1. The Front End Design of & Usability for ERM Data Amy Fry, Electronic Resources Coordinator Bowling Green State University http://www.slideshare.net/amyfry2000/training-daypresentation-7884397

2. Goals for this presentation What best practices for databases webpages should we follow? How do libraries structure full resource records, and what do users look for in them? Usability testing: tips and resources

3. The Front End: Landing page Portal or landing page for all databases Databases A-Z list (separate from e-journals) Databases-by-subject pages (usually separate from other course and subject guides) Full resource records – information pages about each individual database BGSU

4. The Front End: A-Z list Portal or landing page for all databases Databases A-Z list (separate from e-journals) Databases-by-subject pages (usually separate from other course and subject guides) Full resource records – information pages about each individual database Kent State University

5. The Front End: DBs by subject Portal or landing page for all databases Databases A-Z list (separate from e-journals) Databases-by-subject pages (usually separate from other course and subject guides) Full resource records – information pages about each individual database Case Western Reserve

6. The Front End: Full records Portal or landing page for all databases Databases A-Z list (separate from e-journals) Databases-by-subject pages (usually separate from other course and subject guides) Full resource records – information pages about each individual database OhioLINK Wright State University

7. 2010 survey of ARL library websites Databases A-Z list Databases-by-subject lists Full resource records Software Discovery layer or federated search Link name Order of databases-by-subject lists Use of icons/graphics

8. Other surveys of ARL library sites Cohen and Calsada (2003) Found that 66 of 114 academic ARLs used database-driven webpages to present their e-resources in 2002. Shorten (2006) Found that 88.6% of ARL libraries had databases A-Z lists in 2003, and 10.5% also categorized them by type. Caudle and Schmitz (2007) Found that 97% of the 99 American academic libraries in ARL had a databases A-Z list, 96% had databases-by-subject lists and 27% had federated searching.

9. Type of system# of libraries%* Homegrown8171.1% Metalib1412.3% Innovative87% LibGuides43.5% Xerxes43.5% WebFeat21.75% LibData1<1% Type of system Homegrown: 71.1% *Percentages are based on 114 libraries (excluding 7 national/special libraries and 4 libraries whose databases pages were behind a login) Kent State University

10. Types of access # of libraries % Databases A-Z11197 Databases-by- subject lists 9180 Full resource records 8373 All three7364 University of Missouri-Columbia

11. Subject list order# of libraries% By relevance3841.8% By format77.7% Alphabetical only4650.5% Order of subject lists University of Connecticut

12. University of Missouri-Columbia

13. Icon# of libraries Access restrictions38 More information27 Full text9 Magnifying glass (Metalib: search in database) 5 Tutorials4 Funding source3 Format (audio, etc.)3 Plus sign (Metalib: add to a set) 2 Social media2 Metasearch2 Logo/screenshot2 RefWorks1 New1 Plus-star1 SFX1 Libraries using icons or graphics: 64 (56%) Use of icons and graphics

14. University of Cincinnati

15. Name of Link Link title begins with…# of libraries%Examples “Databases”4741%Databases (30), Databases A-Z (8) “Articles”2218.6%Article Databases (4) Articles & Databases (8) “E” or “Electronic”1613.6%E-Resources (7), Electronic Resources (5) “Find”86.8%Find Articles (3) Find Articles & Databases (1) “Research”86.8%Research Databases (3) “Search”43.4%Search & Find (2), Search a Database (1) “Indexes”21.7%Indexes & Databases (1) Indexes & Databases (Articles) (1) “Journal”21.7%Journal Articles (2) Branded names21.7%Vera: E-Journals & Databases Galileo @ UGA Other4< 1% each Resource Gateway – Resources More Databases All Databases A-Z and Database Finder Online Research Resources (Databases)

16. What’s in full records? Wright State OhioLINK BGSU

17. Survey Question 9 What types of information are currently collected in your library's ERM system and to whom does that information display? Check all that apply. Answer OptionsIn ERM?Display to public?Display to staff? formats Databases 14813 Electronic journals 12511 Electronic books 847 “public” info Resource descriptions 14712 License information (permissions) 14613 Coverage dates 656 Resource advisories 757 Trial information 828 Tutorials/user guides 525 “library” info Vendor/contact information 12110 License information for ILL/fair use 11410 Login/passwords 1008 Renewal information 908 Purchase approval information 404 Payment history 404

18. Student comments on a resource record from BGSU’s 2010 usability study

19. Fields in resource recordsImportantConfusing Not needed Most important fields Description1401 Dates1010 Full text710 Most confusing fields Mobile access0103 Coverage load261 On-campus access140 Least important fields User support223 Mobile access0103 Local contact412

20. BGSU usability study: steps and timeline 1.Identify goals (December 2009) 2.Complete Human Subjects Review Board (HSRB) training (January 2010) 3.Submit HSRB application, including script, recruitment materials, consent form (January 2010) 4.Obtain funding for incentives (January 2010) 5.Test the instrument (February 2010) 6.Recruit participants (February 2010) 7.Complete the testing (February-March 2010) 8.Analyze results (March-April 2010) 9.Present findings and recommendations (April-May 2010)

21. Lehman & Nikkel, 2008 Foster & Gibbons, 2007 Krug, 2006

22. Other library usability studies Hammill (2003) Did common task testing with 52 users at Florida International University Libraries, including finding a named database. Krueger, Ray and Knight (2004) Did common task testing with 134 users at the University of the Pacific Library. Fuller, Livingston, Brown, Cowan, Wood and Porter (2009) Did three rounds of testing with five users each on the databases pages at the University of Connecticut Libraries.

23. change to Databases A-Z change to Databases by subject Remove search box change to Videos & Images add Film, Television & Media Studies

24. Database title Contains Notes Access for mobile devices Alternate on-campus link Tutorials & help Add a connect button Journal titles in this database Dates included View this title

25. Guerrilla Testing July 2010 Twelve participants – 4 graduate students – 4 incoming freshmen – 2 undergraduates – 1 staff member – 1 faculty member

26. It’s easier than you think! Ask your administrative office or Friends to fund the incentives Recruit with signs in the library or grab people as they go by Design for minimal prep and minimal analysis Don’t worry about technology

27. It’s also harder than it should be. Make sure people are committed to change (both intellectually and with resources). Have a plan to assess the impact of your changes. Build time into your future schedule to do more testing.