Harvard Library Portal

1. Harvard Library Portal Information Architecture - DRAFT May 16, 2012

2. Table of Contents

3. Introduction

4. Purpose of this Document The purpose of this document is to describe the methodology, findings and outcome of the Information Architecture component of the User Experience work stream. The methodology followed to design the Information Architecture is based on industry best practice and Deloitte’s experience in developing similar work deliverables for other organizations. The Information Architecture Model contained in this document will continue to be iteratively refined as additional feedback is obtained throughout the second phase of the Harvard University Library Portal Project. The Information Architecture will continue to be a living document and design work product that will require continuous review and enhancement as the portal evolves over time.

5. Information Architecture Introduction

6. Purpose of the Information Architecture • An Information Architecture provides the structure for organizing or categorizing content on a web property or website. • The Information Architecture is used to develop the navigational components of the website (home page, landing pages and sub-pages). It is used to tag content assets that are surfaced on the website and this tagging or classification of content assets is leveraged by search engines to enable end user search and retrieval activities. • Good Information Architecture design follows several basic principles: • User centricity – the terminology and categories created are designed to fit the end user’s perspective (as opposed the organization’s view and/or corporate structure) • Mutual exclusivity – the categories are mutually exclusive, as far as possible, to reduce the chance of misinterpretation • Simplicity – a minimal number of primary categories is preferred so as to ease end user comprehension • The Information Architecture should anticipate the most common end user activities so that the website is intuitive. The Portal Context Diagram that follows illustrates some of these end user activities and how the portal itself integrates with and is supported by other library websites, systems and search tools.

7. Portal Context Diagram • What is a Portal?In the web world, a portal is a website that gives users easy access to a vast array of resources and information, that usually resides in disparate systems. Good portals also give a user a unified User Experience and brand across these multiple resources

8. Information Architecture Methodology

9. Methodology • In developing the Information Architecture, several key activities were undertaken and are documented in the following slides: • Review of Library Websites • Card Sorting • User Persona Development • In addition, the Functional Requirements provided by Harvard also informed the development of the Information Architecture. • Library stakeholders were engaged throughout these design activities. Working artifacts, such as Personas, and the Information Architecture Model were reviewed by the Working Group. During the next phase of the project, Wireframe Review sessions and Usability Testing will validate the Information Architecture and provide an opportunity for final enhancement prior to the summer 2012 portal launch. Feedback was solicited from the Library Working Group and incorporated into a revised Information Architecture Baseline

10. Review of Select Library Websites • Parallel to the user interviews, the project team reviewed select leading higher education and non-academic library websites, analyzing their Information Architecture and navigational design elements. This research was used to inform the card sorting exercises as well as the Information Architecture and Wireframes for the new portal.

11. Review of Select Library Websites continued • The review of selected library websites revealed several common design features and navigational elements. The table below lists the most common features across the various sites along with the percentage of sites using that feature. This data informed the card sorting exercises and the design of the Information Architecture.

12. Review of Select Library Websites continued • The review of selected library websites revealed a range of design approaches from text heavy and feature rich to simple and feature lacking. In the middle we found sites that were image-heavy above the fold and text heavy below the fold. Image/Text Balance Simple, Feature Lacking Text Heavy, Feature Rich The recommended approach for Harvard is to balance visual simplicity with rich functionality. The final layout will be influenced by feedback gathered from multiple reviews with Harvard users

13. Review of Select Library Websites – Lessons Learned • Some of the key findings as a result of the library websites review were: • A single search box for searching all library resources was very common (90% of sites). This was generally segmented by media type (e.g. book, article, journal) and would display results within the selected media type in a new window • These disparate search results pages were often re-branded with the parent site’s look and feel • A persistent global navigation and bread-crumb navigation were both common (80% and 75% of sites respectively) – this is also an industry best practice • “Help’”, “About the Libraries”, “ Libraries and Collections”, and “Library Services” were the most common global navigation categories (70%, 70%, 60%, 55% respectively). The category names varied slightly across the reviewed sites • Search and Research were often used interchangeably as a global navigation category. Collectively they were used as a global navigation category across 60% of the reviewed sites • Prominent location of Search and Discovery widgets segmented by clear, distinct media types • A trend towards dynamic featured content – a trend we also see in commercial websites • Non-academic libraries focus on engaging websites that follow graphical industry trends • Room for improvement in reaching audience through social media – this is a current web trend where library websites are lagging • Successful content rich home pages have widgets that allow users to change the content type displayed on the page These lessons learned helped inform the card sorting and wireframe design activities

14. Card Sorting Analysis • Based on the review of higher education and non-academic library websites, a collection of categories and content items were identified to be used in the card sorting activities • Purpose of Card Sorting Exercises • There can be any number of ways to organize content items into logical categories to facilitate more intuitive content navigation and discovery. • Card sorting exercises allow the present or future users of a system define key categories and place content items into those categories. Patterns emerge which help understand how these users view the content. • Card Sorting Approach • Two types of card sorting activities were performed online with Harvard students, faculty, library staff, and other staff. • Open Sort – In the first round of card sorting, participants were given a list of content items based on the content currently housed within the existing Harvard Library Portal and additional content areas documented in the requirements and user requests. Participants then organized these content items in a logical way and named the resulting categories. • Closed Sort – Leveraging the results of the open card sort and the review of selected library websites, categories were defined and content items were condensed and renamed. Participants then organized the content items into the pre-defined categories.

15. Card Sorting Analysis continued • Open Card Sort Results • The large number of content items (62) was overwhelming • The existing terminology on the site was confusing to users and required explanation • There was a lack of consistent categories defined by the participants • Several requests to place one content item in multiple categories due to their importance to the research process • Closed Card Sort Results • Category results were much more consistent across participants • Research category was too broad and contained too many items, split category into two smaller, more focused categories • The key categories identified as a result of this exercise were: • Search • Research Support & Tools • Libraries & Collections • About the Library • Help

16. User Personas User personas were developed help to paint a clear picture of typical target user groups and describe how/why they will be using the Library Portal. Personas also help in determining key user goals, tasks, and they help inform the IA. Five key Library portal personas were defined based on user feedback * Faculty members, undergraduate students, graduate students, library staff and external researchers can be described by one or more persona and may approach using the Library Portal from different personal perspectives depending upon the task at hand

17. Information Architecture Model

18. Information Architecture Structure The Information Architecture Model follows on the next several pages. The first view of the Model is a high level summary of the Information Architecture consisting of 5 categories and their associated pages. A detailed view of the Information Architecture follows depicting the types of users that will access the site, the personas that those users assume when using the site, categories, pages, sub pages, secondary content, and external sources, all defined below. Various end-users of the site that are embodied by an individual person The personality or mindset that a person may have, and embody in their interactions with the site. Users may function as multiple personas in a given session or across their interactions Key content or topic areas that users might be seeking. Generally Action or Process oriented Uses or questions that users are looking to solve as part of the Action or Process Main categorization of content Key components of the core content area (internal to the portal) Key components of the core content area (external to the portal) Other Actions or information people tend to associate with this particular Action (secondary relationships found within card sorting and user research) Other sources outside of the portal that are supportive or related to the Action Users Personas Category Goals Page Internal Sub Page Internal Sub Page Secondary Content External

19. Harvard Library Information Architecture - Summary Category About the Library Search Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Help Research Tools Find a Library Mission General Information Catalogs and Databases Page 73 Library Profile Pages Staff Resources HOLLIS Harvard Refworks FAQ Internal Sub Page Archives & Collections Staff Directory HOLLIS Classic Endnote Support for Users with Disabilities External Sub Page Staff Profile Pages E-Resources Harvard LibX Archive Profile Pages Access and Technology Questions Primo Central Citation Linker Collection Profile Pages Library Operations For Visitors DASH Research Support Digital Collections Library Technology Services For Donors E-Journals Ask a Librarian Harvard Library Resources Technical Services Report a Problem Tell Us Geospatial Library Research FAQs Technology and Devices Access Services Google Book Search Research Guides Space Preservation Services Google Scholar How to Cite Sources Contribute your Research Depository IQSS Dataverse Help Finding Materials Programs and Initiatives OASIS Library Services Library Transition VIA Get It Services Library Innovation WAX Scan and Deliver Library Digital Initiative Interlibrary Loan Search Beyond Harvard Calendar, News, Events Borrow Direct

20. Harvard Library Information Architecture - Detail Users Researcher Faculty Students Staff and Librarians Visitors Personas Experienced Researcher Novice Researcher Educator Explorer Information Seeker Category About the Library Search Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Help Goals Research Tools Find a Library Mission General Information Catalogs and Databases Page FAQ 73 Library Profile Pages Staff Resources HOLLIS Harvard Refworks Internal Sub Page Support for Users with Disabilities Archives & Collections Staff Directory HOLLIS Classic Endnote External Sub Page Staff Profile Pages Access and Technology Questions E-Resources Harvard LibX Archive Profile Pages For Visitors Primo Central Citation Linker Collection Profile Pages Library Operations For Donors DASH Research Support Digital Collections Library Technology Services Report a Problem E-Journals Ask a Librarian Harvard Library Resources Technical Services Tell Us Geospatial Library Research FAQs Technology and Devices Access Services Google Book Search Research Guides Space Preservation Services Google Scholar How to Cite Sources Contribute your Research Depository IQSS Dataverse Help Finding Materials Programs and Initiatives OASIS Library Services Library Transition VIA Get It Services Library Innovation WAX Scan and Deliver Library Digital Initiative Search Beyond Harvard Interlibrary Loan Calendar, News, Events Borrow Direct Secondary Content Research Support and Tools Search Search Libraries and Collections Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Libraries and Collections About the Library Help Search Help Help Help Find a Library About the Library External Harvard.edu Centralized Hours and Info database Donation page Social Media Sources Databases and Collections Individual Library Pages

21. Sample Persona to Information Architecture Mapping – Experienced Researcher Users Researcher Faculty Students Staff and Librarians Visitors Personas Experienced Researcher Novice Researcher Educator Explorer Information Seeker Category About the Library Search Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Help Goals Research Tools Find a Library Mission General Information Catalogs and Databases Page FAQ 73 Library Profile Pages Staff Resources HOLLIS Harvard Refworks Internal Sub Page Support for Users with Disabilities Archives & Collections Staff Directory HOLLIS Classic Endnote External Sub Page Staff Profile Pages Access and Technology Questions E-Resources Harvard LibX Archive Profile Pages For Visitors Primo Central Citation Linker Collection Profile Pages Library Operations For Donors DASH Research Support Digital Collections Library Technology Services Report a Problem E-Journals Ask a Librarian Harvard Library Resources Technical Services Tell Us Geospatial Library Research FAQs Technology and Devices Access Services Google Book Search Research Guides Space Preservation Services Google Scholar How to Cite Sources Contribute your Research Depository IQSS Dataverse Help Finding Materials Programs and Initiatives OASIS Library Services Library Transition VIA Get It Services Library Innovation WAX Scan and Deliver Library Digital Initiative Search Beyond Harvard Interlibrary Loan Calendar, News, Events Borrow Direct Secondary Content Research Support and Tools Search Search Libraries and Collections Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Libraries and Collections About the Library Help Search Help Help Help Find a Library About the Library External Harvard.edu Centralized Hours and Info database Donation page Social Media Sources Databases and Collections Individual Library Pages

22. Sample Persona to Information Architecture Mapping – Novice Researcher Users Researcher Faculty Students Staff and Librarians Visitors Personas Experienced Researcher Novice Researcher Educator Explorer Information Seeker Category About the Library Search Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Help Goals Research Tools Find a Library Mission General Information Catalogs and Databases Page FAQ 73 Library Profile Pages Staff Resources HOLLIS Harvard Refworks Internal Sub Page Support for Users with Disabilities Archives & Collections Staff Directory HOLLIS Classic Endnote External Sub Page Staff Profile Pages Access and Technology Questions E-Resources Harvard LibX Archive Profile Pages For Visitors Primo Central Citation Linker Collection Profile Pages Library Operations For Donors DASH Research Support Digital Collections Library Technology Services Report a Problem E-Journals Ask a Librarian Harvard Library Resources Technical Services Tell Us Geospatial Library Research FAQs Technology and Devices Access Services Google Book Search Research Guides Space Preservation Services Google Scholar How to Cite Sources Contribute your Research Depository IQSS Dataverse Help Finding Materials Programs and Initiatives OASIS Library Services Library Transition VIA Get It Services Library Innovation WAX Scan and Deliver Library Digital Initiative Search Beyond Harvard Interlibrary Loan Calendar, News, Events Borrow Direct Secondary Content Research Support and Tools Search Search Libraries and Collections Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Libraries and Collections About the Library Help Searchh Help Help Help Find a Library About the Library External Harvard.edu Centralized Hours and Info database Donation page Social Media Sources Databases and Collections Individual Library Pages

23. Sample Persona to Information Architecture Mapping - Educator Users Researcher Faculty Students Staff and Librarians Visitors Personas Experienced Researcher Novice Researcher Educator Explorer Information Seeker Category About the Library Search Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Help Goals Research Tools Find a Library Mission General Information Catalogs and Databases Page FAQ 73 Library Profile Pages Staff Resources HOLLIS Harvard Refworks Internal Sub Page Support for Users with Disabilities Archives & Collections Staff Directory HOLLIS Classic Endnote External Sub Page Staff Profile Pages Access and Technology Questions E-Resources Harvard LibX Archive Profile Pages For Visitors Primo Central Citation Linker Collection Profile Pages Library Operations For Donors DASH Research Support Digital Collections Library Technology Services Report a Problem E-Journals Ask a Librarian Harvard Library Resources Technical Services Tell Us Geospatial Library Research FAQs Technology and Devices Access Services Google Book Search Research Guides Space Preservation Services Google Scholar How to Cite Sources Contribute your Research Depository IQSS Dataverse Help Finding Materials Programs and Initiatives OASIS Library Services Library Transition VIA Get It Services Library Innovation WAX Scan and Deliver Library Digital Initiative Search Beyond Harvard Interlibrary Loan Calendar, News, Events Borrow Direct Secondary Content Research Support and Tools Search Search Libraries and Collections Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Libraries and Collections About the Library Help Search Help Help Help Find a Library About the Library External Harvard.edu Centralized Hours and Info database Donation page Social Media Sources Databases and Collections Individual Library Pages

24. Sample Persona to Information Architecture Mapping - Explorer Users Researcher Faculty Students Staff and Librarians Visitors Personas Experienced Researcher Novice Researcher Educator Explorer Information Seeker Category About the Library Search Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Help Goals Research Tools Find a Library Mission General Information Catalogs and Databases Page FAQ 73 Library Profile Pages Staff Resources HOLLIS Harvard Refworks Internal Sub Page Support for Users with Disabilities Archives & Collections Staff Directory HOLLIS Classic Endnote External Sub Page Staff Profile Pages Access and Technology Questions E-Resources Harvard LibX Archive Profile Pages For Visitors Primo Central Citation Linker Collection Profile Pages Library Operations For Donors DASH Research Support Digital Collections Library Technology Services Report a Problem E-Journals Ask a Librarian Harvard Library Resources Technical Services Tell Us Geospatial Library Research FAQs Technology and Devices Access Services Google Book Search Research Guides Space Preservation Services Google Scholar How to Cite Sources Contribute your Research Depository IQSS Dataverse Help Finding Materials Programs and Initiatives OASIS Library Services Library Transition VIA Get It Services Library Innovation WAX Scan and Deliver Library Digital Initiative Search Beyond Harvard Interlibrary Loan Calendar, News, Events Borrow Direct Secondary Content Research Support and Tools Search Search Libraries and Collections Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Libraries and Collections About the Library Help Search Help Help Help Find a Library About the Library External Harvard.edu Centralized Hours and Info database Donation page Social Media Sources Databases and Collections Individual Library Pages

25. Sample Persona to Information Architecture Mapping – Information Seeker Users Researcher Faculty Students Staff and Librarians Visitors Personas Experienced Researcher Novice Researcher Educator Explorer Information Seeker Category About the Library Search Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Help Goals Research Tools Find a Library Mission General Information Catalogs and Databases Page FAQ 73 Library Profile Pages Staff Resources HOLLIS Harvard Refworks Internal Sub Page Support for Users with Disabilities Archives & Collections Staff Directory HOLLIS Classic Endnote External Sub Page Staff Profile Pages Access and Technology Questions E-Resources Harvard LibX Archive Profile Pages For Visitors Primo Central Citation Linker Collection Profile Pages Library Operations For Donors DASH Research Support Digital Collections Library Technology Services Report a Problem E-Journals Ask a Librarian Harvard Library Resources Technical Services Tell Us Geospatial Library Research FAQs Technology and Devices Access Services Google Book Search Research Guides Space Preservation Services Google Scholar How to Cite Sources Contribute your Research Depository IQSS Dataverse Help Finding Materials Programs and Initiatives OASIS Library Services Library Transition VIA Get It Services Library Innovation WAX Scan and Deliver Library Digital Initiative Search Beyond Harvard Interlibrary Loan Calendar, News, Events Borrow Direct Secondary Content Research Support and Tools Search Search Libraries and Collections Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Libraries and Collections About the Library Help Search Help Help Help Find a Library About the Library External Harvard.edu Centralized Hours and Info database Donation page Social Media Sources Databases and Collections Individual Library Pages

26. Sample User to Information Architecture Mapping – Faculty Member Users Researcher Faculty Students Staff and Librarians Visitors Personas Experienced Researcher Novice Researcher Educator Explorer Information Seeker Category About the Library Search Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Help Goals Research Tools Find a Library Mission General Information Catalogs and Databases Page FAQ 73 Library Profile Pages Staff Resources HOLLIS Harvard Refworks Internal Sub Page Support for Users with Disabilities Archives & Collections Staff Directory HOLLIS Classic Endnote External Sub Page Staff Profile Pages Access and Technology Questions E-Resources Harvard LibX Archive Profile Pages For Visitors Primo Central Citation Linker Collection Profile Pages Library Operations For Donors DASH Research Support Digital Collections Library Technology Services Report a Problem E-Journals Ask a Librarian Harvard Library Resources Technical Services Tell Us Geospatial Library Research FAQs Technology and Devices Access Services Google Book Search Research Guides Space Preservation Services Google Scholar How to Cite Sources Contribute your Research Depository IQSS Dataverse Help Finding Materials Programs and Initiatives OASIS Library Services Library Transition VIA Get It Services Library Innovation WAX Scan and Deliver Library Digital Initiative Search Beyond Harvard Interlibrary Loan Calendar, News, Events Borrow Direct Secondary Content Research Support and Tools Search Search Libraries and Collections Research Support and Tools Libraries and Collections Libraries and Collections About the Library Help Search Help Help Help Find a Library About the Library External Harvard.edu Centralized Hours and Info database Donation page Social Media Sources Databases and Collections Individual Library Pages

27. Information Architecture Next Steps • The Information Architecture of the Harvard Library Portal will continue to evolve throughout the design and testing processes. Wireframe Review sessions and Usability Testing will validate the Information Architecture and provide an opportunity for adjustments prior to the summer 2012 portal launch. - 27 -