Usability Study for Website Essay Example for Free

Usability Study for Website Essay The Princeton University Library is said to be the intellectual cross ¬roads of the campus. It holds many ancient and rare records of human experience; mil ¬lions of printed volumes; hundreds of recent and current bestsellers; terabytes of geospatial data; and thousands of online databases. The Library system comprises a dozen separate librar ¬ies. In the main library, the Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library, you will find the General and Humanities Reference Division; the Social Science Reference Center; galleries in which rare books, graphic art, and manuscripts are displayed; and a children’s library filled with books and games illumi ¬nating the history of education. In addition to printed books and scores, the Mendel Music Library holds a circulating collection of recordings of all kinds. The Marquand Library of Art and Archaeology houses a world-renowned collection of books and journals. The Public Policy Papers collection, with its focus on 20th-century American political and diplomatic history, shares Mudd Library with the University Archives, an ever-growing collection of artifacts from Princeton’s illus ¬trious history, including its original charter. Many of its science collections are now housed in the new Lewis Library, given by Peter B. Lewis of the Class of 1955, and designed by Frank Gehry. The goal of this usability testing was to determine how well Princeton University Library would meet the needs of its user population. Tasks were created based on the main goals users need to complete via the home page and the usability study participants were asked to try to complete these tasks using the current website of the Princeton University Library. This usability testing is basically focused on how quickly and easily users are able to complete pre-defined tasks using the current website of the Princeton University Library. Structured Tasks TASK 1 You are a student of Economics and your first reading assignment is to make an annotated bibliography of Adam Smith’s book on the Wealth of the Nations. Locate the book from the Library system. [Expect user to click on ‘Main Catalogue’ under ‘Books, Articles, More’, and proceed with searching for the book using Smith, Adam as author] TASK 2 You are working on a tough research project for your IT Management class. You have spent a lot of time in the library and on the Princeton University Library website, but you are not sure that you are finding all of the resources you need. You know that you can ask a librarian for help with research. Please show us how you would begin that process online. [Expect user to click on ‘Ask a Librarian’ links for chat/email/appointment] TASK 3 You are working from home and are having difficulty connecting to one of the databases you can access through the library. Where would you go to find out more information? [Expect user to find the ‘Connect from Off Campus’ link under ‘Research Help’] TASK 4 You want to browse through the Princeton University Library’s collection of books on Music at the Mendel Library. How late is the Mendel Library open today? What are its hours on Sunday? [Expect user to find ‘Hours Locations’ page and articulate the correct hours for the Mendel Library] TASK 5 How would you get a book that the PUL Libraries do not own? [Expect user to click on ‘Interlibrary Loan’]