Library and Information Science Commons^™

Using Student Researchers To Assess The Digital Collections User Experience, Rebecca A. Wiederhold, Lindsey Memory, Jonathan Jarvis, Greg Seppi, Madeleine Meldrum, Hannah Bozue

Faculty Publications

Following the closure of the Harold B. Lee Library’s special collections during the pandemic, the presenters designed a study to assess the usability of our CONTENTdm system. The library collaborated with a sociology professor to have students from his qualitative research methods class administer the study, observing other undergraduates using the system to perform tasks, and interviewing them about their experiences. In this presentation, the librarians, the sociology professor, and two students will share lessons learned from this experience, including small disappointments and unexpected benefits. We’ll also share the study methodology and suggestions for optimizing this type of professional collaboration …