TRLN Endeca Implementation

Usability Task Group

Members

Task Group Goals: To understand user expectations for Search TRLN and the ILL delivery service, and to plan usability testing of the Search TRLN user interface. The task group should work with staff members on each campus to help execute the charge.

Stage 1: Understand user expectation of a delivery service through focus group interviews
Plan and conduct focus groups interviews to understand how users currently use TRLN expedited ILL. The task group should identify a group of faculty and graduate students at Duke, NCCU, NCSU, and UNC who are heavy users of the TRLN expedited ILL service, frequent direct borrowers, and/or undergraduate researchers. Once identified, these users would be contacted by email, asked to select questions, and invited to participate in a focus group discussion.

The focus group observers would include a Steering Committee member, an ILL staff member at the local institutions, and the Endeca Implementation Librarian. Findings from the focus group interviews will help shape the services provided through Search TRLN. Sample focus group questions could include:

• How do you identify books that you need?
• Would you want to search all of the TRLN library collections at the same time?
• What services should be available?
• What would you call this service?

The Usability Task Group will demonstrate the NCSU and the FCLA catalogs to illustrate searching an Endeca catalog and searching multiple library collections respectively, and solicit feedback on specific facets of interest (or not).

Stage 2: Conduct pre-launch usability testing of the Search TRLN interface
Develop and execute usability testing scenarios to evaluate the pre-launch of the Search TRLN user interface. The subjects for the usability tests would be drawn from each of the campuses, with testing done from each home institution. Findings from stage 2 would be used to refine the Search TRLN interface before launch.

Stage 3: Summative evaluation of the user experience with Search TRLN
After "go live," the task group should carry out summative evaluation of the Search TRLN interface and associated services. Usability test data can be supplemented with survey data or data from web logs.

comments to: patti.pittman@unc.edu
last modified: 09/10/07