Reference Materials (LIBSC 5233)

Review Existing Library Websites

Pretend you are visiting each school's library and want to find out when they are open and who you could contact to set up an appointment. How difficult is it to find that information on each website?

What could be done differently to make the information easier to find?

Congratulations! You've just conducted your first usability study!

Usability Exercises

These simple exercises will go a long way in helping you create a usable website.

Users & Tasks

1. Make a list of your potential users (students, parents, teachers, administrators, school staff).
2. For each user, make a list of what tasks they might use the website for (find a book, find contact information, etc.)
3. Use these lists to prioritize what goes on the homepage. These lists can also help with designing a user test (described below).

User Test

1. Based on your tasks list above, create 3-5 scenarios that would test different features of your website. For example, "You are looking for a book about dogs. Please show me where you would go to find a book and talk out loud about how you are choosing where to go."
2. Find 3 people to perform the scenarios. Explain that you are testing the website and not their knowledge.
3. After testing, reflect on what was the most problematic and what could be the simplest change you could make to eliminate the problem.
4. Alternatively, skip steps 2 & 3 and perform the scenarios yourself on 3 other school library websites. Record your thoughts and any notes on what you would like to improve about your website.

Checklists

1. Use the 10 Good Deeds in Web Design as a guide for evaluating your website. (Opens a new tab)
2. Use this Accessibility Guide from Portland State University to ensure your website is accessible to all users or use the WAVE browser extension. (Opens a new tab)

Library Books

School Library Website Resources

General Usability Resources