[Web4lib] Role of the OPAC (was: library automation vendors)

[David Walker]

Hi Elena,

This is probably a good point for me to clarify. 

I'm not suggesting that we simply replace the link to the "library
catalog" with the word "books."  I'm suggesting that we need to get away
from having only one link to the catalog -- in fact, we should stop
thinking of the catalog as something that needs a single label or
description.

I think we should have several links -- one that says "books" another
that says "music", "libretos," and so on.  Many of those links will go
to the catalog, or perhaps just some part of it.  Or perhaps they will
go to resources that include the catalog and other databases.  Two
different links might even go to the exact same place.

It doesn't really matter.  The important thing in providing navigation
is to give users terminology they recognize, since users tend to scan
pages and don't want to have to think about what a rather vague and
jargony label like "library catalog" might or might not contain.


>> Ours, year after year on usability tests, 
>> immediately clicked on "library catalog" 
>> when asked "find a book about blah." 

Interesting.  Who do you use in your user tests?  Students who have
already used the library?  Would they be as certain to pick or not pick
the catalog when you ask them to find other formats?

I ask because when we test juniors and seniors we see these same
results.  When we test freshmen who have never even stepped foot in our
library, however, they immediately gravitate toward terminology that is
more familiar, like 'books' and 'journals'.

Actually, when we present our users with interfaces that don't use
library terminology like "library catalog" at all, all of users do just
fine, which makes me think that we don't really need the jargon in the
first place, even if some have adapted to it.

--Dave

=================
David Walker
Web Development Librarian
Library
Cal State San Marcos
760-750-4379
=================




-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Elena OMalley
Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 12:58 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Role of the OPAC (was: library automation
vendors)

David Walker wrote:
> I think the essential mistake we make with the OPAC, or library
catalog,
> is to treat it as a single system.  This is problematic on two levels:
>
> (1) Our users don't know what a "library catalog" is.
> 
> How do I find books in a library?  Through the library catalog, of
> course.  But you can only say "of course" because you already know
that.
> The freshman walking thru the doors of our library this fall don't
have
> that knowledge. (It's amazing to me that the word "books" doesn't
appear
> on many library home pages.  If it's not easy to find books in a
> library, you know you're in trouble!)

Dave,

Your point about metasearching and grouping by subject/content rather
than
by format is well-taken. I'm just going to nitpick a side point.

User populations vary. Ours, year after year on usability tests,
immediately
clicked on "library catalog" when asked "find a book about blah." So, we
don't use the word "books" in our link, and it doesn't seem to trouble
our
users. For us, "library catalog" is "good enough," and we focus more
about 
the terminology of other things. 

I'm not that amazed that many library home pages don't include the word
"books." 
The patrons of one of our consortium's libraries do most of their
research 
in journals not books, and most of the music library's patrons want
scores, 
librettos, CDs, etc. "Book" can have a narrower definition to a music
student 
than it does to librarians. If those libraries used the word "books" for
their 
catalog links -- students might never click them. :)

Cheers,
Elena O'Malley
__
Head of Library Computer and Internet Services
Emerson College Library, Boston, MA 02116
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