Library usability will soon improve

By Jacqueline Miller

Staff Writer

Have you ever had trouble navigating the library Web site? Do you spend more time searching the site than actually using it? Now you can finally do something about that. The Blackwell Library staff wants your input to help make the Web site more user-friendly and to increase its functionality.

"Every time I use the [library] Web site I end up asking someone for help because I can’t find what I’m looking for," said junior Kim Leffler.

A study evaluating the effectiveness of the Web site is currently underway.

"We want to design a Web site students and teachers will be able to use," said creator Michelle Oleson. "We tried to get a good mix [when conducting the study]."

Participants are randomly selected from a group of volunteers by both year and major.

With the help of Teaching and Learning Resources (TLR), the participants are video taped to allow the researchers see exactly what they are doing and how many clicks it takes for them to find what they are looking for. The participants will be asked to use the old Web site first and then the new one.

"I took a lot of classes on user-centered design usability," Oleson said. "So far we are getting good feedback on the new Web site."

The new Web site is going to use tabs to separate different subjects instead of everything being located on the main page. It is scheduled to be up and running by this summer.

Another item for students to look forward to is the construction of the new library. Planning for the new library is ongoing and is a top priority for the University. The construction is a very long process for state-funded schools, but it is expected to be completed by 2013. There is a potential for the library to be relocated, but it all depends on whether there will be room available elsewhere.

Students may submit suggestions online at http://www.salisbury.edu/library/newlibrary.

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