Usability Testing Revisited - HMIIG at ALA 98

[Dorothy Day]

Posted to several lists--apologies for duplication!


		----- Meeting Announcment -----

LITA Human-Machine Interface Interest Group - ALA 98 discussion in DC:

 -- But Can Your Users Figure Out How It Works?
Usability Testing Part 2: How Do We Evaluate Our Own Products?

2-4 on Saturday June 27, 2-4 pm, in The Madison Drawing Room III/IV.

In the past decade or more, libraries and librarians of all persuasions
have found themselves involved in implementing information technology in
every area of their libraries and work. Many of those systems and
applications arrived protected in vendor-spun armor: librarians need
attempt no input on this or the next version. System vendors and
software developers profess to incorporate user testing of products into
their development cycles, but that testing seems often skimped on in
getting products out the door.

In the past two or three years, librarians have taken charge of some of
the elements of the systems used to serve the information needs of their
clientele. Often these systems or modules have also been rushed off the
drawing board and into use under severe time constraints.

The past year has seen a swell of interest in learning just how well
library patrons really do use the information resources libraries
provide. Meetings of the LITA Human-Machine Interface Interest Group
(HMIIG) have reflected that change. 

For over a year, we have been focusing on usability testing. Last year
in New Orleans we had informal presentations from representatives of
some library software products, who described how they work different
types of usability testing and user feedback into product development
during and after release, followed by extremely lively discussion.

This month in Washington, we want to bring the discussion closer to
home: 
	How we as library professionals develop resources 
	and interfaces to resources for our users, and whether 
	and/or how we try to test for usability to improve 
	the design of our products.


This will be an informal discussion, in order to encourage the broadest
participation by attendees.

However, to start the discussion rolling, we'll first hear briefly from
three exciting speakers who have agreed to share their considerable
experience these areas of endeavor:

* Ruth Dickstein, Social Sciences Librarian, The University of Arizona
  Library, who gave a presentation on "Testing for Usability in the
  Design of a New Information Gateway" at the recent (Apr 21-24, 1998)
  Living for the Future II conference at the University of Arizona.

* Abigail Loomis, a member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Libraries User Survey Group, which has charge of assessing the UW-M
  Electronic Library Menu.

* Lillie Jenkins-Carter, Research Assistant with the OCLC ULab, and
  currently working on her Ph.D. in Communications at OSU.


The meeting is scheduled for 2-4 on Saturday in The Madison Hotel
Drawing Room III/IV.

Please plan to attend and share your views and experiences in design or
evaluation of information resources or interfaces in a library
environment.


Dorothy Day, Chair
Human-Machine Interface Interest Group, LITA
School of Library and Information Science
Indiana University
day at indiana.edu	


*****
	"He also surfs who only sits and waits."