245 research outputs found
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 Libraryâs 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 userâs 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 Libraryâs web based systems is very important especially for students and academic staffs of Universiti Utara Malaysia. The usability of the Libraryâs 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 usersâ current views about the usability of digital libraries and usersâ perceived importance of digital library usability allows direct comparison of all usability properties. The overall results yielded significant difference for the variables of userâs current views and perceived importance
Attitudes of Saudi Arabian Students Toward the Use of Digital Libraries in Higher Education
Universities worldwide are transitioning to integrate technology to enhance and augment using E-learning. This study investigated attitudes of Saudi Arabian students toward the use of digital libraries in higher education at Taibah University in Madina. Data were collected to explore the relationship between Saudi studentsâ computer literacy skills, as well as their demographic background, and 1) their use of digital libraries, 2) their attitudes toward digital libraries, and 3) their perceived usability of digital libraries. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples , simple and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to address the research questions. Participants were 240 undergraduate students enrolled at Taibah University. Most of them were senior (about 52%), female (about 62%), and majored in Education Science (about 47%). Analyses of the self-report survey data show that students used digital libraries on a weekly basis (M = 3.52, SD = 1.45), using a 6-point Likert-scale (1 = Never and 6 = More than 4 times per day). Results also show that studentsâ computer literacy skills were pretty good (M = 3.82, SD = 0.88), based on a 5-point Likert-scale (1 = No experience and 5 = Very skilled). On average, studentsâ attitudes toward digital libraries were positive (M = 4.21, SD = .68), measured by a 5-point Likert-scale (1 = Strongly disagree and 5 = Strongly agree). In general, the level of studentsâ perceived usability of digital libraries was moderate (M = 3.34, SD = .49), according to a 5-point Likert-scale (1 = Strongly disagree and 5 = Strongly agree). Results of linear regression and independent-samples show that studentsâ computer literacy skills were a significant predictor of their use of digital libraries, attitudes toward digital libraries, and perceived usability of digital libraries. The more skilled students were in computer literacy, the more likely they would use digital libraries (β = .299, t(221) = 2.57, p = .01); the more skilled they were in computer literacy, the more positive their attitudes were toward digital libraries (β = .201, t(225) = 3.70, p <. 001); and the more skilled they were in computer literacy, the higher the level of the perceived usability of digital libraries was (β = .115, t(202) = 2.99, p = .003). Only the access to technology and the Internet at school was significantly and positively related to studentsâ attitudes toward digital libraries. No relationships were found between the access to technology and the Internet (either at school or at home) and studentsâ use of digital libraries or their perceived usability of digital libraries. Regarding the impact of studentsâ demographic background on the three dependent variables (i.e., studentsâ use of digital libraries, attitudes toward digital libraries, and perceived usability of digital libraries), only one significant relationship was found. That is, studentsâ perceived usability of digital libraries was significantly related to their gender. Female students had a higher level of perceived usability of digital libraries
What is usability in the context of the digital library and how can it be measured?
This paper reviews how usability has been defined in the context of the digital library, what methods have been applied and their applicability, and proposes an evaluation model and a suite of instruments for evaluating usability for academic digital libraries. The model examines effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and learnability. It is found that there exists an interlocking relationship among effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. It also examines how learnability interacts with these three attributes
Access and usability issues of scholarly electronic publications
This chapter looks at the various access and usability issues related to scholarly information resources. It first looks at the various channels through which a user can get access to scholarly electronic publications. It then discusses the issues and studies surrounding usability. Some important parameters for measuring the usability of information access systems have been identified. Finally the chapter looks at the major problems facing the users in getting access to scholarly information through today's hybrid libraries, and mentions some possible measures to resolve these problems
Usability evaluation of digital libraries: a tutorial
This one-day tutorial is an introduction to usability evaluation for Digital
Libraries. In particular, we will introduce Claims Analysis. This approach
focuses on the designersâ motivations and reasons for making particular
design decisions and examines the effect on the userâs interaction with
the system. The general approach, as presented by Carroll and
Rosson(1992), has been tailored specifically to the design of digital
libraries.
Digital libraries are notoriously difficult to design well in terms of their
eventual usability. In this tutorial, we will present an overview of
usability issues and techniques for digital libraries, and a more detailed
account of claims analysis, including two supporting techniques â
simple cognitive analysis based on Normanâs âaction cycleâ and
Scenarios and personas. Through a graduated series of worked
examples, participants will get hands-on experience of applying this
approach to developing more usable digital libraries. This tutorial
assumes no prior knowledge of usability evaluation, and is aimed at all
those involved in the development and deployment of digital libraries
Digital libraries: What do users want?
This is the post-print version of the Article of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2006 EmeraldPurpose â The purpose of this study is to determine user suggestions for digital libraries' functionality and features.
Design/methodology/approach â A survey was conducted as part of this study, in which users' suggestions for digital libraries were solicited, as well as their ranking opinions on a range of suggested digital library features. Findings â The study revealed that, regardless of users' information technology (IT) backgrounds, their expectations of digital libraries' functionality are the same. However, based on users' previous experiences with digital libraries, their requirements with respect to specific features may change. Practical implications â Involving users in digital library design should be an integral step in the process of building a digital library â in addition to the classic roles of evaluation and testing. Originality/value â In previous digital library user studies, users were involved implicitly (e.g. observed) or explicitly (e.g. diary notes). However, they were never asked to suggest digital library features or functionalities, as this was left to usability and domain experts. This study approached digital library design from a new perspective, giving users an opportunity to express their suggestions on future functionality and features of digital libraries. Moreover, in contrast to previous work, this study has explicitly taken into account the IT abilities of those interacting with a digital library
Computational sense: the role of technology in the education of digital librarians
The rapid progress of digital library technology from research to implementation has created a force for change in the curricula of library schools. The education of future librarians has always had to adapt to new technologies but the pace, complexity and implications of digital libraries pose considerable challenges. In this article we explore how we might successfully blend elements of computer science and library science to produce effective educational experiences for the digital librarians of tomorrow. We first outline the background to current digital librarian education and then propose the concept of computational sense as an appropriate meeting point for these two disciplines
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