Website Redux: April Update for Library Staff

RE DUX

Brown Bag Update | April 4th, 2014

What We’ve Been Up to:All the ways we’ve been using sticky notes to plan an awesome website

Meeting with English Composition Students:What they have to say about their research process and the website.

English 108:2 sections~32 studentsnon-native English speakers

English 102:2 sections~25 studentsmostly freshman

Dislike for Lexis Nexis

One of the databases, Lexis Nexis I tried searching and it didn’t work. (several students agree).

Lexis Nexis seems broken. Literally just a list. Academic search tells you the title, it has good spacing, abstracts.

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I avoid Lexis Nexis honestly it gives me a migraine and I feel like I’m going to faint and pass it out.You can’t do anything. No. if you look it up on google it works, but if you try through the library no.

Finding Databases (“Search Engines”)

Is there a way to look up databases by topic or field?

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I feel like we stick to these search engines because it is the only thing we’ve been shown. Maybe you could have a tutorial showing the other search engines you can use.

Using the Library for Studying

Study spaces, group work. I use dibs to reserve study rooms.

“

”Student: I like going to the Science library and just sitting at a table and doing work there.

Other student: It is the quieter library.

It is super easy—especially with the text, I can forward it to the whole group

Using the Library for Computers and Printing

Printing.“

”

I’ve used group study rooms several times.

Using the Library for Sleeping

I’ve seen students sleep there. “

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Checking out Books

I thought it was really cool. It is just so weird. I never thought I’d check out a book from that library. It was cool. New experience. I don’t think I’ve checked out a book since I was in like, first grade.

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I really like the express checkout. It is really cool. You just swipe your CatCard.

It was a small sample, but in the classes we went to, more English 102 students had checked out books than laptops. (only 1 person in second class)

More students had also used the desktop computers (3-4) than had checked-out laptops (1).

We should check our assumptions at the door…

The library should…Does the library…?

My cousin said you can check out Macbooks. Is that true?

What I like about Macbooks it is impossible to get a virus.

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Make a bunch of categories of all the databases and how it would fit under a certain topic. Or showing all the databases that the UA offers. An alphabetical list.

What they like about the library

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I like how it is a maze. I’ve gotten lost like 6 times.

Charging stations. They’ve saved my butt a couple of times.

What they want to change about the physical library

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More outlets in the Science-Engineering Library. On the bottom floor to the right is really good. Really good, every table has an outlet. But if you go upstairs – really hard to find at an individual table.

New chairs! A lot of the desks on 4th and 5th floor are really worn. Just seem really old and yucky. Solid desks and

rolling chairs.

What is frustrating about study room reservations

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An actual timer of your reservation time. One group said they have room 8-12 when we have it 10-12… need a way to verify who has the reservation, show a timer of how much time you have…

I’m always too afraid to ask the people to leave if they are in the room… I don’t want to interrupt them. You have your phone out and point to it.

How they would fix it

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”Swipe card or a sign on the door saying room reserved and the times.

At my dorm, Arbol, they give you a card to get a study room. Maybe a check in system. Won’t have to worry about kicking people out.

Sucks so bad it needs a tutorial to know how to use it

Is there a tutorial on how to work the website? That might be useful. If you are trying to find something and can’t find it… to know where to click.

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Frustrating: losing sources

It logs out. If you found something you like but have to leave your computer. Times out. Have to figure out how to get the link.

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This morning I tried to find one of the articles that I already found. I didn’t know which [database] to choose. The first one didn’t find it.

Frustrating: things at Special Collections

(Researching tent city)I was finding books and stuff a lot of them are in “special section” (Special Collections), only one book in the library. Now I have to go and sit in there and take notes. I don’t mind it, but now I have to go out of my way instead of just doing it in my room, have to make a period of time.

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The Library Overall

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Is now Should be

HelpfulHistoricSystematicCoolStressful

SimpleEasyVisibleStress-free

Card SortingHow users think about categories, groups,.

So far:2 undergrads

6 grad students4 faculty

(#5371)

Groupings around physical space

• Floor maps• Study rooms• Power outlets• Computer locations

And sometimes:• Equipment lending• Copy/Scanning• Code of conduct

Groupings around connecting to a

human• Contact us• Send us feedback• Live help via chat• Schedule a meeting• Request class instruction

And sometimes:• Staff directory• Suggest a purchase

Help = contacting someone

The staff directory should tell you who does what.

– grad student

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Groupings around library services

• Photocopy services• Printing• Scanning

And sometimes:• Equipment lending• Computers• Software

One group distinguished between “free” and “pay” services

Groupings around “about us”

• News & events• Library mission & vision• History of the library• Donate to the library

Students would never go here.

– grad student

“”

To separate by audience… or not?

I don’t want to put it that way on the website (by audience) – grad, undergrad – could discourage undergrads – faculty member

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Groupings around student resources

• Course guides• Plagiarism info• Researching & searching tips• Subject guides• Citation management

Variations in focus:• “instruction”• “writing tools”• “info for students”

Groupings around instructor resources

• Request class instruction• Video streaming• Course guides

And interestingly:• Student contest and awards

Groupings around finding stuff

Some things were put in more than one place by multiple

teams • Suggest a purchase• Video streaming• Interlibrary loan• Request an article

With an emphasis on integrating things at the point of need

You don’t find it, then you request it.– faculty“

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ILL and Video Streaming

I request video streaming through the library… it’s really strange, you have to go through ILL or something like that, really strange. It is closer to these – resources (books, ebooks)– not ILL.

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Groupings around “my account”

• Library card• Checkout policies• Borrowing

information

One faculty member wanted all of the things relevant to her under “my stuff”

Primary TasksDetermining what is most important to our users

Undergrads

• Study rooms• Hours• Locations• Formatting

citations• Help with

research

[#5320]

Grads

• Equipment lending• Databases by subject• Finding books• Dissertation support• Search for articles• Search catalog• Request article

[#5321]

Faculty

• Video streaming• Databases by subject• Finding books / ebooks• Interlibrary loan• Request article• Suggest a purchase• My library account• News and events

[#5319]

PersonasRepresentations of our users that will help us keep our audience in mind

Personas are based on our user research

• Focus groups• Interviews• Surveys• Library feedback• Card sorts• Stakeholder feedback• Analytics data

Personas often include

• Name & Photo• Role/Audience Segment• Goals, Motivations &

Challenges• Personal Characteristics• Webographics• Library-ographics• Info-seeking habits

Personas will help us• Keep our users in mind

during development• Make decisions based

on user’s needs• Write content targeted

for primary audience• Recruit participants for

usability testing that match our audience segments

Personas

+

Tasks

=

User Stories

Personas

+

Tasks

=

User Stories

Meet our personas!

Friday, April 18, 1pm

Developer update:Where have we been and where are we going?

Sprint: DX

March 11-24

We estimated 114 hours of work, but did about 105 hours.

Sprint goal: To modernize and document our development processes.

Sprint: DXAs a developer, I want to run automated tests so that users don't experience bugs after we fix them once.

Sprint: DX

As a developer, I want to keep all relevant documentation in the wiki so that others joining the project can get up to speed quickly.

Sprint: DX

As a developer, I want to use build tools to automate repetitive tasks, so that I'm more efficient.

Sprint: DX

As a developer, I want to have a tool to automate deployment as much as possible, so that I will successfully deploy changes that are seamless to users.

Sprint: DX

As a developer, I want to have guidelines around how we use our issue tracker, so that we can clearly communicate upcoming changes and restore service to users in the case of an outage.

Sprint: DXAs a developer, I want to have a documented process for version control, so that we can clearly communicate upcoming changes and restore service to users in the case of an outage.

Story Development

Story Development

Story Development

Story Development

Story Development

• Renee wants to find the email address for Mary Feeney to schedule an orientation for her graduate students

• Elle wants to update her staff bio• Elle has the guidelines she needs to

confidently write her bio• Elle wants to know who to contact on a

team• Brandon wants to see what Jeanne looks

like so that he knows it's her when he meets with her

• Elle wants to contact a team via email

Remember to check out our blog

code.library.arizona.edu/blogs

Next Brown Bag:

Wednesday, May 7th. 12-1pm.Room A314.

Questions

Main Website Redux

redux@u.library.arizona.edu