User‐centred Library Web Sites: Usability Evaluation Methods

Carole A. George's User‐centred Library Web Sites: Usability Evaluation Methods, covers an aspect of the development of user‐centred library web sites from the end‐users' perspectives, and provides an elementary foundation on usability evaluation methods and techniques. Aimed at web developers, in particular library web site developers, and content builders, the book provides a useful introduction to the development of library web sites that need to be tailored to the various needs of target users, with their different “technical” abilities in mind. The objectives of the book – to guide developers to create a user‐friendly and easy to use web site through user needs analysis, using various evaluation methods and techniques, is clearly expressed and fulfilled. Though the author placed a focus on university and college library web sites, the methods and techniques discussed could also be tailored and adopted for other library web sites, and even other web sites. This resource is also suitable for college and university students.

George begins with an overview on user‐centred design. She justifies the immediate importance of usability of the end‐user interface and for users to have easy access to the vast amount of information provided by the libraries through their web pages. A point worth noting is that a user‐centred library web site can also contribute to a higher usage of the online services. She then takes readers through the fundamental process of developing user‐centred web sites, from the preliminary planning and development which includes: gathering a team of developers, setting goals and objectives, determining the scope of a web site, defining the target audience, selecting the appropriate evaluation method, and preparing an evaluation plan. A brief write‐up of 10 evaluation methods is covered. The next chapter then moves on to user needs analysis. She highlights the objectives and importance of user‐needs analysis, where information gained from this stage will determine the web site and interface design. Several methods that can be employed for the user‐needs analysis are discussed with specified objectives, advantages and disadvantages of each method addressed. Gathering feedback from the different stakeholders' perspectives is deemed essential in designing and developing a user‐centred web site; thus a participatory design should be undertaken. This is covered in the next part of her book before proceeding to usability inspection methods. Normally done by experts, this process is undertaken to ensure consistency and development standards are complied with via two common methods; heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthroughs. The succeeding chapter then touches on usability testing the web site, which determines if the web site has met its objectives as a user‐centred web site, and aims to identify weaknesses and problems that need further tweaking before the web site goes “live”. The process of usability testing is covered with some examples given. In the last chapter, George wraps up the whole process with presentation of results of all the data that has been collected and analysed, with the issues summarised. Several choices of methods to document and communicate these findings are briefly discussed.

Divided into seven chapters, the book is an easy read with minimal technical jargon. It gives readers a clear understanding of the various usability evaluation methods and techniques that can be adopted as a preliminary preparation in developing a user‐friendly library web site. The author also included a bibliography, examples and sample templates in the Appendix, and a glossary of technical terms and phrases used at the end of the book. The book, though not comprehensive, is a good guide for developing a user‐centred web site. However, it could have included a list of references for further in‐depth reading after each chapter, and examples such as screen shots of a good and bad library web site would have also been useful.