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Usage of the Libraries Website on Smart Phones. - Arpit Bansal - Richard Cau - Deepa Prabhu. OUTLINE. METHODS WE USED WHO WE INTERVIEWED PRELIMINARY RESULTS MOCK-UPS AND SUGGESTIONS FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS TIME TABLE QUESTIONS. METHODS WE USED. INTERVIEWS TO OBTAIN USER FEEDBACK
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Usage of the Libraries Website on Smart Phones - Arpit Bansal - Richard Cau - Deepa Prabhu
OUTLINE • METHODS WE USED • WHO WE INTERVIEWED • PRELIMINARY RESULTS • MOCK-UPS AND SUGGESTIONS • FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS • TIME TABLE • QUESTIONS
METHODS WE USED • INTERVIEWS TO OBTAIN USER FEEDBACK • Generic questions about smart phone usage • Attempts to find a book • Ease of use and mobile site interface usability • EXPERT ADVICE FOR INTERFACE EVALUATION • Consulted with faculty member with real-world smart phone philosophy design experience • COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INTERFACE • Looked at other library mobile sites from UCR, MIT, NCSU, and Rice University
WHO WE INTERVIEWED • UNDERGRADUATES (2 candidates) • Computer Science • Chemistry • GRADUATES (6 candidates) • ICS • Education • Art and Design • International Students • FACULTY (2 candidates) • History • ICS
PRELIMINARY RESULTS - 1 • ‘SEARCH’ OPTION FOUND AMBIGUOUS • Difficult to differentiate between find books, databases, and search • List of search results are difficult to sift through • PAGES LINK TO FULL SITES (not mobile-friendly) • Course Guides, Find Books, and some Databases • Main page was not automatically formatted for mobile screen dimension on some smart phones (phone browser error?) • ‘HOW DO I’ OPTION (DISLIKE ) • Videos not preferred
PRELIMINARY RESULTS - 2 • JARGON USED • Not all users know them (i.e. UC E-links) • ‘FIND BOOKS’ OPTION LOADS WORLDCAT • Mobile site exists as well as an app • SOME OPTIONS SEEM UNNECESSARY • We will go over them later in the presentation • EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS FINE
NEW ADDITIONS Will go over later REPLACED Ask a Librarian How Do I Find Books […] Search Tell Us What You Think ‘RETURN TO MAIN SITE’ Needed on each sub-page Should not rely on browser’s ‘BACK’ button MOCK-UP: GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
SUGGESIONS: FIND BOOKS • REMOVE ‘FIND BOOKS’ ICON • User Melvyl or AntPac Search Bar on Top • Search bar suggested by interviewees
ODD ERROR WITH ‘FIND BOOKS’? Smart phone loads Full WorldCat Site PC Browser loads Mobile WorldCat Beta
SUGGESTIONS: HOURS AND LOCATIONS UCI only lists TODAYS's Hours Would be better if it listed Weekly Hours (from UCR)
SUGGESTIONS: CONTACT US • CREATE ‘CONTACT US’ PAGE • Can incorporate the ‘Ask Librarians’ page • Rather than sub-options, just lists out information • Include information for Library Front Desk as well as Librarian • INFORMATION NECESSARY • Phones numbers (text and call) • E-mail • Option to chat
SUGGESTIONS: NEWS AND EVENTS Have a ‘News and Events’ feed which highlights new book arrivals, events, and library related news for interested users (idea and image from Rice University)
SUGGESTIONS: DATABASES • GENERAL TRENDS OBSERVED • ICS majors do not use it as often • Majors in the sciences and humanities use them more • INCORPORATION OF MOBILE VERSIONS • Some databases have mobile sites • Build better interface for those that do not?
SUGGESTIONS: CONNECT FROM OFF-CAMPUS INTERVIEWEES LIKE IT! Many use their own 3G/4G Network, this allows them to use on-campus resources from off-campus
SUGGESTIONS: COURSE GUIDE • NOT MANY INTERVIEWEES USED THIS • Not on their smart phones anyways • SITE IS NOT MOBILE FRIENDLY • Loads a page suited for a PC browser • PROPOSED SUGGESTIONS FROM INTERVIEWEES • Link to EEE • This way, course information will be dynamic • Can retrieve relevant course information without sifting through site
SUGGESTIONS: FLOOR PLANS AND SERVICES Supply a general Directory floors of a library Floor maps may be useful (idea and images from UCR)
SUGGESTIONS: FAQ • HAVE COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS • Have text questions and solutions • INTERVIEWEES PREFER TEXT OVER VIDEOS • Want to find answers to questions as soon as possible • Do not want to watch whole video to find one point of interest
SUGGESTIONS: GO TO FULL WEBSITE Hard to notice Does not look ‘clickable’ Button is more noticeable (idea and image from NCSU)
FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS • BOOK CART • Keep track of books of interest (i.e. using cookies) • APP VERSIONS OF MOBILE SITE • CHECK COMPUTER AVALIABILITY • See what computers in the libraries are free for use • CUSTOMIZATION FOR USER PREFERENCES • Have only options that users want on their mobile page • SPEECH TO TEXT/COMMAND FUNCTIONALITY • Voice command interface