Website Usability

Data

Q1:  1 . When beginining a new topic most students and other researchers start by Googling some key words. Let's assume you have done that and now you have decided or your Professor has asked you to find some more scholarly sources. Using the library website, and not having a specific source in mind yet- how would you begin?

User's response/comments:  would use the "... eJournal Locator or the Find Articles link"

Observer's comments:

Follow-up to Q1 if unsuccessful: If the student is unsuccessful, the librarian should ask, what word or phrase or LINK you were looking for, but did not find?

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:

Successful___X__                     Unsuccessful______

Q2:  Using the library website, can you tell if the library has any books written by Al Gore?

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments: clicks "Find Books " to go to the Library Catalog --> selects author search- types "Al Gore" clicks on the xref "Gore, Al" --> selects -1948 "our Al is that old"

Follow-up to Q2l: If the student is unsuccessful, the librarian should ask, what word or phrase or LINK were you looking for, but did not find?

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:

Successful_____                     Unsuccessful______

Q3:  Using the library website, can you find the electronic edition of the Journal of Asset Management?

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:  clicks eJournal Locator--> types "Journal of Asset Management"

First follow-up to Q3:  If the participant goes to the catalog and stops, the librarian should ask, "Is there anywhere else on the library website to look for this?"

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:

Second follow-up to Q3:  If the student still does not find the eJournals list, the librarian should ask, "What word or phrase or LINK were you looking for, but did not find?"

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:

Successful__X___                     Unsuccessful______

Q4:  Using the library website, can you find the print edition or hard copy edition of the Journal of marriage and the family?

User's response/comments:  "Print edition?" "Probably not"

Observer's comments: clicks on Catalog Quick Search and types "Journal of marriage and the family"

Follow-up to Q4: If the student is unsuccessful, the librarian should ask, what word or phrase were you looking for, but did not find?

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:

Successful__X___                     Unsuccessful______

Q5:  Using the library website, how would you get a book or article we do not own?

User's response/comments:  "Where is the Consortium thing?"

Observer's comments:  clicks "other library catalogs"  scans the list of BLC libraries --> Williams College Library' "Find Books" link and comments: "the library catalog- Guess that's how I would do it??"

Follow-up to Q5 if unsuccessful: If students did not make it to the ILL page, the librarian should ask, "what word or phrase were you looking for, but did not find?"

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:

Successful_____                     Unsuccessful______

Q6:  Using the library website, how would you find a journal article about stem cells?

User's response/comments: "If I could just get to the screen where I can type [keywords] in..."

Observer's comments:  clicks "Find Articles using Databases" scans the list for "something medical" - scrolls up and try the dbs by subject dropdown--> Biology --> BACK--> Health & Medicine--> scans to the "Library Research Guide" and clicks on ETHICS--> BU Med BioEthics guide

Follow-up to Q6:

If the students navigate to a database through research guides or similar, the librarian should praise the student and show her the FIND ARTICLES link and ask, "Is there a better way to word that?"

If the student is unable to get to a location to find an article, the librarian should ask, "What word or phrase or LINK were you looking for, but did not find?"

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:

Successful_____                     Unsuccessful__X____

Q7:   In addition to Mugar Library Boston University has several branch libraries and some very specialized libraries (for example, the Science & Engineering Library or the Pardee Management Library). Using the library website - is it possible to find information about those libraries or any one of the libraries- (for example,  the hours or services offered)?

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments: scans the bottom of the page- types "hours by specialty library" ? -it doesn't work- scans the top of the page - activates the ABOUT menu and see the ALL BU LIBRARIES: "...guess I would have gone there if I had seen it..."

Follow-up to Q7:

Note if sucessful by using About -- Departments or All BU Libraries dropdown.

If unsucessful ask "What word or phrase or LINK were you looking for, but did not find?"

User's response/comments:

Observer's comments:

Successful_____                     Unsuccessful______

Q8:  How would you change the library's website to make it more useful for you?

User's response/comments: "not all web oriented [enough]- access the acticles and the books- where to go and once you go there - --> eJournal Locator- using the title box as a subject search for "social control theory"

Observer's comments:

Q9:  What do you find useful on the library's website?

User's response/comments: "getting there" ... "getting to a place where you can plug in your topic... "

Observer's comments:

Q10:  Is there anything you would like to tell us about the library's website?

User's response/comments: "BU makes everything hard"  "very wordy"

Observer's comments: