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Full-Text Articles in Library and Information Science
Academic Libraries, Government Information, And The Persistent Problem Of Jargon, Jennifer P. Kirk, Alex J. Sundt, Teagan Eastman
Academic Libraries, Government Information, And The Persistent Problem Of Jargon, Jennifer P. Kirk, Alex J. Sundt, Teagan Eastman
Library Faculty & Staff Publications
The shift to born-digital and digitized materials has ultimately increased access and convenience for users, but in many ways it has also complicated the process of finding information. While users may struggle with catalog interfaces or reading call numbers, most have a basic understanding of how to locate a physical book. But in the digital environment, users have no built-in model for what sequence of clicks or keywords will get them to the information they need. This problem is exacerbated for specialized areas like government information, where more and more data and documents are readily available online via a variety …
Chatting Without Borders: Assessment As The First Step In Cultivating An Accessible Chat Reference Service, Teagan Eastman, Mckenzie Hyde, Katie Strand, Rachel Wishkoski
Chatting Without Borders: Assessment As The First Step In Cultivating An Accessible Chat Reference Service, Teagan Eastman, Mckenzie Hyde, Katie Strand, Rachel Wishkoski
Library Faculty & Staff Publications
As distance education programs grow at college and universities across the country, libraries must ensure virtual reference services are prepared to meet the needs of patrons in these programs. This article describes the process and results of a 2018 chat analysis conducted at a midsize research university with a large distance education program. The authors discuss the implications of their findings, as well as their process of closing the assessment loop. By using data to inform changes to virtual reference services, chat becomes more accessible and approachable to all users regardless of location.
Informing Website Navigation Design With Team-Based Card Sorting, Alex Sundt, Teagan Eastman
Informing Website Navigation Design With Team-Based Card Sorting, Alex Sundt, Teagan Eastman
Library Faculty & Staff Publications
In 2016, Utah State University (USU) Libraries redesigned the library website’s main menu and underlying information architecture (IA) in response to a number of known usability problems and limitations. Card sorting studies were conducted with a group of USU undergraduate students and a mixed group of faculty and graduate students to help develop a better understanding of users’ mental models of library-related research and service tasks. Participants worked in teams to sort, rank and label cards pertaining to the content and feature of the library’s website. Afterwards, participants discussed and performed usability tasks on each other’s categories. Results were used …