What is it? Helping students decipher online resources

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Is it a book?  An online journal article? A website?  What is the title?  Is it scholarly?

Undergraduate students often struggle with these questions when they encounter resources in a Google search. They have trouble determining if they are looking at a webpage or an e-journal, and cannot decipher article or book citations. This is not a new problem: a 2001 survey by UCLA found that 62% of undergraduates could not correctly identify an article citation.

There is a need to improve how we teach students to identify and evaluate resources in a digital environment. Most of the LibGuides, tutorials, and handouts created by libraries mistakenly assume that students can determine basic facts about resources – the title, the author, the date, the journal.  But in a digital environment, this information can be difficult to find or understand.  Take this Sage journal article I found in a Google search:

Sage journal article

Article found in Google search

Students may not be able to tell if this is a book, a website, or a scholarly journal article.  And they may have trouble identifying the article title: is it “Business information review?”  And there is no information about peer-review.

We often tell students that they can identify articles by the volume/issue information, but that information is difficult to understand when presented like this:

Citation

We need to do a better job teaching our undergraduates how to identify scholarly resources in an online search engine environment.  Sure, we can keep steering them to our library databases – but ultimately, they will need to learn to navigate a Google world.

Here are three good examples I found that help students understand citations:

  •   Ithaca College has a simple yet effective illustration of how to read a citation on their article page
  •   The University of Louisville has a good handout on understand citations in different formats
  •   Clark College has a good quiz that includes a section on deciphering citations


RDA in the OPAC – some examples

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March 31st has come and gone. RDA records are flooding into our OPACS.  What difference do these records make to our users?

Back in 2011 I worked on a project comparing AACR2 and RDA music records.  My goal was to determine how RDA would fulfill the FRBR user tasks (to find, identify, select, and obtain) in a traditional OPAC environment.  My conclusion was that without “FRBR-ized” systems these records would have little impact on discovery.

Now that RDA has arrived, I was curious to see how music records (scores and sound recordings) are being displayed in OPACs.  Here are some RDA records I looked at:

1)  Mozart vocal score – OCLC #835097509

 Texas State San Marcos – Millennium ILS  

2)  Mozart aria fragments (score) – OCLC #823230461

This is what I noticed:

  • Some systems index creator names with their RDA relator codes (composer, performer, transcriber, arranger, etc.). For example, an author search for “Stanley Sadie, arranger of music” will return only works Sadie arranged, not those he edited.  This allows users to “find” and “identify” with greater accuracy.  However, I did not find any systems able to limit by role. 
  • Some systems are linking related works: “based on,” “contains,” and “supplement to” related works are discoverable from the related record.  But again, I found no systems that allow searches for all works based on a given work. 
  • Most of the OPACs I looked at were suppressing the 3XX format fields in the public display. Others (mine included - I admit it) are bringing them them in with no formatting – so words like “unmediated rdamedia” are displayed.  Wasn’t RDA supposed to be more, not less readable? 

While relator codes and related works have improved the “find” and “identify” user tasks, my conclusion remains the same: without significant development of library systems, as well a shift to an encoding standard that supports linked data (BIBFRAME), RDA has little impact on discovery.  It is a good start, but it is  just the beginning.

Good library knowledge bases

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My library is currently implementing a searchable reference question knowledge base.  We hope that such a tool will provide better 24/7 support for our large distance student population – many of whom access the library from overseas. We chose to use the Springshare product LibAnswers to build our database.

I’ve been spending some time looking at how other academic libraries have implemented both LibAnswers and other KB solutions.  I’ve found that the most usable knowledge bases have the following features:

1)  Easily found from the homepage or other point-of-need

2)  Keyword searchable; returns relevant results

3)  Answers provide immediate help rather than linking out to documentation

4)  Use of embedded video and screenshots

Here are some LibAnswers implementations I liked:

Walsh University

 Florida Gulf Coast University

University of Maryland

SUNY New Paltz

Washington State University

I liked these KB implementations as well:

Columbia University

University of Pennsylvania

UC Berkeley

Can’t access from off-campus? Best help pages

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One of the biggest challenges academic libraries face is how to provide easy, reliable, streamlined access to electronic resources. With multiple vendors, a clunky proxy server authentication system, and (at my library) the additional complication of a campus authentication system, this is not easy. Inevitably, off-campus students are going to have trouble accessing library resources.

We decided it was time to develop an access problem troubleshooting LibGuide, and include a form for reporting access problems. To develop my guide, I looked at lots of great examples.

Here are 6 academic libraries with excellent e-resource access help on their websites:

Cornell University 

University of Texas at Austin 

Northeastern University

Syracuse University

University of Houston

Rice University

And here is the remarkably detailed and comprehensive  IT knowledge base from Indiana University – if you haven’t seen this before, you should check it out. For a good demonstration, search for “cookies:”  

Indiana University IT knowledge base

Academic libraries using WordPress CMS

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Need to redesign your academic library’s website?  Considering switching from your institution’s CMS to WordPress?  You are not alone!

Since its inception in 2003, WordPress has increasingly gained popularity in libraries as a content management system.  This has been especially true of public libraries, but more academic libraries are turning to WordPress as well.

Here are five examples I’ve found of academic libraries using WordPress:

University of Miami

McDaniel College

Elmhurst College

Lincoln Memorial University

Lake Washington Institute of Technology 

How to tell what CMS a site is using:

There is no surefire way, but I like using Wappalyzer, a free Firefox addon.  Want to see what theme a WordPress site is using?  I like whatwpthemeisthat.com.

Know of other examples?  

Please share by leaving a comment.  Thanks!

 

 

 

Top 10 Academic Library Websites 2012

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My annual review of academic library websites.  This year I reviewed sites based on the following 10 criteria:

  • Help with research:  If I’m a novice researcher and need to find scholarly sources but don’t know what a “database” is, can I learn to find what I need?
  • ILL:   Can I request a book without needing to know what an “interlibrary loan” is?  What I really wanted to see was point-of-need request options within the catalog or discovery tool – this was very rare!  
  • Technology help:    If I’m having trouble accessing resources from off-campus is there information that can help me troubleshoot even when the library is closed?  
  • Faculty info:   If I’m a faculty member and need to know how to put books on reserve, can I find that information easily?
  • For large research libraries:  Was the site equally accessible for both novice and graduate/faculty researchers?  For example, could undergraduates easily navigate search options, and could graduate students go directly to the database they need?
  • Integration with external sites:   In 3rd-party platforms like the catalog, discovery tool, or LibGuides, is it clear how to get back to the library home page?  And are these external platforms well-branded and navigable so that I don’t feel like I’ve left the library?
  • Navigable:  Is the site easily navigable?  I was looking for consistent menus, breadcrumbs, clickable logos, and overall functionality.
  • Readability:  Is the site easily readable?  I was looking for readable font sizes, good use of white space, neutral colors, and an uncluttered layout.
  • Searchable:   Is there a library website search box in the upper right?  Points were deducted if the site was not searchable at all, or if the college search site could be confused for library site search.
  • Modern, attractive design:  The better-looking the site, the more I liked it.

Here are the winners for 2012:

1)   Virginia Commonwealth University

This is my choice for Best Overall Academic Library.  What I liked:

  • Jargon-free, accessible language and lots of point-of-need help (i.e. “What am I searching?”)
  • “Research help” and “getting started” right on home page.
  • ILL presented two ways: under “Borrow, renew request” as well as a direct “Interlibrary Loan” link.
  • Research guides and catalog well-branded and integrated into site.
  • Attractive, clean, well-organized design.

2)   University of California San Diego

I was impressed with all the University of California libraries, but this one was my favorite.  What I liked:

3)  Cornell University

Cornell is my choice for Best Large Research Library.  What I liked:

  • Research Help is prominent on home page and “Introduction to research” helps novice researchers navigate a huge library with ease. 
  • Good mouse-over explanations for different search options.
  • Good help page, including “trouble connecting.”

4)  Ithaca College Library

Still one of my favorite sites – on this list for a second year in a row.  I like:

  • Excellent layout and design.
  • Lots of point-of-need help like “how to read an article citation” on the Articles page, or call number explanation on the Books page. 
  • I love that when you use the site search box, the search results include sidebars asking if you were “Looking for a book?” or “Looking for an article?” This eliminates a common source of confusion. 

5)  Marygrove College Library

Marygrove College is my choice for Best Small Academic Library Website. (Small libraries are defined as those with fewer than 3,000 students.)

Runners-up:  Wheaton College,William Jessup University, Adrian College.  See also my previous post on small library sites.

What I liked:

6)  California State University – Channel Islands 

Another good California site.  This is my choice for Most User-Friendly and Accessible home page.  I loved:

  • “Hello there. Looking for something?”  for the search box.  Beats “Catalog,” that’s for sure!
  • “Try our rockin’ research page.”  OK, cheesy, but I’ll bet undergraduates are less intimidated by the library!
  • Great “Research Tips” page.

7)  Oregon State University

Overall, a very usable and accessible site for a big state university. I liked:

  • Portals for faculty, undergraduates, and distance students.

8)  Texas A&M University

This site is my choice for Best Interlibrary Loan Feature.  Here’s why:

  •  ILL is labeled “Get it for me (Document Delivery/ILL)” on the home page, making it understandable for novice and experienced users alike.
  • This is one of the few sites that links to ILL from within a catalog search.  Search results have a nice sidebar asking “Looking for something else?” 

9)  Northeastern University

Another very good large research institution.  This library is my choice for Best Technology Help:

  • Under “Get Help” they link to a very comprehensive “Tech Support” page.  If only all libraries had pages like this!

10)  Saint Xavier University

This is my choice for Best LibGuide CMS site.  Runner-up:  Allegheny College. 

More good library sites

I looked at over 200 libraries while compiling this year’s list, and it was hard to narrow it down to just 10!  Here are 10 more I liked:

University of Miami
Ohio State University
SUNY Buffalo
University of Texas Austin
Emory University
Rutgers University
University of New Hampshire
University of the Pacific
University of California Davis 
California State University East Bay

Are you a good Googler? Teaching Google literacy

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Let’s face it: Google is an academic resource. We all use it – students, researchers, and yes, even us librarians. I unashamedly include “Google literacy” in my library instruction – teaching students how to be better Googlers, how to link to the library from Google Scholar, and how to evaluate the sources they find on Google.

How good a Googler are you?  Did you know that you can use Google to:

  • convert currencies:  20 USD in euros
  • convert measurements: 10.5 cm in inches
  • get real-time stock quotes: stocks goog
  • get census data: population boston
  • do math: 5*9+(sqrt 10)^3= 
  • define a word: define ubiquitous
  • check the weather: weather middlebury vt
  • check flights: american airlines 18
  • check movie times: movies 03833
  • get sports scores: boston celtics
  • and more

Want to improve your Google skills?  Or incorporate Google literacy into your library instruction classes?  Here are some useful resources:

1) Google’s search help

  • learn how to use boolean operators such as “”, -, ~, .., to devise more precise queries.
  • learn to limit searches by reading level, domain, file type, date, and more.

2)  Google’s search education

  • detailed lesson plans for teaching information literacy to high school students – but also appropriate for undergraduates.
  • ready-to-use video tutorials and presentations designed for classroom use.
  • topics include: how to identify keywords, how to understand search results, how to narrow search results, and how to evaluate sources.

3)  Google-a-day

  • keep your Google skills sharp with these fun interactive Google challenges.
  • if you have a Google+ account you can play against your friends.

4)  Google training webinars

  • attend a live class or check out the archived videos.  Easily embeddable YouTube format.

5)  Google literacy LibGuides – here are some good ones:

How to Google like a Librarian - from my colleague Brooke Gilmore

Google tips and tricks – from University of Rhode Island – nice examples using real Google searches.

Google: Basic Search Strategies – from Princeton – includes an excellent concise list of all the different search techniques.

Using Google better - from Mount Ida College.

Google like a pro - from Rhode Island College.

Google Scholar tips and tutorials - from Washington State University – nice overview of Scholar.

Good resources for library website design

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I recently spoke to a local library co-op about designing user-centered library websites.  In this post I thought I’d share the list of resources I compiled as part of that presentation.  Below are some sites, blogs, books, articles, and tools that I have found useful in my own web design projects.  They are organized into four areas:

I.  Usability resources

Usability.gov:
http://usability.gov/

Usability Guidelines from Usability.gov: http://usability.gov/guidelines/guidelines_book.pdf

Krug, Steve. (2005).  Don’t make me think: A commonsense approach to web usability. 2nd ed.  Indianapolis: New Riders.

Steve Krug’s website: http://www.sensible.com/

Jakob Nielsen’s website: http://www.useit.com

“Top 10 mistakes in website design” by Jakob Nielsen:
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html

Mobile Usability from Jakob Nielsen: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/mobile-usability.html

II. Library website design

Libsuccess.org section on website design: http://libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Website_Design

Library terms that users understand / John Kupersmith: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qq499w7

ALA’s website wiki – resources as well as listing of award winning sites:
http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php?title=Websites#Library_Website_Award_Winners

Public library website guidelines from Rhode Island State Library:
http://www.olis.ri.gov/pubs/plstandards/websites.php

College library website of the month from ALA: http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections/cls/clswebsite/websiteofthemonth

“Usability in the library” – University of Michigan’s usability site:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/usability-library

The “One-Pager” from Influx – a very simple, mobile-friendly, usability-tested library website template:
http://influx.us/onepager/

Userslib.com – a good library blog on usability:
http://userslib.com/

Library User Experience – an excellent usability blog from the University of Virginia:
http://libraryux.wordpress.com/

Accessible design for library websites:
http://senna.sjsu.edu/lmain/isdaccess/home.html

III. Mobile library website design

Mobile friendly library websites:  a step-by-step guide to creating
mobile sites using CSS:
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/digicoll/libraryweb/mobile-websites.pdf

How to create a mobile library site  without technical knowledge:
http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2011/7-tools-to-create-a-mobile-library-website-without-technical-knowledge/

Blog post comparing mobile library sites:
http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2010/04/comparison-of-40-mobile-library-sites.html

Tips on designing and developing mobile website from Code4Lib:
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2055

Good blog: Mobile learning, libraries, and technologies:
http://mobile-libraries.blogspot.com

W3C Mobile Checker – check to see if your site is mobile compatible:
http://validator.w3.org/mobile/

Library Anywhere – a mobile library site app:
http://www.libanywhere.com/

Mobile site creation:

Boopsie: http://www.boopsie.com/library/

Winksite (free): http://winksite.com/site/index.cfm

Zinadoo (free): http://www.zinadoo.com/

WordPress plugin (free) – will create a mobile version of your WP site:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/mobilepress/

IV.  Accessibility resources

ADA best practices toolkit: http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap5toolkit.htm

Accessibility chapter from usability.gov:
http://usability.gov/pdfs/chapter3.pdf

Section 508 guidelines: http://www.section508.gov/

United States Access Board: a federal agency committed to accessible design:
http://www.access-board.gov/gs.htm

Good blog post comparing free screen readers:
http://usabilitygeek.com/10-free-screen-reader-blind-visually-impaired-users/

Demo version of JAWS screen reader:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/downloads/jaws/jaws-downloads.asp

Free screen readers:

http://www.screenreader.net/index.php?pageid=11

http://webanywhere.cs.washington.edu/

http://www.nvda-project.org/

Top 10 Public Library Websites 2012

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Here is my annual review of public library websites. This year I reviewed over 200 sites using a simple 4-question usability test:

  • Is the library open on Sundays?
  • How do I get a library card?
  • Does the library have a copy of Huckleburry Fin? [note spelling]
  • Does the library have a storytime for a 4-year-old on Saturdays?

Here’s what I was looking for:

1)  Usability: The site was highly navigable and information was easy to find.  One area where many libraries failed: I could not get back to the library website once I was in the catalog.

2)  Understandable: Language was jargon-free, or, if jargon was used (i.e. “catalog,” “interlibrary loan”) it was explained.

3)  Searchable: I could easily search the site. Sites with a catalog search box disguised as a site search box (no explanation of what the box does) did not pass this test.

4)  Attractive:  Extra points awarded for artistic, aesthetically pleasing, and modern design.

The Winners:

1)  Cleveland Public Library  - Best Overall Library Website.

  • Menu dropdowns for easy navigation
  • Site is searchable on every page
  • Hours and locations are on home page
  • The catalog search box contains a “find: title, author, or keyword” explanation
  • Recurring events are presented in searchable HTML format, not just calendar format
  • Use of Bibliocommons catalog includes “Did you mean?”

2)  Daniel Boone Regional Library

  • Their catalog search box on homepage is highly visible and contains nice explanations

3)  Johnson County Library

  •  A highly functional site -  second year on this list!

4)  Saint Paul Public Library

  • Nice “How do I” on the left-hand menu
  • Font size is adjustable
  • Attractive, well-laid out, easy to read

5)  Salt Lake City Public Library  — Most Attractive Public Library Website

  • Sparse, uncluttered, sleek, and modern
  • Large easy-to-read font

6)  New York Public Library — Best Large City Website

  •  Very clean and easy to understand
  •  Use of inviting language like “Using the library” or “Explore”
  • They have a link called “How to find things” that I love!  Every library needs one of these.

Honorable mentions for large cities: Boston, San Francisco, Austin, Denver

7)  Steamboat Springs Public Library —  Best Small City Website

  • Overall a very classy, impressive, and usable site for such a small city
  • Mouse-over explanations on top menus
  • Catalog login in upper right where expected

Honorable mentions for small cities: Princeton Public Library, Thomas Ford Memorial Library, Ipswich Public Library, Waterville Public Library

8)  Iowa City Public Library

  • A catalog search box included on the “Books” page
  • Breadcrumbs so you always know where you are

9)  Monterey Public Library

  • Site search and catalog/article search boxes are separate and understandable
  • The library catalog is identified on the “Collections” page as the best place to search

10)  Oak Park Public Library

  • Clean, easily navigated site

Want to nominate a great public library website?  Please comment on this post!

Want to see more libraries? Here is last year’s list:  Top 10 Public Library Websites 2011

How to get students started with research – Best Academic Library Websites 2012 — Part III

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In an effort to provide bewildered undergraduates with a road map through the impossibly convoluted, non-intuitive, and dis-integrated world of library resources, many academic libraries have added “getting started with research” pages to their sites. This is a good thing! But too many of these guides only make the research process even more intimidating by presenting the novice user with dense, jargon-laden pages of text.

Here is another approach. Create interactive, user-friendly tutorials that gently guide students through the research process in small, easy steps. Avoid Librarianese. Use lots of images and video and yes, even some humor. And break the research process into short modules that allow students to skip directly to the information they need.

Check out some great examples of this model:

University of North Carolina Greensboro

 

 

 

University of the Pacific

 

 

 

University of California

 

 

 

York University

 

 

 

Stonybrook University

 

 

 

Oregon State University

 

 

 

Here is an interesting tutorial for higher-level researchers, from the University of London:

Senate House Libraries