Usability Test Project

Purpose

To determine if the targeted audience can effectively navigate the Internet Public Library for Kids website for research, exploration and discovery.

Web Site Background

Taken from the site's About page: "In January 2010, the website "ipl2: information you can trust" was launched, merging the collections of resources from the Internet Public Library (IPL) and the Librarians' Internet Index (LII) websites. The site is hosted by Drexel University's College of Information Science & Technology, and a consortium of colleges and universities with programs in information science are involved in developing and maintaining the ipl2."

Representative users

The website offers resources and links to sites that are K-12 appropriate, although the collection policy states that most materials are appropriate for grades 3-7.
The site is titled "for Kids" and a separate site exists "for Teens".
The site's social and historical materials are primarily from North American countries, although some English speaking European  sites are included.
Therefore representative users of the site are:

• English Speakers
• Children grades 3-7 who have had previous experience and are comfortable with using computers.
• Adult educators of primary grades
• Parents

Setting
For students, this study will be conducted in either their school Library Media Center or at their home personal computer. The students will have the choice of computers and web browsers within the media center. The students will be able to click a direct link on the desktop within the media center.
For the adult respondent, the study will be conducted on her classroom computer.
These settings are ideal for this study because location and equipment are familiar to the respondents.

Method

• Script 

The following script will be used to ensure that each respondent hears exactly the same information:
Hello, My name is Michelle Hamrick. Thank you for volunteering  in this website usability study. 
You are helping me to better understand what makes a successful online library website.
Basically, you will be asked to visit the Internet Public Library for Kids website and see how easy or hard it is to find some things.
I am very interested in your opinions of the site, like how it looks and how it works.
While you use the site, I will be observing and taking notes. I will not be writing comments on your skill, I will only be recording what you do.
You are not being tested. There will be no grading.
 It is okay to ask questions, I may not be able to answer them because I can not help with the website in any way. Please make any comments about the website that come to mind.
Do you have any questions?
Are you ready to get started?

Before we look at the site, 
- What does the phrase "Online Library" mean to you?

Please click the desktop link  labeled "IPL2" **OR for the adult respondent, Please visit the website http://www.ipl.org then click "For Kids"

Now I will ask you to carry out some tasks. 
- Find a list of websites on Endangered Species
- Find a list of US Presidents. Who was the 23rd President of the United States?
-  Find a page to help you say "Hello" in other languages.
-  If you wanted to find the meaning of a word, what resource on this site might you use?
- *For adult respondents* Visit the 'Resources for Parents and Teachers'. Do you find the list relevant, satisfactory? Any comments?
-  Locate the story 'The Tortoise and the Hare." 
- What are your opinions about this story presentation? * Note that respondents do not have to read the entire story.*

• Observation Strategy 

While the respondent completes tasks, I will record their actions and comments on paper. I will not mention a time limit for the questions to the respondent- as this might add an element of stress. However, if after three minutes a solution to the question is not decided, I will suggest we move on.

• Exit Survey

- Do you feel that this website fits your idea of an online library?
- What do you like/ dislike about the look of the website?
- The website would be easier to use if_______________________________________.
- Any other comments or suggestions?

Findings Report

• Respondent  Comments and Suggestions

Respondents: 2 adults, 3 children

For the preliminary question: What does the phrase "online library" mean to you? 4 out of 5 respondents mentioned looking up and/ or ordering books. One respondent stated "a library of the internet."

Adult respondents focused primarily on using the central content area with image buttons and the search function.

Child respondents visually examined the central content area with image icons, but often actually used the sidebar links. One child respondent used the search function. The following image shows the two sections mentioned above.

 For all but one respondent, the image buttons had problems:
- The website would be easier to use if..." it told me what it does in the pictures."
- "I wish these little pictures were easier to see."
- "It's not easy to tell what these pictures are- Like art and music- if I just look at the picture I wouldn't know what it is."
- Following the endangered species question, one child respondent hovered his mouse over the word "Animals" under the Math & Science Heading for several seconds. However he never clicked it. Instead he clicked other topics and was unable to solve that particular task.

Other issues included:
- Clicking on headings lead to lists of website links relevant to the heading. However, the links are in no particular order. One adult respondent suggested that the sites "could be ranked by popularity".
- Internal ipl2 content is not separated or defined in any way apart for links to outside content.
- One respondent misspelled tortoise in the search function and retrieved no results.

• Presentation to Website authors/ designers/ managers

Before any discussion of change, I would like to point out to the creators and editors of this site that I am a fan and long time follower. The suggestions are made with complete respect to the extensive work that has gone into this project. Also, I am fully aware that the recent conjunction of IPL and LII has undoubtedly been a massive undertaking.
Based on this usability study, I recommend establishing a three- tiered website committee to find solutions to the following items. Each tier of the committee could tackle one of three areas of the website presentation. All three tiers could come together as needed for brain storming and planning future usability studies.
- Enhance the search feature to include spelling suggestions and alternative names.
- Clearly define internal ipl2 content from external link content
- Reconsider the image buttons and division of topics used on the main page

References

Campbell, Nicole. 2001. Usability assessment of library-related web sites: methods and case studies. LITA guide, 7. Chicago: American Library Association.

Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, April 14, 2002:
Kids' Corner: Website Usability for Children

Norlin, Elaina, and CM! Winters. 2002. Usability testing for library websites: a hands-on guide. Chicago: American Library Association.