Hi folks – when you use our website, and navigate through its structure, the below list of Jakob Nielsen’s 10 essential characteristics of a website are what we are trying to represent and replicate on the university library’s website, and – to the extent that we can – replicated in all of our web properties. They absolutely are relevant and essential rules for building a great website.
Do the 10 Usability Heuristics Still Hold Up Over Two Decades Later?
Copyright law and its implications for software copying, usage, and re-purposing is a relatively recent phenomenon. Current fair-use interpretations of the application of copyright law to copyrighted and protected computer software applications are based primarily on the 9th circuit court of appeals cases Galoob toys v. Nintendo and Sega v. Accolade industries.
In the US, Computer programs are considered to be literary works (Apple v Franklin), 17 U.S.C. § 101. Copyright law protects not only the ‘literal elements’ of the computer, but extends also to the ‘non-literal’ elements such as code sequence, usage of control structures, and unique or inventive methods of applying normally utilitarian methods, objects, functions, variable or proprietary aspects of a given OS environment or computer language as an expression of the programmer’s original ideas.
Still, even given the above definition, there are considerable grounds for fair use of original software code, or copying of software programs. Currently, fair use would generally constitute that:
What is not permissible?
And of course, under the US Copyright laws, the library exception (section 108) “…allows them (libraries) to reproduce and distribute copyrighted works under certain specific conditions.” However, it should be noted that the library of Congress instituted a working group to investigate section 108, and create a report that makes recommendations that updates section 108 and the DMCA to meet the needs of the modern era. This report is forthcoming.
Citations
1. http://ogc.harvard.edu/pages/copyright-and-fair-use
2. http://crln.acrl.org/content/74/4/199.full
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_copyright
4. https://wustl.edu/about/compliance-policies/computers-internet-policies/legal-ethical-software-use/
5. http://libguides.rockhurst.edu/c.php?g=312008&p=2084262
6. http://www.copyright.gov/docs/section108/
7. http://www.copyright.gov/docs/priorities.pdf
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_v._Accolade
Q: What exactly IS the OneSearch?
‘OneSearch‘ is a comprehensive, UA-Libraries created, owned and maintained search tool that accesses all of the University Libraries’ resources using our discovery tools, Full-text article resources, the Libraries’ catalog, electronic resource, the library website, FAQs and research guides as sources.
Q: Can you break the tool down, section-by-section? (see the below figure)
OneSearch is divided into distinct sections – much like a Bento Box, hence the terminology – of the same name – that is used to describe these types of search interfaces, as found in the literature.
Section 1: The OneSearch bar – use this bar much like a google search bar. You may type any sort of query to find any item you need, or any type of information you seek about the library or its resources (such as hours, FAQ queries like “where is there a quiet place to study,” or full-text searches of our libguides / research guides.).
Additionally, the search bar will provide auto-completion of words and terms and – more importantly – give suggestions for pages or resources if what you type matches a hand-curated (and constantly updated) list of commonly sought resources and pages.
Section 2: this is the Nav bar of the OneSearch results page. Clicking on a navigation item will simply move the window to the area, staying within your search. Clicking an item in the nav bar does NOT push you off of the website, or force you to leave the page.
Section 3: These are individual onesearch sections. When you perform a onesearch, your results are divided into 9 separate sections, based on item ‘type,’ and are explained below:
Q: What is the purpose of the ‘more’ link?
Section 4: More items – the OneSearch is generally intended to expose the user to the full breadth of resources available at UA libraries, but in a very limited sense, generally keeping results to the to three search items as indicated by the sources (that is, when OneSearch queries the Catalog for book titles, it is the catalog that determines and sorts the top choices, or Scout, or Google and so on.).
Since some users will want to see more results than what is provided, the ‘more’ link provides an avenue into the original source of those items, and – if clicked – will open a new window into the original resources with all available search results.
On Augst 12th, The University of Alabama Libraries will be launching a new website that focuses on the user experience, ease-of-use, and comprehensive access to resources.
Q: Where has everything gone?
A: Nowhere and everywhere. While all of our resource pages have been redesigned, many still share the same URL paths, (or similar) such as databases, Scout, etc. Additionally, all of our most requested or used pages are accessible via the large, easy-to-use drop down mega menus (please see video). If there is an area or resource that you need, it is likely available via the drop down, the OneSearch, or from the footer. There is also a hierarchical site map available which links to every page available on the website.
Resources that were previously a bit hidden away on the individual library pages have been moved into subject specific libguides, or into comprehensive unified services pages for functional, action-based areas such as printing, or equipment, etc.
Q: Where is the Scout Search Box? How do I search for things?
A: The Scout Search Box, along with all of the others, has been replaced by ‘OneSearch‘ – a comprehensive search tool that:
Q: Hey, it looks very different.
A: That is correct, the new site was designed using the Responsive Design methodology, which is a users-with-disabilities and mobile-device friendly method of site design – using various technologies, the website adapts to the device or browser on which it is observed.
Additionally, the graphic design style and UX were dramatically updated to match current standards and expectations.
We look forward to hearing your comments as we strive to make The University of Alabama Libraries web presence a more usable and attractive destination.
Hi everyone,
The website beta is up, and available at : http://wwwdev.lib.ua.edu.
Keep in mind that it is a *beta* and exists as a snapshot of current work in progress. Some areas may not contain all of the information required by that area yet, others may have erroneous links (because of URL differences between live site, staging site, and active development site), and many of those URLs will not function as expected until the site goes live in early August. A good example are the website search results – since we use the Google api, and the live site is indexed and used by the api, then all website search links go to the current live site – there are a number of technical hurdles to overcome to achieve a separate, searchable index for the dev sites, and we are not even sure it is possible, so those results will – for the time being – link to the live site. But we are working to change that, and the site is about 90% complete in terms of functionality, content and links.
Please remember to ONLY make comments on wwwdev – that is the beta location – while we are continuing to work on wwwdev2 as our developmental site, wwwdev is the staging/snapshot location and is the URL that is open to all campus IP ranges. Dev2 is restricted. We may also make additional pushes to this server in the months leading up to the August launch. If so, I will communicate this clearly to everyone, with time/date, etc.
You may make comments and suggestion via KACE: https://wwwdev.lib.ua.edu/library-help/kacecontact-form/ OR you may email me directly (sjturner1@ua.edu)
Please be critical, but actionable. Comments such as “I hate XXX, and you are all impertinent fools” will be generally ignored :-).
But honestly, we welcome any and all suggestions. We will be working non-stop on the site until early August, which is the official launch period (about a week out from start of classes). Comments will be taken for the first two weeks, post-beta launch, after which we will close down the comment shop as we begin to work on actionable concerns (June 30).
Reference and Instruction folks – if there is a site section you need for us to complete or fix in order create instruction guides/tutorials, please let us know.
The beta is open to the entire campus, by IP, and access (unless you VPN in) from off-campus is disallowed. We intend this to be a ‘hard’ beta launch for the libraries, meaning we have officially announced and solicited comments from library faculty staff and students, but we want to involve the greater campus community as a larger whole at a later time, after all of the commenting is complete (post-june 30). You can feel free to tell parties you think are interested, or can contribute, but they must be made area of the beta status of this site. We may perform other pushes of changes to the wwwdev snapshot server over the ensuing months leading to August, and some of those may be better for consumption by outside-of-the-library parties.
Areas with known issues or bugs, or incomplete content, etc.:
Hi Everyone – it was made clear recently that some folks are unaware of how the databases page on the new website will function; we have in fact re-written the code engine, incorporated the front-end portion into our unified API and presentation layer structure, and re-constructed the database to be more appropriate. There is also, of course, a new back end as well.
All of that being said, people can be sure that the front-end functionality has not changed, but has in fact become more useful. The three interface areas of Search, Title browse and Subject/Type browse remain, as we have always indicated. However, the Search function now performs a keyword search on all / chosen metadata fields including description, title, subject, type, etc. – this new functioning will make it much easier for users who need to locate a given resource by a keyword or term, or who can only recall a portion of a DB title, etc.
Additionally, all results are loaded into the DOM immediately and bootstrap/jquery is being used to sort through the results on the fly, so users will see immediate results as they type / use the interface, there are no page refreshes that need to occur to see results.
If you are staff/fac user currently with access to the page, you are seeing a development version, the new interface is being designed in a separate environment.
In December of 2013, Web Services and the Web Infrastructure group were given a mandate to begin a ground-up redesign of the library website, starting with changing the basic technologies that run the website (eg, moving to a new content management system) to the design, navigation, function and structure.
This mandate required an extensive amount of planning and preparation – the general rule of thumb in the web design world is (a) don’t ever burn down the village and rebuild but (b) if you do, plan on taking 18-24 months to develop your product to a releasable point.
The process was comprehensive – the Web Services unit engaged in comprehensive usability testing, web statistics analysis and user behavior data gathering over the course of 9 months in an effort to determine the actual needs of the students to guide the re-design efforts. The units researched content management systems and measured various systems against desired attributes and criteria; the units worked to transfer every single page and structure to the new sites; the technology infrastructure group developed test servers and servers, rewrote applications and migrated server content to OIT servers; the Web Services unit migrated content, and developed charter documents, style guides, etc. Both units worked together to develop guiding principles, documents to guide design and structure, and then (as mentioned previously) the design, navigation, technologies and structure of the site itself.
So, as many have been wondering, what specifically have we been up to?
Here are the highlights:
New CMS and server environment.
Over a period of ~4 months, we evaluated a lengthy list of content management systems before installing 3 locally to test (drupal, Modx and WordPress) against a comprehensive list of criteria. It was close, and each CMS offered something the others did not, but ultimately WordPress prevailed due to its robust release schedule, supporting user and developer network and ease-of-use for the end user (among other factors).
Usability testing.
Over the course of the fall semester, we submitted two IRB proposals to engage in usability testing of libguides, the current library website, and all other web properties. Using a gift card as an incentive, we conducted a number of sessions looking at student attitudes towards current website, the usability of the navigation, the terminology used on the site, the location of items, the graphic design, etc.
We asked students to locate items and website areas, perform searches, and to complete a variety of tasks which were timed, and recorded as movies using a usability software suite. Students also were given surveys and questionnaires, and tested specific application sections such as hours or the tabbed search interface. Usability was also permanently integrated into our processes, and will be an ongoing activity as we iteratively test and change website elements over time.
Peer Surveys
Web Services spent extensive time developing a Carnegie Classification list of cohort institutions as well as a peer list of ACRL library websites, whose sites were then extensively analyzed for usability methods, design models, navigation elements and terms, and structure and layout, with many of the ‘best practices’ incorporated into our model and plans.
Statistical analysis
We used Google Analytics to view and analyze over 4 years worth of web usage statistics, focusing not only on raw data (such as which pages were used how much) but also on bounce rates, landing pages, referrers, and testing our stated website goals. Analytics has also been integrated into our processes, and will be used on a regular basis to perform A/B testing, and measure stated goals, track user behavior as it relates to specific pages, measure navigation effectiveness, etc.
Re-written web applications
Every application that exists on the web site (Music Video database, the hours application, the databases search, etc. has been partially or extensively re-written)
Simplified user interfaces, website structure and navigation
Through our usability and survey data, the students have told us they want the site to be simplified and easier to use, with a reduction in library jargon and a structure that reflects their functional activity and not the library’s administrative structure. So to that end, the web team has been re-designing interface elements, structure, navigation, content and design to reflect and accomodate these needs. The result will be a site that the user not only asked for, but has qualitatively tested as easier to use and more efficient.
University Libraries Style Guide
Based on the University’s initial web style guide, the Web team has been developing a style guide that will codify all of our interface elements, and, for the first time, provide specific, written style guidelines and usage instructions for content creators.
Content strategy
Why do we have certain content on the website? Does it support the website mission? The library mission? What content is acceptable and what is not? What is the purpose of the content? Should the content be relocated and / or merged with our content? Does it meet quality standards? Is it web written? A content strategy answers all of these questions and more, and guides content creation, deletion, and alteration on a website. The web team has developed (and is still developing) a comprehensive content strategy for the library website along with a content audit document to maintain and track content parameters so that we know what we have and why it is there.
Focus on the single search
A significant focus of the new site will be a something that is a relatively new development in the library world -the ‘Bento box’ meta search – essentially, the removal of the tabbed search box interface (eg, our current site, and many others) and its replacement with a true ‘single’ search that – using a combination of API services – searches every resource and tool to which we have access:
Our usability research has shown that students will use the default tab on our front page search box (which is Scout) for any purpose or search regardless of task. If asked to find a database by title, or an article or a book, or an item on the website, or an FAQ item, etc., the student will generally conduct a search from the initial starting tab. They do not understand that you need to click the different tabs to perform functionally different searches, therefore their results are often incorrect or misleading and they then generally give up and stop their information-seeking behavior.
The obvious way to correct this erroneous search behavior is to provide them with (a) only one search box, (b) force that search box to communicate with all of our possible resources, and (c) allow the user to review the results from all resources combined into a single page, allowing them to choose the most relevant result, post-search instead of pre-search.
Graphic Design
Yes, the website was getting a tad bit dated-looking. So the look-and-feel is undergoing an evolving graphic design update that is predicated and underpinned by the user research and usability data.
Mobile-first responsive design
According to the Pew Internet Trust, the majority of users now access the internet from a mobile device (phone, tablet, etc). A significant majority of younger users have *only* used a mobile device, and rarely if ever have the opportunity or need to access the internet on a standalone desktop or laptop computer. To accommodate this development, the web design world has developed a variety of tools to support a design methodology know as ‘responsive design.’
Responsive design focuses on making sure your website is compatible with all devices of all sizes through the use of various javascript and CSS libraries to perform compatibility actions such as the resizing of elements, the migration of elements to different locations on the screen, the changing of font sizes etc – all in response to screen size/device type – hence the name ‘responsive.’ The UA libraries website is implementing this design method in the new site, as are most library websites.
Where are we headed?
Nov 22-30th – initial alpha release – structure, first alpha of the website template design, and our top-level pages should be completed along with the integration of the first version of the one search / bento search, and the integration of all of the web applications along with the first hours alpha. An updated timeline will be placed on this blog shortly, with future release schedules.
We will update this blog with every new communication. We also have an enormous amount of usability data and working documents which we will share with everyone shortly.
Selected Citations:
Modeling a Library Website Redesign Process: Developing a User-Centered Website through Usability Testing
Danielle A. Becker and Lauren Yannotta
The Website Design and Usability of US Academic and Public Libraries
Anthony S. Chow, Michelle Bridges and Patricia Commander
How Users Search the Library from a Single Search Box
Cory Lown, Tito Sierra and Josh Boyer