Does your library’s website use Library jargon? How about tabs? A recent post by Emily Singley, a Systems Librarian at Harvard University, listed the top 5 problems with library websites. She reviews some recent usability studies that showed, among other things, that students had difficulty understanding the relationship between “articles” and “journals.” Other studies showed “users did not understand what was included in search tools.” All of the cited articles point to an increased awareness of UX, or user experience, for libraries and library websites. How are you designing your website for improved user experience?
Image by the State Library of Victoria Collection. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Common’s licensing.
Three years ago Jeffrey Schnapp, a faculty member at Harvard, began a library test kitchen engaging students in the School of Design to, “create a hybrid [library] space where analog and digital coexist.” Striving to identify new ways to interact with books and the “material soul” to blend into one library voice through design for both print and digital materials.
The “test kitchen” was set-up in the location of a former bookstore. Student projects were displayed using pop-up galleries in satellite locations, sharing with the campus community their projects, findings and design suggestions. Click here to read the full article published by Boston Globe, The Library Test Kitchen at Harvard written by Anne Gray Fischer (July 2013.)
Note: The Director of CMLE, Patricia Post, often writes under a subcategory called “Food for Thought” where she identifies articles that pertain to all librarians and library types. This week she highlights a lecture on libraries by Neil Gaiman. Consider these posts throughout the year to help feed the soul of your library.
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Does your library’s website use Library jargon? How about tabs? A recent post by Emily Singley, a Systems Librarian at Harvard University, listed the top 5 problems with library websites. She reviews some recent usability studies that showed, among other things, that students had difficulty understanding the relationship between “articles” and “journals.” Other studies showed “users did not understand what was included in search tools.” All of the cited articles point to an increased awareness of UX, or user experience, for libraries and library websites. How are you designing your website for improved user experience?