An assessment of the usability of the University of the West Indies (Mona, Jamaica) Main Library’s website
| Date | 01 June 2015 |
| Pages | 590-599 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-11-2013-0207 |
| Published date | 01 June 2015 |
| Author | Adrian St. Patrick Duncan,Fay Durrant |
An assessment of the usability
of the University of the
West Indies (Mona, Jamaica)
Main Library’s website
Adrian St. Patrick Duncan and Fay Durrant
The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide an assessment of the usability of the University of
the West Indies, Mona, Main Library’s Web site by Master of Arts students of the Department
of Library and Information Studies (D.L.I.S.) for the identication of major strengths and weaknesses of
the site and to incorporate the results and participant feedback into a redesign that reects users’
intuitions rather than those of the site developers and library staff.
Design/methodology/approach –One method was used to collect data; Observation. Its
instruments included a list of activities executed by students followed by a checklist, which reected
day-to-day usage of the Main Library’s Web site by Master of Arts students in the D.L.I.S. In addition,
both usability heuristics and International Standards Organisation (ISO) guidelines were used to assess
effectiveness, learnability, usefulness, functionality, navigability and user satisfaction. Respondent
strategies used a sample size of ve participants in the focus group sessions. Experimental strategies
combined observation of ve individual participants who performed the usability tests.
Findings –The ndings identied challenges in the site’s navigation, user satisfaction and
learnability.
Research limitations/implications – There can be further assessment, as this study did not speak
specically to students with disabilities or took into consideration the views of the librarians.
Additionally, more ethnographic approaches are required to elicit distinctive Caribbean user behaviors.
Practical implications – The study concludes that usability training should be incorporated into the
culture of the library organization as well as more usability testing needs to be done on a more regular
basis and on a more student interactive basis.
Originality/value –The paper presents issues of usability and the impact of technology on
information access, memorability, learnability and functionality of an academic library’s Web site.
Keywords World Wide Web, Web site, Usability, Usability evaluation
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Web sites have become an essential component of academic libraries and the services
that they provide. As outlined by George (2005, p. 167), the services provided by
“University Libraries have extended well beyond those offered at an on-site facility”.
However, as the requests, services and numbers of items available increase in online
availability, off-site (Web site) use increases (George, 2005). Furthermore, on a global
scale, the design, usability and functionality of Web sites are critical if academic
libraries are to continue providing vital services to their users in an efcient, effective
and timely manner. In order for academic libraries to survive, it is clear that they need to
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
EL
33,3
590
Received 27 November 2013
Revised 17 March 2014
Accepted 28 April 2014
TheElectronic Library
Vol.33 No. 3, 2015
pp.590-599
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-11-2013-0207
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