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 go to catalog and type in a keyword search or would go to e-journals. Thinks that both have similar search engines. Went to catalog and typed in England first and found too many. Then typed Britons. While going through results looked at descriptor headings to see what other searches one could do.

Observer's comments: Successful because she would use catalog but has incorrect ideas about searching in the e-journals. Good that she knew to follow through with descriptor headings.

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: Went to catalog and clicked author. Typed in Gore with no first name. Found several for Gore, Albert and chose Gore, Albert 1909- first but then decided it must be Gore, Albert 1948-.

Observer's comments:

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__x___                     Unsuccessful______

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

User's response/comments: Went to catalog, clicked journal title. No matches for title. Then went to drop down menu and chose keyword and searched by keyword.. Did not find. Then went to e-journal locator and found title.

Observer's comments:

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: Went to catalog, clicked journal title. Typed in title but misspelled it. Retyped and found journal.

Observer's comments:

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: Went to Other Library Catalogs and looked at BLC libraries. Clicked into BLC webpage but did not see a consortium catalog for all the libraries. Said she did not know how to find where she would get a book or article we didn't own.

Observer's comments:

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: Wasn't looking for any particular word or phrase.

Observer's comments:

Successful_____                     Unsuccessful___x___

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

User's response/comments: Went to Find Articles and then find databases by subject. Was looking for biology in dropdown menu but didn't see. Got out of Find Articles without searching. Clicked into a news item on the library webpage that had link to library journal. Went to catalog and searched using keyword but then decided it was only for books. Went to advanced search looking in limiters for journal articles. Said she did not know how to find it.

Observer's comments:

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: Went to All Bu Libraries and chose Astronomy. Found address and other info.

Observer's comments:

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__x___                     Unsuccessful______

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

User's response/comments: Trying to find very basic information on Britain such as one would find in a high school book. Could categorize books into academic and simpler types.Said she can only access ejournals on campus. Linda showed her the connect to eresources page. Subject thought "from off-campus" should be added to connect to eresources. Saw the ILL information when Linda was showing her the How to listings and commented that she should have seen that earlier.

Observer's comments:

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

User's response/comments: Can do a lot of research from off campus and can find out if we have something before coming in. Thinks the page is pretty well organized and helpful.

Observer's comments:

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

User's response/comments: Nothing else.

Observer's comments: