subscription resource usabiltity

[Martin Courtois]

Hi Liz,

I see now that I misread your original posting, and I think it's a good
idea to focus on usability of electronic subscription sites separate from
usability of library web sites.  Most libraries have a pretty big element
of control over the design and content of their web sites, but we have
no control and little opportunity for input on the design of subscription
databases.

In launching your forum, it might be worthwhile to extend invitations to
the producers and vendors of subscription sites.  I'm sure they would
appreciate the opportunity to hear comments on their products, and it
might help in making some improvements.

I'm sorry I missed the point of your posting.  We're doing usability tests
on our web site, and I guess I'm at the point where I just launch into the
same song and dance whenever "usability" is mentioned!

Marty

***********************************************************
Martin Courtois
Science/Engineering Librarian
Gelman Library
George Washington University
2130 H St., N.W.
Washington DC 20052
Phone: (202) 994-0684
FAX: (202) 463-6205
E-mail: courtois at gwu.edu

On Mon, 26 Mar 2001, Liz Linton wrote:

> Hi Martin:
> 
> The forum I'm planning is on electronic subscription site usability -
> not web usability, which is a larger issue. 
> 
> As a library, we pay a lot to access these subscription resources, and
> often, the interfaces are so $%&* bad that I'm embarrased to offer the
> thing to our patrons. For example, one resource we subscribe to,
> everytime you click on the "Library" section of the databsae you get a
> message saying you have to subscribe to get into that area - but we
> *are* subscribed and the company tells me that I'm supposed to instruct
> our patrons just to "just ignore that" and click forward. 
> 
> This is a usability problem in a subscription resource. 
> 
> The sellers of the subscription resource expect me (and all other
> subscribing librarians) to explain the glitches and false error messages
> to our users. Since we are paying to use these services, I find that
> attitude unacceptable.
> 
> Please let me know if this doesn't make sense to you. I'm eager to
> define the problem in clear terms.
> 
> Liz Linton
> Electronic Resources Librarian
> Sweet Briar College
> 
> 
> Martin Courtois wrote:
> > I think it's great to start of forum on web usability, but I'm not sure I
> > understand the tie-in with electronic subscription resources.  Aren't
> > these two separate issues?
>