The usability study on the multicultural children’s book project of the National Library for Children and Young Adults (NLCY) in Korea
| Pages | 52-59 |
| Published date | 08 February 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-07-2015-0009 |
| Date | 08 February 2016 |
| Author | Wooseob Jeong |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology |
The usability study on the
multicultural children’s book
project of the National Library
for Children and Young Adults
(NLCY) in Korea
Wooseob Jeong
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify usability issues on a storytelling digital library
with six languages provided by the National Library for Children and Young Adults (NLCY) in
Korea, and to provide suggestions for future improvement to create a better interface.
Design/methodology/approach – In this study, usability issues at the multicultural children’s
book project Web site of the NLCY were identied, with comparison between the previous interface
and the current one, based on the ndings of established literature on children’s use of computer
applications and web interface.
Findings – Suggestions for improvements include brighter colors, bigger fonts and graphics, more
lively animation and sound, easier navigation, consistent interface, summary availability, better
organization of information and labeling and multilingual searching and browsing function. A user
study is being planned for future development.
Originality/value – There is a great value in making 400 children’s books available to the public at the
NLCY digital library in six different languages with their original pictures animated and their stories
performed in a storytelling mode. However, to provide more pleasant access to the valuable site, particularly
forchildren users, there is much room for improvement in terms of the user interface. Based on these ndings,
a user study is being planned for future development, which should be more intuitive for users, particularly
children.
Keywords Digital libraries, Usability, Human computer interaction, Children’s digital libraries,
Children’s interaction with computers, User interface
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Beginning in 2009, the National Library for Children and Young Adults (NLCY) in Korea has
made more than 400 children’s picture books published in Korea available on the web, in six
different languages (Korean, English, Chinese, Mongolian, Thai and Vietnamese) in the form
of adopted animations accompanied by storytelling performances. This large project is one
of many efforts by the Korean government to educate and assimilate foreign populations,
along with their children, who have been arriving since the 1990s in this still extremely
homogeneous country. The six languages were selected because they are most frequently
used among the foreign population in Korea.
A selection committee, consisting of the librarians at the NLCY and external experts,
chose a list of quality books. The library contacted the publishers to clear copyright,
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2059-5816.htm
DLP
32,1
52
Received 23 July 2015
Revised 16 September 2015
Accepted 16 September 2015
DigitalLibrary Perspectives
Vol.32 No. 1, 2016
pp.52-59
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2059-5816
DOI 10.1108/DLP-07-2015-0009
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