[Web4lib] Usability create a desirable list of features (was library automation vendors)

[Mitchel, Dan]

Can we nominate some best features that enhance usability?  Or at least some principles to allow a user group to create a feature set?

We could create a checklist of preferred items with importance weighted numbers to create a cumulative score.  Library clients could assign the weights according to their preferences.

For instance: Client customization by a cookie or a flag, allowing  the ability to change the inteface for a child vs an adult, or the language by clicking a flag.  I'm sure there are other customizing looks that would  be deemed useful by patrons.

For instance: The first time I used a database that let me click on a subject heading to open it was a real treat--now it is expected.  Hoever it isn't always a included as a feature.  For a professional researcher this makes sense to me.  But I do not know if a different individual would care.   I remember in grade school having a difficult time figuring out the difference between a title and a subject on catalog cards.  


For instance: A new design on a commercial site suggests better searches without much boolean logic involved.  On Ebay if I do a four word search that yields zero results,  Ebay shows the search words in  different combination(s) to show me quickly which words produced results and which did not.

It is easy to try, just use three words that are sure to be there and a mis-spelled word guaranteed not to be for sale on ebay.

e.g. four  words  camera color  filter azqpds

This is what comes back: 



Get more results with fewer keywords:


*	 <http://search-desc.ebay.com/camera-filter-color_W0QQcatrefZC6QQcatrefZC6QQfromZR10QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQftsZ2QQsacatZQ2d1QQssPageNameZRC0021> 251 items found for camera filter color azqpds   [for those with text only email, the azqpds is greyed out with a line through it.]

Dan  Mitchel