Search Success at the University of Manitoba Libraries Pre- and Post-Summon Implementation

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Author(s): Lisa O’Hara (University of Manitoba Libraries, Canada), Pat Nicholls (University of Manitoba Libraries, Canada)and Karen Keiller (University of New Brunswick Saint John Campus, Canada)
Copyright: 2012
Pages: 20
Source title: Planning and Implementing Resource Discovery Tools in Academic Libraries
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Mary Pagliero Popp (Indiana University, USA)and Diane Dallis (Indiana University, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-1821-3.ch015

Keywords: Information Science Reference / Library & Information Science / Library Information Systems / Library Science

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Abstract

The University of Manitoba Libraries (UML) hired an external company to perform usability testing on its website in 2008 and 2009. A component of the website testing required test participants to find particular books and articles and to identify materials on a particular specific topic using the UML’s search tools. The need for a resource discovery tool was made clear when participants were not generally successful in completing these tasks. The UML released Request for Proposals (RFP) for a resource discovery tool in 2010 and shortly afterward acquired Summon™1 as the successful tool. Usability testing was performed on the Summon™ resource discovery tool while it was still in beta development at UML to see if there was an improvement in search success for students. The results of the two usability studies are described in this chapter, with an emphasis on the Summon™ usability testing and suggestions for further research.

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Search Success at the University of Manitoba Libraries Pre- and Post-Summon Implementation

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