Loading...
Kicking the Tires: A Usability Study of the Primo Discovery Tool
Nichols, Aaron Billey, Amber Spitzform, Peter Stokes, Alice Mundy, Catherine
Nichols, Aaron
Billey, Amber
Spitzform, Peter
Stokes, Alice
Mundy, Catherine
Citations
Altmetric:
License
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an Article published in the Journal of Web Librarianship, May 2014, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/19322909.2014.903133.
License
DOI
Abstract
Discovery tools offer users a powerful way of searching library holdings, as well as external databases and indexes. They are becoming an increasingly common part of the library user experience, and research on the usability of such tools is expanding. In 2012, a mid-sized academic research library implemented Primo Discovery and Delivery by Ex Libris and conducted a diagnostic usability test to investigate how the tool is used without instruction, to discover patterns in searching behavior, and to uncover how compatible Primo is with user search behavior. This paper will describe the design and implementation of the usability study. Despite some design flaws, users adapt to the tool over time and can perform effective searches. This paper also provides recommendations for future usability studies in specific targeted areas where problems were detected.
Description
Date
2014-05-01