Presneted by Ben Durrant
Our Patrons are Confused!
We have different interfaces, terminology, search strategies, ways to access, etc.
Trying to navigate the library services are like trying to navigate a confusing intersection.
What are our Users doing?
web analytics = “Tag that pretty page”
- e.g. Google Analytics
- real time tracking is interesting
- make sure to use event tracking e.g. tabs, autocomplete, slideshow, social media, internal link, external link
- important to have
- code example using jQuery
track service point interactions
- e.g. Question Tracker
- question, who it was, etc.
- instruction stats reporting
user testing
Problems We Found
- need to cut down
- simply
- people don’t read
- added some more help bits
- biggest we saw: searching in the wrong place with the wrong stuff
Changes
- simplified top navigation, focus on type
- narrowed down to two things with subnavigation
- changed carousel content based on time of day, part of the semester
- focus on chat, add widget on just about everything
- popular database list, done on the fly
Design Process
- apply your template everywhere, as best as you can
- make sure people have a way to get help
- autocomplete everywhere e.g. pull XML feed -> JSON -> start typing, comparing
- journal titles – 1/3 of search doesn’t come up with anything (used to use worldcat, then use ulritch)
- call number search
- host own JS/CSS code whenever you can
- added search within journal next to journal title
- jQuery plugin “Joyride”, if no results, show popup asking if want to search somewhere else
- link resolver: do a search and ask meant article? if article button doesn’t work, ask them to search journal, if didn’t get it, use ILL; if not available electronically, tell user have to go in person
- close box using ‘x’, sets cookie doesn’t show for a week
- libguides: people only went to 1 or 2 pages, moved tags to bottom, + button to get to related guides, make a lot of the standard boxes with autocomplete, pull in staff info
- catalogue: location = made human readable, rewrite the link in order to map
- campus search results: key matches (but looks like an ad), instead use XML feed of database lists
- request process: ask “are you sure this isn’t available online?”, vastly reduced the number of requests for things already have
Summary
- look at usage patterns
- make changes that make sense in context of system
- try to guide user rather than showing everything option and link on a given page
- make small changes, add analytics code to measure
- copy other example