Student Usability Test #4 (December 2004)

Summary Results from December 2004 Usability Testing

Who we tested: Six undergraduates

How we tested: We gave the participants a list of 8 questions and showed them the Libraries’ home page. We asked the participants to think out loud and explain the choices they made. We also asked some questions before and after the test. Each session lasted 25 – 57 minutes.

Note: Not all students received the questions in the same order. In some cases, when the question relating to the Libraries’ chat service (second to last on the list below) appeared higher on the list, students relied more heavily on chat for subsequent questions.

Look to see if UM has a book of interest to you. Once you find one, e-mail the information about the book to yourself.

1. Catalog, types “French literature” in Subject beginning with…, chooses one from the 18th century. Finds a book. Locates save/e-mail link on the full view of the record. I didn’t know there was a link there otherwise I would have copied the information and pasted it into an e-mail. Looks at Format option. I don’t know what MARC tags are. I’m going to put Full view, because I don’t know what anything is and that way I’ll have everything.
2. Catalog, searches on Sociology, religion. Selects a book, and finds the Save/e-mail link on the full view of the record. Student ignores the drop down box. E-mails the information. At first I was trying to figure out how to do it. Maybe put the links in different colors, to bring it out more. They kind of blend in to each other.
3. Catalog, searches for Walter Cronkite in Title word/s. Finds mostly recordings. Tries a different search. Selects a book. Sees the save/e-mail link on the full view of the record, and e-mails the book information to her/himself. Student looks at the drop down box, but doesn’t change the citation option. I couldn’t find right away how to e-mail it to myself. I just didn’t see the link right away. It would be easier to see if it were a different color, or a button, or more prominent. It’s kind of hidden up there.
4. Catalog, types “abnormal psychology” in Words anywhere. Finds a book. I don’t remember how to e-mail it to myself. Scans the page. Finds the save/e-mail link on the full view of the record. Student skips over the drop down box.
5. Catalog, types cows in subject word/s. Selects a book, and checks the box in front of the entry in the results list. Scrolls to the top of the results list and clicks on save/e-mail at the brief views of the record. E-mails the information. Chooses Brief view in the drop down box. I want to know what it’s about, citation to my knowledge is basically the title and call number, full view that’s little too much it will take forever to download onto my computer, MARC tags I have no clue what that means. OK, it says record sent.
6. Hmmm, I’ve never done that before. I know they have the exhibits up front, I guess I would click somewhere over here, indicating the news box. Selects link for Keeping Our Past Alive exhibit. That didn’t really take me where I wanted to go. Returns home and selects Catalog. Looks at page and returns home. Decides to look for a book for class. Catalog, advanced search, author “Rousseau,” title “discours.” Gets a results list, but returns to advanced search to specify Language, and selects French. Finds the book. Looks at the catalog record, sees the save/e-mail link in the full view of the record, and e-mails the information to her/himself. Student looks at the drop down box, but leaves the selection as Citation.

Check to see if the following book can be checked out of McKeldin Library today: The 2000 Presidential election and the foundations of party politics by Richard Johnston, Michael G. Hagen, Kathleen Hall Jamieson.

1. Catalog, enters author beginning with… Johnston, Richard. Finds too many options, but tries entering the same name again and gets the same results. Selects one, but doesn’t find the title. Searches “The 2000 Presidential Election” under Title words. You know on other searches you can put author and a title. I don’t like having to search by one. When asked if s/he could do it in the Catalog, s/he responds I never figured out how. I figured you just click on one of those and that’s your choice of how you search, I never know how to combine them. Finds a book and clicks on Availability. Says yes it can be checked out, but then notices that it’s checked out of McKeldin. I don’t know what this other thing is, referring to the information for UMLL the Law Library, but I don’t think it’s McKeldin.
2. Catalog, basic search. Searches on title in Words anywhere. Finds the book. Clicks on Availability. S/he does not see the due date information. It is not telling me how many publications it has available, but it is saying holdings and availability. So, I guess that means it can be checked out, but I’m not 100% sure if I can check it out, because I’m not sure the quantity available. I would have to go to the library to see if they have the book.
3. Returns to Basic Search and enters the title in Title word/s. Finds the book and clicks on the Availability link after the McKeldin location information. It cannot be checked out today.
4. Backs up to Basic Search. Searches for title under Title beginning with… S/he doesn’t notice that s/he has forgotten a 0 on 2000 and is searching for 200. Accidentally backs out of the Catalog and goes back in. Searches for Johnston, Richard and Hagan, Michael, and Jamieson, Kathleen under Author word/s. Finds the book. Clicks on availability after UMLL and determines the book is available. S/he does not realize s/he is looking at the wrong library.
5. Basic search in Catalog. Title beginning with… and enters “The 2000 Presidential Election.” Does not find the book in the results table. Returns to basic search and tries Author beginning with… and types Johnston, Richard. There are probably 5 billion Johnston’s. Tries the first one on the list and does not find the book. Returns to search and tries Subject words, entering “2000 Presidential Election.” The book is at the top of the results list. Looks at location in the results list, McKeldin Library, it says 1 of 1, so I assume that means that there is one copy and there’s one left. S/he clicks the link and sees the Status/due date. That’s confusing, Status/due date, of December 7, 2004. I’m curious if that means it’s coming back on that date, if it’s due back. I assume it should say something about it being checked out, unless I was supposed to imply that from the page before when it said 1/1. That kind of confuses me. At this point I would probably go to the Information Desk, those people seem to know what’s going on. Or, if I had the time I would try to find the book. Or, I could probably ask at the desk where people check out books. Common assumption is probably that it’s the date it is due back. Let’s try something else. Returns to the results list and selects the link to UMLL under location. Notices the page says the book is on the shelf. So, I’m assuming the date was the date it’s coming back, because the status would say on shelf it if was actually on the shelf. Returns to results list.
6. Advanced search in Catalog. Searches for the book title. I chose advanced search, because I thought I was going to put in the author, but then I realized that that’s a very specific title, so there was no need to put in the author. S/he finds the catalog entry for the book. Looks at Availability after UMCP McKeldin Library. Looks at the page, but backs up. I can never remember if it’s availability or holdings that I click to see if it’s on the shelf. Looks at holdings, but returns to availability. Looks at the page and sees the date. So, I guess it wouldn’t be here until December 7th. So, no, it can’t be checked out.

A librarian named Diane Harvey came to your class to talk about library research. You want to reach her again; how would you find contact information for her?

1. Looks for contact information on the Libraries’ home page. Selects Ask Us! and finds the link to the Staff Directory. Finds Diane’s contact information.
2. Scans the home page and selects How do I… Selects the Ask Us! link. First clicks the link for the e-mail form. I don’t see anything that says I can actually reach a certain librarian. Returns to Ask Us! page and click the link for Phone Numbers, the sees the link for the Staff Directory. Finds Diane’s contact information. It wasn’t easy to find this. On How do I… there wasn’t anything here on how to get to faculty. What might be a good idea is to bring out the link to the Staff Directory more. Make it a better color or something like that.
3. Home, clicks on Faculty and Graduate Students, clicks on the link Yes, Librarians Can Help you With Your Teaching. It made it sound like the page would have a list of librarians or something else. A list of names or phone numbers or something. Clicks on the link to Ask Us! at the top of the page. Scrolls the page and selects the Phone Numbers link. When I clicked on that I expected to see their phone numbers too. Selects the link for Staff Directory and finds Diane’s information.
4. Home, scans page. Selects Staff and Organization. It looked like you might be able to find her in here since it says staff. When asked if this is what s/he expected to see, s/he responds, “Maybe some of it, but I expected more information too. Maybe more about the staff itself. You’ve got all this there I guess,” indicating the left-hand bar. S/he selects the link to Phone numbers. I expected a list of people who work here. Selects the link for Staff Directory. Finds Diane’s information.
5. Home, scans the page and clicks on Staff and Organization, because she’s a librarian and I would assume a librarian is on staff. Selects Staff Directory. I expected to see the names and stuff. Selects Directory by Staff and finds Diane’'s information.
6. Home, clicks on Staff and organization. Clicks on the link to the Staff Directory in the left bar. I kinda thought I would just see a list of people. S/he selects the link for Directory by Staff. Does a Find search for Harvey and finds Diane’s information.

Find an article on a topic that interests you. It could be something you’re studying in class, something you wrote a paper on recently, or something that interests you personally. You don’t need to find the full text of the article.

1. I’'ve never looked for articles before. Returns to Catalog basic search, but then goes to Library home. I have done the online things that we subscribe to. Chooses Research Port for its electronic journals. But, I don’t know how to find a paper journal, I’ve never done that, I’ve only done online electronic journals. Chooses art/art history, and guess at the subcategory all in databases. How do we search through all that stuff? Tries clicking on Table View. So these are the only ones we have I guess. These are the only databases we have? Chooses one and is launched into a window off-site, which is not what s/he expected. I thought I was going to go to a magazine or something. Returns to databases and selects urban studies in the Subject category, and selects Econlit from the results list. So, this is going to look for articles in this database, right? Searches for “text.” And, finds an article. I really don’t think if I needed a particular article I would know what I’m doing here.
2. Catalog, basic search. Searches on basketball in Words anywhere. Finds a book that contains articles on basketball. I noticed that they’re old books. That there aren’t any current ones. Other than that it wasn’t that hard to find the books, and it does say articles [in the title]. It says record format book and microform, I’m not sure that means articles.
3. Research Port. Selects Music under Database subject category. Selects All as subcategory. Oh, gees, there’s so many, I don’t really know which one. I was going for a band, so I guess I’ll go to 20th century music, selects RIPM. Searches for Rolling Stone. I was looking for the band and there’s nothing about the band here. Returns to RIPM search page. Tries searching with Rolling Stone in All words and Any words and gets no results. Returns to Research Port and selects the Art and Humanities Search. Searches for dance in keyword and finds an article.
4. Research Port. S/he selects Psychology from Databases by Subject Category and Core as subcategory, and selects the database PsychInfo. It’s actually what I came here to do is look up something on Balance Theory. Searches for balance theory and social psychology, and finds an article.
5. Catalog, I could go through Research Port now that I think about it. Student chooses to remain in the Catalog. Selects the Journals tab at the top of the page. Selects Word/s in title and enters Death penalty. No exact matches. S/he selects Titles = Death. I didn’t get what I wanted, but it could be that there’s nothing that is on my topic. I would think there would be, but I could easily have done something incorrectly. Returns to search and tries Word/s in Subject, Death penalty. No exact matches. Returns to search. Scans the page and selects Other catalogs, let’s see if you can go another way. I didn’t know if it was going to say other catalogs that are on this computer, but it says catalogs from different schools, which is cool. Selects journals only under University of Maryland Law Library. Tries Word/s in Subject search, death penalty. No exact matches. Returns to search and enters capital punishment. Gets the Capital Defense Journal. Goes no further.
6. Clicks on link to Research Port at the top of the Staff Directory page. I use Ebsco a lot, and I do that through Research Port. Selects Database list. I tend to go right to Ebsco. Scrolls results list. Backs up and selects By Database name. Selects E and chooses Ebsco databases. It’s the general multi-disciplinary thing. Chooses to search in Academic Search Premier. Searches for “gamma ray bursts” in default fields. Selects an article from the results list.

You’re going to do some research in the library, but want to get a cup of coffee before you start. What time does McKeldin’s Café open?

1. I didn’t know I could find that on here. Scans the home page for a link to Coffee Shop. Selects Hours, but does not see the Footnotes information at the top of the page. Returns to the home page and searches for McKeldin café. Chooses the link for Information for Visitors from the results list. Scrolls to Eating on Campus, and selects the link to hours under Footnotes Café. Returns to the Hours page and sees the Footnotes information at the top of the page.
2. From the home page, scans the page and even rolls over the Hours button. Searches on “Café closes.” Looks at the Site Index. Knows the café is called Footnotes. Clicks on the link which takes him/her off-site to Dining @ Maryland, but the information there is the Spring Semester hours. Clicks on the Hours link from that page and finds the Footnotes Café information. It wasn’t that hard to find once I got to this site. I guess you just have to use your imagination, but I wouldn’t even have known if I could go to see if the Hours for Footnotes is in here [the Libraries Web site].
3. Home. I know it’s called Footnotes. Searches for footnotes. Sees the link for Hours in the results list, and the opening information that appears.
4. Home and selects Hours, and sees the Footnotes Café information at the top of the page.
5. Home, clicks on link to Tips after reading McKeldin Copy Shop. Then clicks the link for McKeldin Copy Shop, nope that’s copy not coffee. Returns to tips, sees the tip for Footnotes Café, and clicks the link. Arrives at the Hours page sees the Footnotes hours.
6. I would guess 8 am, but let me go back to the main page, types the library URL in address field on the page. Selects Hours and sees the Footnotes information at the top of the page.

Check to see which (if any) books you currently have checked out from the Libraries.

1. Scans the home page, looking for something that says check your account. Looks at the Faculty and Graduate Student link and determines s/he is none of those people in that box. Selects How do I… It’s not there! Oh, yes, Check out and renew items, chooses the Renew books online link. Goes to the Sign into my account section of the page, reads the instructions. Returns home by clicking on the UM icon and goes into Catalog. Selects the My account link. I actually use this to request a book, but then it gives me the page automatically to sign in.
2. I haven’t checked out any books… Returns home and scans the page. I don’t see anything that says… Selects Ask Us! and chooses to chat with a Librarian. It doesn’t take a very long time for her to answer. I feel maybe she should know how to do that. The operator recommends the Catalog. Student selects the Home button from the top of the Ask Us page, oh, there’s Catalog right there. S/he enters the Catalog from the home page and scans the page. Thinks about searching. Searches on North America. I’m looking at Basket, like if you go to a Commerce Web site. I don’t see anything that tells me about how I can check to see if I have any books checked out. It’s telling me if it’s checked out of the Library, but not if I have anything checked out. Clicks on a book from the results list. My objective was to see if I have anything checked out, so maybe it could ask me for my id number or something like that, and link me to my account. S/he does not see the My account link at the top of the page. I think that the operator at the chat line could have been more specific about what I need to look for in the Catalog (Note: the operator was aware that this student was in a usability session based on the question asked and was trying to be helpful without giving away too much information). Oh, here it is, right here. I didn’t see it because it was small.
3. Research Port, selects My Research Port. I don’t have my id with me. Decides to login and goes to Testudo to get her/his ID number. Logs in and gets a message There are no records in My Items. I know I have not checked out anything.
4. Scans the home page, I don’'t know where to look for that. I guess I would search, tries searching for “checked out books.” Scans results list, I didn’t find what I’m looking for. Returns home. Tries Information for Faculty and Graduate Students. It seems like that might be something faculty and students might want to look for. Returns home. Selects the Site index, scrolls the page, and sees the link for Borrowing from the Libraries. Selects the link How can I get a list of books I have borrowed? Clicks My account, but the link is dead. Clicks the link to the Catalog, and logs in. In the Catalog selects the My Account link and finds the information.
5. I don’'t have any books checked out, but I’ll check anyway. Home, thinks about using search. I’'m trying to figure out what I should look at. Because I didn’t think that would be something that would be on the computer, but I guess it is. Looks at the More information for… box. I don’t even know what to type in, because it would be like “checked books” or “checked out.” Tries the Catalog, because it will say when things are checked out, but I don’t think it’s going to help me any. Tries clicking on Sign In, and signs-in to Catalog after retrieving barcode number from Testudo. Looks at the page and selects My account. No books checked out.
6. Home, scans the page. I’'m looking for a place where I can log in. I’m just going to go to this How do I… Sees …check out and renew books online. Selects link for Renew books online (my account). Reads the intro text, and selects the link for Sign in to my account. Reads the instructions and selects the link for the libraries’ home page. It says go back to the main page and click on Catalog. Enters Catalog and selects link to My Account. Logs in. Finds her/his information.

Imagine you’re on your computer at home, and you don’t have access to a telephone. You need help determining the best database to use to find information about the life of composer Aaron Copland. Your assignment is due tomorrow, and you need to do the work right now. Using the Web site, contact a Librarian and ask what database to use.

1. Selects Ask Us! after pausing for a moment. Chooses the link for Librarian Subject Specialists. Finds a specialist for music and plans to e-mail that Librarian.
2. Selects Ask Us! Sees Chat with a Librarian. If I hadn’t stumbled upon it while looking for Diane Harvey I probably wouldn’t have known you could chat with a librarian. Chooses to chat. Asks the Librarian the question. I think this is a good feature for the Web site, for those who aren’t at a telephone. It could be more prominently put on the Libraries main page. The operator nice. I guess it’s easy to be nasty on chat when you don’t know who you’re talking to. I think the survey is good, it lets the people know what they can fix, improvements they have to make. You might have some people who are hearing impaired, so they can use this to their advantage. S/he later notices that the link to Ask Us! is on the home page. Maybe a bright color would bring it out more, bring my attention to it.
3. I know you can talk to a librarian in online chat, I’ve never done that. Selects Ask Us! from the Home page, and chooses Chat with a librarian. This is weird. You are now chatting with [chat operator’s name]. I just imagine someone sitting up there. S/he poses the question, “I need to find some info on composer Aaron Copland. My assignment is due tomorrow. Which database should I look in?” The librarian takes a while to respond while typing. I think I would have rather called. The librarian responds with suggestions. OK, this is helpful. I’ll wait til the operator’s done to say thank you. The librarian asks for the size of the paper, and for which class the assignment is for. “For music class, 5-7 pages.” I would think librarians wouldn’t like doing chat like this. Because if they’re at the front desk or something and they’re talking to someone and someone comes up they might not know who to help. It’s probably easier for them to talk on the phone. Quicker. The librarian respond with more suggestions, including leading the student to books and journal articles. S/he responds to the survey. When asked for reactions: it was helpful. I wouldn’t do it if I was at home. It would be quicker to call on the phone, more personal to talk to them. I probably could have asked more detailed questions if I was right in front of them or on the phone. Plus it took the operator a long time to answer, which isn’t the operator’s fault because their probably looking up the information, but it would be faster to ask them in person. Plus my pop-up blocker would probably block that now that I’m thinking about it.
4. Home, selects Research Port, I thought I remembered seeing an ask a librarian link on there before, but I don’t really recall. Selects My Research Port, then returns to Databases. Selects Sociology from the Databases by Subject Category, subcategory Core. Selects the Sociological Abstracts database. Closes the database and returns home. Scans the home page. Tries the Catalog, and searches for psychology under Words anywhere. Scans the page with the results list. Returns home. Selects Ask Us! And selects E-mail a Librarian. Fills in the information to pose the question. Sees the drop down box next to “This information will no longer be useful to me after:” and selects 2 days. I should probably call instead of sending an e-mail, since it’s possible that it won’t come as quickly. Returns to the Ask Us! page and finds the telephone number for McKeldin’s information desk. I guess I would probably call that number and ask them what they would think.
5. Home and scans the page. I’m going to go to Research Port, because I know all the databases are there, so I assume there’s something about how to find a database in the same area. Or maybe not. Returns home. Searches on “help.” Selects Help from Librarians at the top of the results list. Ask Us! page and selects Chat with a librarian. Enters the chat service. Poses question to the librarian, “What is the best database to use to find information on Aaron Copland? Musical database or history?” That might have been way to broad, I don’t know I’ve never used the chat at all. The operator’s responding, that’s nice. I didn’t know they could do this at all. The librarian asks if s/he is looking for biographical information. S/he responds biographical information. The librarian suggests databases and asks if the student knows how to use Research Port.
6. Home, selects Ask Us! Clicks on Chat with a Librarian. Asks the librarian, “I would like to know which database I should use to find information about the composer Aaron Copland” The librarian asks, “Are you looking for biographical information or a discography or what kind of information?” Student responds, “biographical information.” I think I may have used the chat service once before. The librarian responds, “Are you looking for any general biographical information about him? Do you need articles and books?” Student responds, “I’d prefer articles,” because general information I could get off an encyclopedia or something. I think I used it once, because I was trying to figure out how to request a transfer of an article from one branch to another. I think I asked them how to do that, they told me and I got it. It’s pretty neat that you can just ask somebody something. The librarian asks for a moment. The librarian directs the student to Research Port. Then under databases by subject look for biographies. The student follows her instructions. “If I were you I’d start with Biography Index.” The student searches for Aaron Copland, and finds several results. S/he signs out of chat and fills out the survey.

Find the full text of the following article in the American Journal of Political Science: “Validating a Measure of National Political Legitimacy,” by John Fraser, vol. 18, no. 1 (Feb 1974), pp.117-134.

1. I did this a long time ago. I hope I remember. Selects Research Port. Scrolls Subject Category under databases and selects Politics. Narrows the subcategory to American politics. Does not see the journal on the list. Chooses Cross Search and searches for the journal title. No! I’m only working in three databases! I didn’t know where to find it and I saw Search. Sees the journal title in the results list. Selects the journal title and gets the catalog record for the journal. Clicks the link under the journal title and is taken to the Advanced search page. I thought I was going to get the journal, that’s what it said. Thinks about clicking on the Search tab, but chooses the E-Journals tab. Searches for journals starting with a. Enters American Journal into the starts with search box. Scrolls to the journal title. Looks at the options on the Find it! page. Selects the link for JSTOR, I’ve used that before, this other one I don’t know what it is. On the JSTOR page s/he chooses search from the bottom bar as opposed to the search/browse this journal links. Searches for the article title, and Fraser as author. Chooses the category for Political Science and enters 1974 as the publication date. Finds the journal.
2. Catalog, Subject word/s, and enters the article title. Another thing I could do is put in the author’s name. Chooses one of the words from the search terms list, no exact matches found. Does not find the title in the results list. Enters Fraser, John in Author beginning with… Looks for an author whose dates match that of the article, 1974. Chooses one, but does not find the article. Tries Title beginning with… and enters the journal title. Selects the journal title from the results list. Chooses the first result for the journal as an electronic resource, but does not click on the internet links which would take her/him to the electronic version of the journal. Returns to the results list with the journal titles and clicks on View Titles, selects a link, but does not look at the catalog entry for the journal. Returns to basic search and enters the article title under Title beginning with… Does not find the title in the results list. When asked what s/he would do at this point, s/he responds that they would go to the chat, Ask Us! Selects chat with a librarian, and asks the operator how to find the full text of the article, and enters the article’s information. The librarian asks where s/he has looked so far, and s/he responds The Catalog. The Librarian directs her/him to Research Port and the E-Journal tab. S/he asks where the Research Port link is. The Librarian directs her/him to the link on the home page. One thing that could be changed, if they know you have been to the chat room before, they don’t have to keep asking you for the survey. S/he enters Research Port and finds E-Journals. Enters the journal and article titles in the search box. The About our E-Journals Collection page pops up. S/he closes that page and selects A on the search by E-Journal name. Enters American in the Title starts with box. Scrolls to American Journal of Political Science. Selects the first link for Academic Search Premier on the Find it page. Notices the journal only goes to 1975. So I can’t get in that way, there’s got to be another way. Clicks on Search within this publication. Goes to the Refine search box and selects Full text, Date published February 1974, publication as periodical. Looks for a Search box, and finds it. No results were found for your search query. I though I could do this, but obviously this is not working. This is not easy to find. I’m not getting frustrated but, I’m close I know that. What do I press, do I press reset? Tries reset. That doesn’t even work. If it’s going to have Limit your search and stuff like that it should have a search button here and I don’t see it here. I think I know why it won’t do it. Tries entering journal and article titles in the Publication field. Gets no matches, and is told to enter the search terms again. Tries only having the journal title in the Publication field and gets no results.
3. Research Port. Selects A under Database name. That’s what always ticks me off about these pages, the results list, is that they don’t list them all in one page. You always have to keep looking. It’s not there. Selects E-Journals tab. I was looking in the wrong place. Selects A under By E-Journal name. Enters American in Title starts with field. Scrolls to the journal listing in the results list. Selects Academic Search Premier from the Find it page. Clicks on the Full text, 1975 to present link to search for the article. Enters the article title in the search box. There were no results to the search query. S/he tries searching for the author. Gets no results. Goes back to the first page that lists the years. Oh wait, it doesn’t go back that far. So, I can’t find the full text I don’t think, because they’re not available that far. I should have realized that right away.
4. Research Port. Selects by Database name and enters the journal title. I was looking in the database list for a certain journal, when I should have, I think there’s somewhere where you search through journals. Selects E-Journals tab. Selects A under by E-Journal name. Enters journal title in Title starts with field. Selects the journal title, and chooses Academic Search Premier from the Find it page. I was going to look for 1974, but it ends in 1975. Returns to Find it page and selects JSTOR. I thought it might be more like the other one where it gives you certain years you can look for. Selects Search from the top of the page (does not choose search or browse this journal). Searches for article title, and receives the following message, “You did not specify any journals to search. Please select one or more journals, below.” Selects Political Science from the Discipline list, and re-enters the article title in the search box. Finds the full text.
5. Home, selects Catalog, then backs up to home and selects Research Port. I know in Research Port I might have the ability to find the actual journal. It would be so much easier to find the journal, otherwise you’re going through massive amounts of headache. Selects E-Journals, and enters journal title under By E-Journal name. Selects the link from the results list. Looks at the Find it page, OK, that’'s way to much. Closes that window, but from the results list selects the Find it button on the line with the journal title. I think that’s how to do it. Looks at the page, but closes it again. It’s kind of confusing how I’m supposed to find an actual article within it. Clicks on the I in the circle and information about the journal pops up. All of these boxes have stated in which databases it is possible to find the full text of the journal, as well as the dates available. In the information box, s/he clicks on the link for Direct URL. Maybe I can get it that way. I like Research Port, it’s very good. I get to access things off-campus, and it would be a really big pain if I had to come on campus every single time I had to look something up. A page pops up with a results list just showing the American Journal of Political Science. It’s the same thing. Tries clicking the journal link again. I’m curious if I can just go into it. On the Find it page, s/he selects full text from Academic Search Premier. OK, here we go. Looks for 1974. Ooh, that stinks, where is it? So they don’t have February 1974. Unless it’s somewhere else, or it’s not online, which that kind of stinks. Clicks the link at the top of the page to Ask a Librarian. Selects Chat with a Librarian. I’m back to Ask a Librarian, why not. I’m all about asking people. S/he types, “I am trying to find the American Journal of Political Science volumes in 1974, but the database only starts at 1975. Do you have any idea where I should?” I think it’s kind of cool that these people are all-knowing about the library. The librarian recommends checking the Catalog using the journal subset to see if the Library has the journal in print. The librarian directs the student to the home page, and to the Catalog. From there, to select the Journal link at the top of the Catalog page and to type the name of the journal into the search box. The librarian is also with another patron at the moment, but mentions she can “send” pages to the student if necessary. The student first types American Journal in the search box, looks at the results list, returns to the search box and types the full journal title. There are two entries for the journal in the results list, one has the word (online) after it. Student selects the listing with out (online). There are two results. One has [electronic resource] after the journal title, and the other does not. Student notices the years 1973 in the Published field. I’lm looking for 1974. That is not fun. Student backs up to title results list and selects the one listed as (Online). It says published and 1973 on. Tries clicking the Published link. Scans the page. Tries the link under Uniform Title. On the page that pops up, under the Browse a list of headings, the student clicks on search next to the Titles: American journal of political science (online) fields. S/he is taken to a title results list. Selects the journal link and returns to the catalog entry. OK, I just went in a big circle. Student scans the page. Looks at Internet link, but does not click anything. The librarian pops in and asks if the student has gotten to the Catalog and found the journal. Student responds, “Yes, but I am lost at the ‘full view of record’ window that contains the information on the journal?’ The librarian responds that the student needs to look at the availability for all locations and then scroll down til the volumes start listing. Student scans the page. Ok there we go, but it is unclear that the student sees All locations, Availability. S/he does not click on that link. OK, here we go, student starts reading the Notes fields in the catalog record. Looking at Publication history, it says it has 1973 on. The librarian pops in with UMCP McKeldin Library Periodical Stacks JA1. M52 v. 18 (1974) Non-circulating/on-shelf. Sweet. Student types, ”How did you get there via computer?“ At least I know it’s there. So, I have no idea how to even find this. The librarian responds that she went into the Catalog, to journals subset, typed in the journal name, and then availability for all locations. She starts to send the student pages. Sweet. That is so nice. Librarian pushes the starting search box. I thought this is where I was before. Librarian pushes the page with the title results. OK, she did the same thing.
6. Home, selects Research Port, because I know the E-Journals are there, and I’m going to look up the E-Journals by alphabetical order. Selects A. Scans the list, returns and types in the journal title. Selects the journal. On the Find it page s/he selects Academic Search Premier. Oh, it says from 1975, most recent year not available. This is from 1974, so I’m going to go to JSTOR. At JSTOR selects Browse this Journal. Clicks the link for Vols. 17-20. Scrolls to Vol. 18 No. 1. Uses the browser window Find feature to find Fraser. Selects the journal and finds the full text.

General Comments

1. I always look at Catalog, because that’s the first, actually that’s the only thing I really use. You know I’ve never even read all the other stuff, because I’ve never even needed anything else. I use the site about once a week to request a book. I always thought it would be nice to have a link to the regular site [the UM campus site], clicks on the UM globe icon and sees there is a link to the UM site. Whenever I have to find a book I always have to have someone come with me, because I don’t know how to do it. Maybe when you look up a book and it says availability and you see that it’s on the shelf there could be a link that says Map it, so I could see where it is, which floor and show me where. I’d like to know what floor that it’s on.
2. I have not used the Library’s Web site. Part of the reason is I haven’t checked out a book yet, and even if I did I would probably go to the Library actually and check it out. I didn’t even think about the Library having a Web site. No teacher has ever directed me here before. One thing you could put on the home page is a link to the McKeldin Café. With the exception of the last question, it’s not that hard to use. Plus you have an operator to help you out.
3. There’s a lot of white space. And, I notice the search box, if I was looking for a phone number or map or something. I don’t think I would use it for a book since that’s here, indicating the Catalog and Research Port. I use the library site, I work at the Reference Desk, so probably two hours a week. I come here 100% for class related work. Maybe make it easier to get phone numbers on the home page, because when I clicked on Faculty and Graduate Students I thought I would be directed to a list of contacts. Make How do I… bigger. Because little questions people have they shouldn’t have to waste their time doing a lot of stuff. Catalog and Research Port are the things people use most and they’re pretty prominent. Maybe they could have where you could sign in right away, at the beginning. I don’t know what these things are, UM Digital Collections and DRUM.
4. I usually click on Research Port first, because that’s what I’m used to doing. I use the library’s Web site, recently about every other day. I mostly look through databases and try to find journal articles. I think the page is good, what it doesn’t have up front it has at the bottom.
5. I always use Research Port. The question mark gets my attention. It’s pretty good; I don’t really have any problems with it. I use the Web site once or twice a week, sometimes for the hours. I’ll be using it a lot more now that I know I can talk to someone.
6. I have used the library Web site before; it depends on the time of year when stuff is due. Last year when I had a 30 page research paper I was on it every single day. But this year I haven’t had research papers due. I used it yesterday for the first time in several weeks. I’m usually looking for a specific book or a specific journal article. Or journal articles on a specific topic.

Comments on the Catalog

2. I’ve never used the Catalog here before.
3. I’ve used the Catalog before. It has quirks. Like if you put The in front of a word. But if you try a couple of things usually you’ll come up with something. It’s pretty user friendly.
4. I have used the Catalog a few times, not as often though. Usually my projects are asking more for journals than books.
5. I have not really used the Catalog before. I don’t really use it. I don’t use books frequently. I’m not a big book person. All the information I ever have to get is typically on Research Port.
6. I have used the Catalog. Finding things isn’t hard at all.

Comments on Research Port

1. I have not used Research Port before.
2. I have not used Research Port before.
3. I’ve used Research Port, but it took me a long time to figure out how to use it. Now I know to go to Academic Search Premier if I have to look for something. I like that you can save citations. But sometimes it is hard to pick which database to go to, so I wish somewhere you type in what you’re looking for and it would pop up which databases would be your best bet.
4. I have used Research Port before. I think it’s OK. I mainly use PsychInfo. I usually find what I need.
5. I use Research Port once or twice a week.
6. I have used Research Port before. It’s good, I like the list of journals how you can basically find any journal and get access to all the articles. Doing my research paper last year, some of the stuff I needed was really old and I couldn’t find it. But, I didn’t have trouble finding the vast majority of what I needed.

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