Andy priestner all links on this page will open in a new window, by the way is a librarian. This article explores how libraries can use a designthinking approach to improve the user experience in physical library spaces, particularly with respect to signage, based on our experience at the uts library, a university library in australia that serves the university of technology sydney uts. However, not much is known about how the library space contributes to user learning. We report findings from an assessment of e book user experience search and information seeking from usage data and user tests. This webcast, recorded april 18, 20, describes research conducted at the university of illinois at urbanachampaign on how libraries and library users value ebooks. Behling and cudd 1967 assert that the library user is regarded as. Targeted investment in ebooks that prioritize user experience in the ways we assessed it here can help minimize. A summary of user surveys, including ways of doing things, and putting into use as well as data analysis, might offer reference and practical experience for the fnu libraries. Methods, effect and challenges of library instruction in. Matt borg, was an academic librarian at sheffield hallam university for fourteen years, during which time he was responsible for a new researchbased approach to user experience. Library assessment is the practice of evaluating library services, resources, spaces, and other areas to determine.
Their usage makes the academic library a valuable learning space on campus. By eliminating physical handling and shelving of printed books as well as simplifying user searches, ebooks. Assessing the user experience of ebooks in academic libraries we report findings from an assessment of ebook user experience search and information seeking from usage data and user tests. User experience or ux, as it is defined in the library context, is a suite of techniques based around first understanding and then improving the experiences people have when using our library services. Assessing user experience of ebooks in academic libraries 1. User groups in academic libraries bibliographic instruction. Assessing user experience of ebooks in academic libraries. Publishers, librarians, and users provides readers with a view of the changing and emerging roles of electronic books in higher education. We use cookies to deliver a better user experience and to show you ads based on your interests. The effectiveness and efficiency of services provided in academic libraries are mainly determined by library users. Assessing user experience of ebooks in academic libraries tao zhang, marlen promann 1 xi niu department of software and information systems university of north carolina at charlotte purdue university libraries 2. Aug 01, 2017 assessing the user experience of ebooks in academic libraries tao zhang, xi niu, marlen promann, college and research libraries, vol 78, no 5 2017.
Altman was coeditor of the jal guide to the professional literature in the journal of academic librarianship, a member of the editorial board of library quarterly, and a coauthor of performance measures for public libraries. Usability assessment of academic digital libraries. Many published studies have examined aspects of the role of ebooks in academic libraries and higher education. Benefits to academic and research libraries author 7 rita a. Assessing the user experience of ebooks in academic libraries tao zhang, xi niu, marlen promann, college and research libraries, vol 78, no 5 2017. List of books and articles about academic libraries. For academic libraries in particular, there is a responsibility to preserve scholarly communications as well as the primary resources upon which scholarship often depends. User experience ux characterizes how a person feels about using a product, system or service. Libraryfocused studies are often designed to inform collectiondevelopment decisions regarding the acquisition of print versus ematerials. User survey plays an important role in the librarys service quality improvement. Ux design incorporates the practical aspects of utility, ease of use and efficiency to make your web design and functionality decisions with patrons in mind. Matt borg was an academic librarian at sheffield hallam university for fourteen years, during which time he was responsible for a new researchbased approach to user experience. Disciplines are defined in part and recognized, by most academic institutions in which research is published, and by the learned societies and academic departments or faculties to which their practitioners belong. It utilises ethnography and design to achieve this.
Request pdf the user experience of ebooks in academic libraries. The challenge of ebooks in libraries academic library perspective academic libraries have been early adopters of scholarly ebooks. More ebooks offered academic libraries were early adopters of ebookswe found that the 339 u. The association of college and research libraries acrl assessment in action aia was a multiyear professional development program that ran from 20 to 2016, funded in part by the institute of museum and library services imls and in partnership with the association for institutional research and the association of public and landgrant universitie. Library assessment differs from academic assessment because library impact on student and faculty outcomes often cant be measured directly.
Satisfying the needs of the user is the prime objective in academic libraries. According to a 2012 library journal study, ebook holdings in academic libraries went up an average of 41% between 2011 and 2012. In assessing library space for learning, chapters discuss library usage at academic institutions and how that usage is an integral part of the student learning experience. Apr 22, 20 this webcast, recorded april 18, 20, describes research conducted at the university of illinois at urbanachampaign on how libraries and library users value ebooks. Academic libraries and users webcast association of research libraries april 18, 20. We report findings from an assessment of ebook user experience search and information seeking from usage data and user tests. Library user surveys have become widespread in academic libraries during the past twenty years. The results show that uiuc users assigned a high value to elsevier ebooks for research purposes. The topics covered in the latter half of this book, design, assessment. Has the approval plan stood the test of time, many now ask, as some libraries move away from buying to own to embrace the accessbased services.
An academic discipline, or field of study, is a branch of knowledge that is taught and researched at the college or university level. The three main sections contain contributions by experts in the publishervendor arena, as well as by librarians who report on both the challenges of offering and managing ebooks. Paper assessing the user experience of ebooks in academic. Libraries exist to collect the record of human experience and to provide intellectual and physical access to that record.
Academic and public libraries are continuing to transform as the information landscape changes, expanding their missions into new service roles that call for improved organizational performance and accountability. Contributors 7 wendy allen shelburne, university of illinois at urbana champaign, united states 7 john ingram, university of florida, united states 7 antero laiho, university library of turku, finland. While many published articles address user satisfaction with ebooks, most gauge user satisfaction with surveys or usage analysis. The three main sections contain contributions by experts in the publishervendor arena, as well as by librarians who report on both the challenges of offering and managing ebooks and on. Impact of electronic resources and usage in academic. A well stocked academic library is a storehouse of information, or a record of human experience to which users may turn to for data or information. Assessing the user experience of ebooks in academic. The value of academic libraries the library is not just a repository, or a service like any other, or a place for study.
Issues related to the adoption of ebooks in academic. Academic librarians have planned for, experimented with, and gener ally been waiting for the ebook revolution as a solution to many library challenges and for the advantages the ebook provides to users. Matt borg, was an academic librarian at sheffield hallam university for fourteen years, during which time he was responsible for a. Library instruction is a core activity of academic libraries that entails educating, enlightening, guiding and helping the library users to identify, understand and utilize library information. The usage data showed that most reading sessions were brief and focused on certain pages, suggesting that users mainly use ebooks to find specific. Academic libraries are identified by the postsecondary institution of which they are a part and provide all of the following. It is found in the study that there exists an interlocking relationship among effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. This study is to develop and evaluate methods and instruments for assessing the usability of digital libraries. User experience ux design for libraries rakuten kobo. It has two major customer segment of academic staff and undergraduate students. Roth, formerly library advisor udc 024 central library, indian institute of technology, kanpur, u. An assessment of user satisfaction in academic libraries.
Perception, discovery, and use ebooks are being widely adopted as a new format of scholarly information to meet increasing. Middle management in academic and public libraries by tom diamond libraries unlimited, 2011. Ebooks in academic libraries article pdf available in the electronic library 231. Assessing the value of ebooks to academic libraries and. Evaluating academic ebook platforms from a user perspective christina mune and ann agee introduction across all types of libraries in the united states, ebook usage and acquisition continues to rise. Assessing the user experience of ebooks in academic libraries 589 as another example, the ebl e book platform shows pages in image form by default, which does not support direct text selection. This is partially due to csu libraries early adoption of ejournals, which has been wildly successful. Issues related to the adoption of ebooks in academic libraries. Lets fix them 249 joelle thomas and galadriel chilton. It discusses the dimensions of usability, what methods have been applied in evaluating usability of digital libraries, their applicability, and criteria.
University of york, proceedings of the 9th northumbria international conference on performance measurement in libraries and information services. Surveys have often been used as a tool to assess service quality and user satisfaction. Meeting the needs of student users in academic libraries. Assessing user needs, satisfaction, and library performance at the. The user experience of ebooks in academic libraries. Stepping up to the challenge provides readers with a view of the changing and emerging roles of electronic books in higher education. Assessing the value of ebooks to academic libraries and users. The majority of academic libraries, 2,417, were open between 6099 hours during a typical week.
The use of the kurzweil reading machine in academic libraries. Perception, discovery, and use 207 tao zhang and xi niu 14 ebook reading practices in different subject areas. Assessing the user experience of ebooks in academic libraries we report findings from an assessment of e book user experience search and information seeking from usage data and user tests. She received the distinguished alumni award from rutgers school of communication, information and library studies, in. Stewart saunders 15 library ebook platforms are broken. Ask so you can give referenceresearch service for the disabled in academic libraries. Many academic libraries offer an array of library services to their offcampus and distance students, but library instruction for these populations is still a challenge. He is also the founder of the ux in libraries conference and provides training and consultancy on the subject. The majority of academic libraries, 2,417, were open between 6099 hours during a typical week in the fall of 2012 derived from table 2.
The results revealed features that were helpful or sought by student users and those that created barriers in the user experience. He is now a solutions expert at proquests ex libris, where he works to bring new technology to libraries across europe, as well as a freelance trainer in ux techniques. Jubb and green 2007 observe that academic libraries have for centuries played critically. Thus, the library assessment unit collaborates with library faculty and staff to design and track meaningful measures of the libraries impact on unlv students and faculty. Assessing the user experience of ebooks in academic libraries. Assessing user needs, satisfaction, and library performance. However, the adoption of ebookshas been slower than it was for ejournals. It can also be a partner in research and in teaching, and institutions which fail to capitalise fully on this asset will find it harder to compete in the future. This freebook thus provides library practitioners and students of library and information science lis with a clear introduction to humancentered design, ethnographic methods, information access and exchange, as well as the use of physical space in the library all of which is in light of the user experience ux in the library. Therefore this present study seeks to investigate whether there is a relationship between the independent variables level of awareness. It would be pertinent to discover whether academic libraries are indeed living up to their objectives. Meeting the needs of student users in academic libraries surveys and evaluates the current practice of learning commons and research services within the academic library community in order to determine if these learning spaces are functioning as intended. Since assessing service quality premiered in 1998, receiving the prestigious highsmith library literature award, scores of library managers and administrators have.
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