Library Website Usability Study

Research questions

• Can users complete the usability tasks?
• Are there navigation pain points?
• Are there terminology pain points?

Methods

• We conducted usability tests remotely over Teams.

• 19 students participated.

What did we learn?

• Most users indicated they Google information rather than navigate the website

• We found some consistent pain points, particularly around requesting items in Omni and using the archives request form.

• This study reinforced the importance of making webpages easy to skim and scan.

Recommendations

• Even though users prefer search over navigation, the navigation menus should be maintained so they are easily browsable (short list) and use specific terms rather than broad categories. 

• Make it easier to find the request item link in Omni.

• Make it easier to request items from the Archives. 

• In a future project, review the organization of the homepage to maximize discovery of workshops and new collections.