A usability study of online library systems: A case of Sultanah Bahiyah Library, Universiti Utara Malaysia

The purpose of this study was to investigate usability of online library systems in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). This study evaluated the usability of Sultanah Bahiyah Library’s web based systems by investigating the aspects of simplicity, comfort, user friendliness, control, readability, information adequacy/task match, navigability, recognition, access time, relevancy, consistency and visual presentation. This study examined user’s views about the usability of digital libraries whereas current and perceived importance. A sample of 45 students of Master of Business Administration (MBA) has been chosen. The Sultanah Bahiyah Library’s web based systems is very important especially for students and academic staffs of Universiti Utara Malaysia. The usability of the Library’s web based systems makes students easy to connect and for that the website should be helpful and attractive within good contents. The result found that the parallel nature of the users’ current views about the usability of digital libraries and users’ perceived importance of digital library usability allows direct comparison of all usability properties. The overall results yielded significant difference for the variables of user’s current views and perceived importance

The Future of Librarianship in Science and Technology Libraries

Librarians, especially subject specialists in academic sci-tech libraries, appear to be facing a very perilous predicament. Two of their major job responsibilities, developing subject collections and providing face-to-face reference service, are in rapid decline. Budget cuts, publisher packages for books and a transition to cost-per-use evaluations for journal subscriptions all clearly diminish the need for active collection development. Meanwhile, because of changes in information-gathering habits, users increasingly approach reference librarians as a last resort

Values for Human-to-Human Reference

published or submitted for publicatio

Museum Collections Management Systems: One Size Does Not Fit All

Collections management software companies claim their product can be used for any type of collection or museum. While this is true to some extent, in actuality, they are better suited for some types of collections and do not cover the others as well. Particular collections management databases have aspects that are better suited for certain types of collections and an individual museum\u27s needs. Each system\u27s particular combination of features and characteristics may make it a better fit for some museums\u27 needs and not for others. Recommendations for collections databases are constantly sought after on the American Association of Museum\u27s Registrar\u27s Committee Listserv. The systems to be reviewed in this study are: PastPerfect, TMS, EmbARK. Argus, Re:discovery, Vernon CMS, and KE-EMu. With all of these choices available selecting the right system for a museum can be an overwhelming task. What the right system is, however, will be different for every institution. What may be a near perfect fit for one institution could result in disaster and frustration for another

Usability Study of a Library’s Mobile Website: An Example from Portland State University

To discover how a newly developed library mobile website performed across a variety of devices, the authors used a hybrid field and laboratory methodology to conduct a usability test of the website. Twelve student participants were recruited and selected according to phone type. Results revealed a wide array of errors attributed to site design, wireless network connections, as well as phone hardware and software. This study provides an example methodology for testing library mobile websites, identifies issues associated with mobile websites, and provides recommendations for improving the user experience