility. As the demand and consequently number of online journals,
books, materials, services, collections and search options continues to increase, off-site
use increases. The website has become a significant aspect of the libraries and the
services they provide, with over 60 percent of students at Carnegie Mellon conducting
their research in areas outside the library. The design, usability, and functionality of
the website are critical if the Libraries are to continue providing essential services to
their patrons in a timely and efficient manner. Responding to feedback from users and
the Libraries’ faculty/staff, the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries began an
extensive redesign of their website, using a number of different methods in the process.
This effort, begun in 1999, is still in progress, although major changes have been
completed. A range of measures and teams were used to design, evaluate and produce
the current design. The first step was a needs assessment of the then current site using
a web-based survey of users and seeking feedback that provided a basis for improving OCLC Systems & Services
Vol. 21 No. 3, 2005
the site to meet the needs of the patrons. Next, a multidisciplinary team of students pp. 167-180
from the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCI) from Carnegie Mellon designed a q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1065-075X
student-centered prototype using an iterative research and evaluation process. Using DOI 10.1108/10650750510612371
 OCLC this prototype as its starting point, the Libraries’ Web Development Committee, along
21,3 with the Library Information Technology department and input from library
employees, created the final redesign for the site. Each step of the design process was
an iterative approach of user feedback, design, and redesign drawing on user testing
and feedback to measure the value and usability of design changes. This paper
summarizes these efforts with a focus on the user testing of the final design.
168
Needs assessment – web-based user survey
Before proceeding with a redesign of the website, the Libraries conducted a needs
assessment using a web-based survey. The 21-item survey, a paper and pencil design
distributed in the Libraries and an electronic version available via the Libraries’ website,
was available to all Carnegie Mellon students, staff, and faculty. The survey of multiple
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

choice and rating scales gathered feedback about navigation, visual elements, search
options, databases, usability and functionality, with one open-ended item for suggestions
and comments (see Appendix 1). Of the 367 eligible surveys, 90 percent were electronically
entered.

Results
.
Over 80 percent of responses were evenly represented by undergraduate
students and graduate students, while faculty and staff represented the
remainder. Nearly 80 percent accessed the website either daily (24 percent) or
weekly (54 percent) using Internet Explorer or Netscape (99 percent).
.
Most (82 percent) reported using the reference materials either often or very
often, with library services accessed second (56 percent).
.
Information was reported as above average in usefulness and supportive of
research. Links to outside information were good.
.
Most (80 percent) rated the vocabulary as above average, though some indicated
that labeling was unclear. Only 40 percent rated visual appeal above average,
with responses indicating that the front page would benefit from a simple, clear,
uncluttered design in addition to better organization of links.
.
Infrequent users might have some difficulty finding information and determining
“where I have been and where I can go”. Some indicated getting “stuck in a loop”.
.
Responses indicated a desire for an option to customize the site and improve
functionality of Cameo (the library’s online catalog), the organization of links,
navigation, and searching the databases.

Design indications
.
Focus on a simple uncluttered design; reorganization of links focusing on the
reference areas; re-label for consistency and clarity; use color, fonts and
positioning for emphasis.
.
Re-categorize the links, create a global navigation system for a cohesive look and
to provide a consistent exit from page, provide a site map and search the site
option, provide librarian e-help throughout the site and improve functionality.
.
Improve functionality of Cameo, provide a guide to using the databases and
using the libraries’ other references resources.
 Based on the results of the online survey, the Libraries proceeded with a redesign of their Usability testing
website and, with the help of the Computer Science department, created a prototype
design.
and design

Prototype design and user testing

The design of the prototype was a collaborative effort between the University Libraries
and the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Institute. An interdisciplinary team of five 169
students in the final year of study led the project (Anderson et al., 2001). The goal was
to create a user-centered interface, enhance usability, and expand resources of the
Libraries’ website.
The prototype development consisted of three design phases:
(1) ideation – creating a plan based on the client’s resources and analysis and
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

evaluation of options;
(2) architecture – designing the technology, developing plans for building the
elements, and systematically testing for usability; and
(3) iteration – building and testing the systems and processes while acquiring
feedback from users.
Using heuristic examination, interviews with students and librarians, and think-aloud
protocols, the team’s initial findings and basis for the design included:
.
over 60 percent of students reported using the library resources outside of the
library;
.
many students had difficulty navigating the website due to disorganized
categorization: lists were sometimes unrelated items thus contributing to the
confusion;
.
many reported that the labels used on the front page didn’t make sense: only 40
percent of students could correctly identify all 50 links with the content they
provided; and
.
students were not familiar with the extent of information on the libraries’ website
and indicated a need for easily accessible help.
The team focused on re-labeling and categorization, persistent navigation using global
headers and footers, site consistency personalized to meet student needs, a clutter-free
home page that used buckets, blocks of information in a right sidebar used for short
bits of supplemental and sometimes short-term information such as features and news,
and a global template that could be used on interior pages. To compensate for a lack of
face-to-face communication with librarians, the team strove for clarity, efficiency, and
easy access to electronic help. They conducted three iterations using think-aloud
protocols to gather feedback and tested several different navigation bars,
organizational links, etc. to create the final prototype design.

Final design – think-aloud protocols

Findings of the web survey supported the findings of the HCI team’s research: both
asked similar questions in a different way. The questionnaires surveyed a large group
of users while the HCI team asked similar questions in a series of interviews and
think-aloud protocols. Both indicated a redesign of the home page with an emphasis on
 OCLC the most used areas, re-labeling and reorganizing the links, and creating a simpler, less
21,3 cluttered look. Using the HCI prototype as a starting point, the libraries created the
website design. This final design was tested before final release using think-aloud
protocols described in this section.

170 Procedure
Think-aloud protocols were used to evaluate the functionality, usability, strengths, and
weaknesses of the site and to make recommendations for revisions, if necessary, based
on the feedback. Each session, approximately 30-45 minutes, was audio-taped with the
consent of the participant. After piloting the tasks and making revisions, the live site
was tested with representatives of the user community.
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

Nine participants were self-selected from a group who completed the Libraries’ web
survey and who expressed an interest in participating in further user testing. They
included three males and four females; four undergraduate students, three graduate
students, one staff member, and one faculty member. Computer expertise varied from
average (2), good (3), to very good (4). Four had a non-English first language. Major study
areas or departments included Arts (2), Business (2), Engineering and Sciences (4), and
Humanities (1).
Using a live prototype of the redesigned website, participants were asked to
verbalize their thoughts as they completed a series of tasks as directed by the
researcher (see Appendix 2). Thinking aloud provided a mental model of the
participant’s use of the prototype and allowed a better understanding of how the
prototype functioned (Nielsen, 1994). Early works in think-aloud protocols, most often
attributed to K. Anders Ericsson and Herbert Simon (Ericsson and Simon, 1984),
suggest a connection between thinking and verbal reports – thinking aloud.
Verbalizing thoughts while completing tasks eliminates the need to rely on long-term
memory that is necessary when asked to explain behavior after the task has been
completed, thus providing a more accurate account of behavior (Ericsson, 2002).
The tasks were evaluated based using a rating scale developed by Jakob Nielsen
that considers three factors:
(1) the frequency with which the problem occurs;
(2) how difficult is it for the users to overcome; and
(3) the persistence of the problem, i.e. whether it is a one-time problem or frequent
occurrence (Nielsen, n.d.).

The researcher provided help only when the participant reached a roadblock and
testing for the specific task was halted. The tasks continued through the website. The
rating scale was as follows:
.
0 ¼ I don’t agree that this is a usability problem at all;
.
1 ¼ cosmetic problem only: need not be fixed unless extra time is available on
project;
. 2 ¼ minor usability problem: fixing this should be given low priority;
.
3 ¼ major usability problem: important to fix, so should be given high priority; and
.
4 ¼ usability catastrophe: imperative to fix this before product can be released.
 Visual display and screen design Usability testing
The first tasks evaluated the effect of the front-page objects by asking users to state and design
what they saw first and identify the actionable links. Because reference to these tasks
might affect the users’ behavior on following tasks, only four participants completed
the following tasks:
1. Describe the first item you notice on the page. What do you notice next? (n ¼ 4, rating: 0).
171
2. Using the mouse, show which elements are actionable or clickable (n ¼ 4, rating: 3).

Observations
Participants noticed objects with color (header) and images (photo) first and
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

moved from left to right and top to bottom.

.
They noticed the links as follows: all indicated the main sections, two indicated
the header, all mentioned as least some of the links in the buckets, and two
indicated the footer links. When searching for information, buckets and headers
were often overlooked or searched last.
.
All participants commented that they liked the design and thought it looked less
cluttered and appeared user-friendly.

Discussion and response. Because the main navigational links were obvious to the user,
no changes were made. The movement through the page suggests that important
elements should appear in the main section. Color, graphics and placement can be used
for emphasis while the buckets can be used for further and temporary information i.e.
What’s New, special collections, etc.

Cameo, the Libraries’ catalog

The first section of the home page titled “Search” included links to Cameo, to the
databases, and to other library catalogs. These are important links to the Libraries’
holdings, so it was important that all participants complete the tasks successfully. The
following three tasks were used to test the links:
3. Find out if the library has the book The Art of Digital Photography by Tom Ang. Return to
the home page (rating: 3).
12. Find the database NetLibrary. Return to the home page (rating: 0).
15. Using this Website site, log in to the University of Pittsburgh’s library catalog? (rating: 3).
Observations. Though participants had no problems finding the database links, some
had problems finding the link to the Libraries’ catalog and the link to other library
catalogs. A freshman and a junior who still had a great deal of trouble finding the
Libraries’ catalog had not used the catalog frequently and one was not proficient in
English. Comments included:
I’m looking for a place to type in words.
I’m used to using a . . . search box. Sometimes I get impatient to look for something and to
look for the link, and I just go to the search box and type in the word or whatever.
 OCLC Discussion and response. Responses indicated a need to make the catalog more obvious
21,3 to new and infrequent users. As shown Figures 1 and 2, the label in the prototype was
“Cameo”, an unfamiliar word to new or infrequent users. The label was changed to
more familiar terminology, the font was enlarged, color was used for emphasis and it
was placed at the top of the home page as shown in the final version.

172 Research Help

Though less frequently used than the catalog and the databases, the “Research Help”
links also are an important service and directly related to the research work of patrons.
The “Research Help” section has two main divisions – the General/Reference Shelf and
the subject-specific research help. The subject-specific pages have six classifications.
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

All seven links in this section are treated with the same level of importance. The
following tasks were used:
4. Find additional resources and help relating to a project you’re working on for an
Architecture class without using the library’s catalog or the databases (rating: 2).
9. Find a page in the site for dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. Return to the home page (rating: 2).
Discussion and response. Only minor problems were detected on these tasks: two
participants had some trouble finding the research help by subject and two had minor
problems finding the dictionaries, etc. located on the general reference pages. After this
study another item, “ARF – Automated Resource Finder”, was added to the list. No
revisions were necessary though because the list now includes eight links, the
following suggestions might be considered for future redesign:
.
To make scanning the list easier, create three main classifications (see Figure 3).
This creates a visual separation between the main classifications and the
subject-specific links.
.
Using a smaller font for the subject areas links and indentation will help to
differentiate them from the main classification areas. Both lists are more easily
scanned.

Figure 1.
Library’s catalog link:
Cameo in prototype

Figure 2.
Library’s catalog link:
Cameo in final version
 Usability testing
and design

173

Figure 3.
Research help: final
version and suggested
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

listing

User services
The user services section includes links to information about the Libraries’ services
such as borrowing and renewing, interlibrary loan, and managing accounts. It also
includes other services available to patrons such as managing accounts. The following
tasks were used:
11. Check your account to find out about such things as overdue books, books on hold, or to
the change pin? Return to the home page (rating: 3).

7. Show me what you would do if you would like to borrow a book that is held by another
library and have it delivered to one of Carnegie Mellon’s libraries. Return to the home page
(rating: 0).

Discussion and response. Though participants had no problems finding the

“Interlibrary Loan” links and successfully completing task 7, they did have
problems finding the link to account information as described below:
.
Three participants had problems locating the correct page for account
information. Two went to the “Borrow and Renew” page but couldn’t find the
correct information located in the bucket. All three had to use the site map to
eventually find the correct link.
.
Three participants suggested that the “User Services” link that leads to account
information should be directly accessible from the home page.

To address these problems, the “Borrow and Renew” page of the website was
redesigned for clarity and readability. Important links are now in the main section, the
first place users look, while supplemental links and information are in the buckets. The
top of the page (see Figure 4) shows that the “Manage Your Library Account” link with
descriptive information is the first link in the main section of the page, making it easily
visible.
Chunking of information, displaying information in small bits, and leading with
links enables a quick scan of the page while users search for appropriate help. For
future redesign the Libraries might consider adding “Manage Your Library Account”
link to the home page in the header or to the list of “User Services”.
 OCLC Buckets
21,3 Buckets, blocks of information on the right sidebar, were designed to accommodate
changing information, i.e. news, information sources. One task tested buckets on the
front page, and the second tested the bucket information on the “Architecture” page,
one of the subject specific research help pages. The following tasks were used:
5. Can you find help for the specific course titled “American Built Environment since 1860”
174 with one click? Return to the home page (rating: 2).

8. Find a tutorial offered on the Website site. Return to the home page (rating: 2).

Observations. Minor usability problems were detected with these tasks. Participants
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

examined the main section first and then continued to examine the page until they
found the buckets. Once they found information in the buckets, they were more likely
to continue to look at buckets on other pages. Some links were not obvious. One user,
referring to the vertical line before the buckets, said:
. . . this line really separated me from the right side of the page because I wasn’t looking at
that at all.
Another commented:
This side [pointing to the main section] looks all neat and clean and this looks a little bit
cluttered.

Discussion and response

. The results indicated that important information or links need a permanent place
in the main section on the front page or lower level pages. Buckets can be useful
in featuring new items and contact information.
.
The redesign (see Figure 5) strives to keep bucket information (text) minimal:
begin with keywords and links, and use bold font or color to aid in scanning and
increase visibility.
.
The redesign strives for consistency in font color and size, bucket labels,
placement of links (preferably at the beginning of the text), and simple design.
Consistency throughout the site is not only visually pleasing, but decreases the
learning curve.

Figure 4.
“Borrow and Renew” in
final version
 Usability testing
and design

175

Figure 5.
Buckets in the final
version
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

Home page header

Interestingly, when participants were asked what they noticed first, they mentioned
the header, but when asked to find the link “Ask a Librarian”, which is located in the
header, some had problems, though no-one had problems finding the site map, also in
the header. The following tasks helped to point out these discrepancies.
6. Find online help to develop search terms from a librarian? Return to the home page
(rating: 3).
13. Find an overview of what is included in the site. Return to the home page (rating: 0).

Observations
.
Links commonly included in headers (e.g. site map) posed no problems, though
links like “Ask a Librarian”, which are unique to libraries, were difficult to find.
Regarding the header links, one participant said: “It would be something to
highlight . . . they did blend in”.
.
Another participant pointed out that the other links (Cameo, site map) were in
other places in the site, while “Ask a Librarian” is only in the header.

Discussion and response. In the revision the links in the header that are unique to
libraries, e.g. “Ask a Librarian”, were included in the header and also within the main
section as a main or secondary link. The “Ask a Librarian” and “Cameo” link were also
included under User Services. Under consideration for the next redesign are the
following:
.
to make header links more prominent and readable to visually impaired, use
buttons that have a light font on a dark background or dark on light; and
.
using an icon for “Ask a Librarian” or a search box for “Cameo” (library catalog)
will add additional emphasis and draw attention to the links.

University Archives and full-text materials

Though other research pages were linked from the home page in the category
“Research Help”, the University Archives section and the full-text collections available
 OCLC from this page were accessed from an interior page. Some services provided by
21,3 University Archives were also be accessed through other pages. Both methods of
access were tested to determine if they were sufficient. The following tasks were used:
10. The website has full-text collections of archival materials highlighting the achievements of
notable individuals. Find the Herbert A. Simon Collection. Return to the home page (rating: 2).

176 14. Find out about the services provided by the University Archives. Return to the Home page
(rating: 2).

Observations. Though three participants had slight problems finding the University
Archives, only one had significant problems. Only two participants had problems
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

finding the Simon Collection, one of the full-text collections of archives (some clues
were provided in the task statement). Those having problems tried to access the
collection from the “Libraries and Collection” page. This path is a little longer,
providing more opportunity for error.
A greater concern might be that patrons will not be aware of the vast services offered
by the archives and the University Archives because this department link is hidden on an
interior page. To get to the University Archives users had to follow this path:
Libraries and Collections ! Archives ! University Archives.
Users also must be aware of the special collections housed on the site in order to find
them or even know to look for them. For the tasks most went to the “Libraries and
Collections” page and followed this path:
Libraries and Collections ! Archives ! University Archives ! Simon Collection.
Discussion and response. Two problems were detected as a result of the tasks:
(1) the University Archives and digital collections are not visible on the home page
or on the pages as expected by the user; and
(2) the path to the collections was difficult to follow.

To address these problems the following adjustments were made:

.
The archival digital collections are now featured on the “Libraries and
Collection” page in the right sidebar. The links’ labels are emphasized with a
bold font and located the top of the right sidebar in a bucket labeled “Digital
Collections”. The tasks indicated that this is the page where users expected to
find the collections.
.
To alert users to the new digital collections, some are featured in the buckets on
the home page on a rotating basis.
.
The “University Archives” link continues to be available from the “Libraries and
Collections page”. Including a link to the University Archives on the home page
will provide more visibility.

Comments and suggestions

Following the protocols, participants were asked to comment on what they liked or
disliked about the site, and if they had suggestions or comments. This section provided
 some insight into the reactions of the participants about elements not covered during Usability testing
the tasks: the following is a summary of these comments and suggestions. and design
What did you like about the site?
Many participants said they liked the redesigned site. They said that it was cleaner,
clearer, more organized, appeared user-friendly, headings are bolder, and color is
better: 177
The site is well-organized. It looks better that the old one.
It’s not as busy as the other page was. It’s a little more user friendly, has a photograph, Cameo
at the top, which is good.
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

I think the site is very clear, it’s simple; it doesn’t look complicated.
I like the bold headings, the general headings that pulled me in.
I like the colors better. The last time the colors were green and this time they’re like the
university colors.
Links to services are more obvious (e.g. “Ask a Librarian” and course-related research:
The services are more obvious. More links to course related research/books is a good idea.
I really like the Ask a Librarian. Depending on how fast they can get back to you, I think
that’s very valuable, when I’m at home, I really think that’s great.

What do you dislike about the site?

Some links are still not obvious e.g. header links and the library catalog (Cameo) link:
The one thing that I would change is that I really didn’t notice what’s on top in the banner. It
would be something to highlight, but they did blend in.
Some had problems with usability and design of the Cameo interface (e.g. the back
button, Cameo website page design):
There’s something wrong with the Back button in Cameo.
The Cameo website page, the search page is not user-friendly at all.
Cameo is probably what 90 percent of users use, and the interface is pretty ugly.
Some felt that the buckets were cluttered and difficult to scan:
Maybe the right side with the links and What’s New, maybe something could be done about
that . . . this looks a little bit cluttered.
It’s hard to go through the buckets. Generally I would ignore most of the minor parts if it’s not
in the main part here.

Conclusions
Though no major problems were detected using the think-aloud protocols, some
weaknesses surfaced that led to design changes and increased the usability of the site.
 OCLC The protocols also provided some insight into how users navigate the site and what
they consider priorities in the design. Major findings include the following:
21,3
. Users navigate from top to bottom and left to right. Color and graphics attract
their attention. They expect to find conventional links in the header, e.g. site map
and logo, but do not look to the header for links unique to the site.
.
Font size, color, labels using common terminology, location, and spacing increase
178 the visibility of important links such as Cameo, online assistance, and user
services.
.
Chunking information in sidebar buckets, placing keywords and links at the
beginning of the text, and limiting descriptive text improves the visibility of the
links or keywords in the bucket enabling quick scanning.
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

.
Consistency in the form of global design, header, footer, and labeling decreases
the learning curve for users and increases the usability of the site. This also
increases usability for returning users, that is, once they learn to navigate the
site, remembering the location is easier.
.
A global header is useful in providing users with a sense of place, that is, where
they are and how to get home, and is important to navigation.
Though the procedure was lengthy, used a number of different methods and involved a
diverse group of people including library personnel, students and a design team, the
results were worthwhile. The iterative process of user feedback, design, and user
testing was necessary to provide user-centered services via the website. Currently, the
Libraries are working on consistency in design and re-labeling on the interior pages.
User testing will be useful on problem areas.

References
Anderson, J., Long, W., Los, N., Pottmeyer, A. and Sellner, B. (2001), “Student-centric site
proposal – proposing key changes to the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries’ website
site to increase student usage”, unpublished report, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries,
Pittsburgh, PA.
Ericsson, J. (2002), “Protocol anlysis and verbal reports on thinking”, available at: [Link].
edu/faculty/ericsson/[Link] (accessed December 3, 2004).
Ericsson, J.A. and Simon, H.A. (1984), Protocol Analysis, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Nielsen, J. (1994), Usability Engineering, Morgan Kaufmann, San Francisco, CA.
Nielsen, J. (n.d.), “Severity of ratings for usability problems”, available at: [Link]/
papers/heuristic/[Link] (accessed July 24, 2001).
 Appendix 1 Usability testing
and design

179
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

Figure A1.
Website user survey
 OCLC Appendix 2
21,3
Tasks To determine if . . .

1. Describe the first item you notice on the page. . . . major items are easily recognized
What do you notice next, and next? Participants
180 1, 2, 3 9 only
2. Using the mouse, show which elements on this . . . the links on the page in the navigation bar
page are actionable or clickable. Participants 1, and the footer, within the page and in the
2, 3 9 only buckets are recognized
3. Find out if the library has the book The Art of . . . participants can find and use the online
Digital Photography by Tom Ang. Return to the library catalog and return to the “home” page
home page
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

4. Find additional resources and help relating to a

project you’re working on for an Architecture . . . participants are aware of additional
class without using the library’s catalog or the resources and the reference librarian available
databases. in their content field in “Research Help”. Are
5. Can you find help for the specific course titled participants aware of the information in the
“American Built Environment since 1860”? buckets?
Return to the home page.
6. Find online help to develop search terms from a . . . participants find and recognize the objective
librarian? Return to the home page of the link “Find a Librarian”. If participants fail
to complete Item 4, then try optional. This item
will observe if participants can find the link
7. Check your account to find out about such . . . participants can find and use the personal
things as overdue books, books on hold, or to account services available on the website
the change PIN? Return to the home page
8. Find a tutorial offered on the website. Return to . . . usability of buckets
the home page
9. Find a page in the site for dictionaries, . . . . participants can find and use the Virtual
encyclopedias, etc. Return to the home page Reference Shelf (or other reference materials) in
the virtual reference shelf. Desired action:
General/Reference Shelf ! Almanacs,
Dictionaries . . . Back or Home
10. The Libraries’ Website site has full-text . . . . participants can find the special online
collections of archival materials. Some highlight collections and return Home
the achievements of notable individuals. Find
the Herbert A. Simon Collection. Return to the
home page
11. You would like to borrow a book that is held by . . . . participants are aware of the services
another library and have it delivered to one of provided by Interlibrary Loan
Carnegie Mellon’s libraries. Show me what you
would you do in this site to borrow this book?
Return to the home page
12. Find the database NetLibrary. Return to the . . . . participants can find the databases. Desired
home page action: Databases by Name ! N ! NetLibrary
Back ! Home
13. Find an overview of what is included in the site. . . . . participants can find the Site Map
Return to the home page
14. Find out about the archival collections and what . . . participants can find the University
services the University Archives provide. Archives and the services provided by archives
Table AI. Return to the Home page
Think-aloud protocols: 15. Using this website, how would you log on to the . . . participants are can find the links to other
tasks University of Pittsburgh’s library catalog? library’s catalogs
 This article has been cited by:

1. Jeffrey W. Gallant, Laura B. Wright. 2014. Planning for Iteration-Focused User Experience Testing in
an Academic Library. Internet Reference Services Quarterly 19, 49-64. [CrossRef]
2. Anne M. Turner, Blaine Reeder, James C. Wallace. 2013. A Resource Management Tool for Public Health
Continuity of Operations During Disasters. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 7, 146-152.
[CrossRef]
3. Noa Aharony. 2012. An analysis of American academic libraries' websites: 2000‐2010. The Electronic
Library 30:6, 764-776. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
4. Eugene B. Visser, Melius Weideman. 2011. An empirical study on website usability elements and how
they affect search engine optimisation. SA Journal of Information Management 13. . [CrossRef]
5. Anusha Wijayaratne, Diljit Singh. 2010. Is there space in cyberspace for distance learners with special
Downloaded by SAUDI DIGITAL LIBRARY (SDL) At 06:13 01 May 2015 (PT)

needs in Asia? A review of the level of Web accessibility of institutional and library homepages of AAOU
members. The International Information & Library Review 42, 40-49. [CrossRef]
6. Yu-Hui Chen, Carol Anne Germain, Huahai Yang. 2009. An exploration into the practices of library Web
usability in ARL academic libraries. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
60:10.1002/asi.v60:5, 953-968. [CrossRef]
7. Anna Hood, Tammy J. Eschedor Voelker, Joseph A. Salem. 2008. Using Metadata to Design a Database-
Driven Website. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 46, 385-411. [CrossRef]
8. Darlene Russ-Eft, Hallie Preskill. 2008. Improving the quality of evaluation participation: a meta-
evaluation. Human Resource Development International 11, 35-50. [CrossRef]
9. Jennifer Stinson, Navreet GillInternet-Based Chronic Disease Self-Management for Youth 224-245.
[CrossRef]
10. Jennifer Stinson, Navreet GillInternet-Based Chronic Disease Self-Management for Youth 36-56.
[CrossRef]