subject search disconnect: or, how do our users want to search for subject information? margaret...
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Subject Search Disconnect:
Or, How Do Our Users Want to Search for Subject Information?
Margaret Mellinger and Jane Nichols Oregon State University Libraries
OLA, 2006
“virtual college libraries”
needs assessment
• literature review and web site inventory
• survey
• focus group
• usability
literature review
• customization • database driven web pages • mylibrary type applications• personalization • portals • subject research guides• subject searching/organization on web
pages
web site inventory
• Ohio State University Libraries Gateway to Information• VIVO Virtual Life Sciences Library • University of Washington’s Resources by Subject Pages • University of Washington Health Sciences • NCSU
– Business Information Network – MyLibrary
• University of Rochester River Campus Libraries• AquaBrowser • University of Michigan Business Library • University of Minnesota Undergraduate Virtual Library
student survey
survey comments
Make it simpler
…make it more friendly
Sometimes I just get lost…
More publicity!
Common searches
Simple search box
focus groups
focus group comments
…2 hours in library vs. 5 minutes online
Single search box
Suggested search terms
Too many choices… …no explanation of
choices
Steps that narrow the search
icons
usability sessions
conclusions
new directions
questions
virtual college libraries taskforce
Ruth Vondracek, lead
Loretta Rielly
Maureen Kelly
Hannah Gascho Rempel
Jane Nichols
Margaret Mellinger
web site addresses• AquaBrowser
http://www.medialab.nl/• Cornell University VIVO Virtual Life Sciences Library
http://vivo.library.cornell.edu/• Ohio State University Libraries Gateway to Information
http://library.osu.edu/sites/thegateway/• NCSU Business Information Network
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/business/• NCSU MyLibrary
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/mylibrary/about.html• University of Michigan Business Library Database Finder
http://eres.bus.umich.edu/dbfinder/DataBaseFinder.htm• University of Minnesota Undergraduate Virtual Library
http://www.lib.umn.edu/undergrad/• University of Rochester River Campus Libraries
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/• University of Washington Health Sciences
http://healthlinks.washington.edu/• University of Washington’s Resources by Subject pages
http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/
selected articles • Dahl, M. 2004. Content Management Strategy for a College Library Web Site. Info. Tech. Libr. 23(1):23-29.• Ghaphery, J. 2002. My Library at Virginia Commonwealth University: Third year evaluation. D-Lib Magazine.
8(7).• Ghaphery, J. and D. Ream. 2000. VCU’s My Library: librarians love it—users? Well, maybe. Info. Tech. and
Libraries. 19(4):186-190.• Gibbons, S. 2003. Building Upon the MyLibrary Concept to Better Meet the Information Needs of College
Students. D-Lib Magazine. 9(3).• Guenther, K. 1999. Customized data delivery through web portals: a case study. Online. 23(6):51.• Hein, K.K. and M.W. Davis. 2002. The Research Wizard: An Innovative Web Application for Patron Service.
Internet Reference Services Quarterly. 7(1):1-18.• Jordan, W. 2000. My Gateway at the University of Washington libraries. Info. Tech. and Libraries. 19(4):180-
185.• Ketchell, D.S. 2000. Too many channels: making sense out of portals and personalization. Info. Tech. and
Libraries. 19(4):175-179.• Levinson, M. 2002. Portal U.; How to connect students, faculty, staff, alumni and businesses so that they can
share the school’s services, research and applications? Go for the gateway approach. CIO. 16(3):1.• Morgan, E.L. 20 Jan 2005. MyLibrary@NCState: The Implementation of a User-centered, Customizable
Interface to a Library’s Collection of Information Resources. http://my.lib.ncsu.edu/about/sigir-99/.• Nielsen, J. 27 Feb 2005. Personalization is over-rated. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/981004.html• Roberts. G. 2000. Designing a database-driven web site, or the evolution of the infoiguana. Computers in
Libraries. 10:26-32.• Westman, S. 2001. Database-backed library web pages. The Electronic Library. 19(6):424-431. • Yerkey, N. 2001. Active server pages for dynamic database web access. Library Hi Tech. 19(2):133-142.