Amy Fry

The Biggest Winner: Using Statistics to Assess the Effectiveness of an E-Resources Promotional Campaign

In the fall of 2011, librarians at Bowling Green State University were given the opportunity to compete for a

Strategies to Improve the User Experience

100 Amazon.com gift card by promoting an underused database. Usage statistics were tracked throughout the semester and compared with those for the same time period from the previous year. Eight of the twelve databases promoted rose in use. This article discusses the project methodology and uses its outcomes to assess the effectiveness of a range of marketing techniques for electronic resources, presents hypotheses to account for some declines in usage, and demonstrates the value of distributed, personalized promotion for library resources.

Technical Services Report: Usability, the User Experience and Interface Design: The Role of Reference. A Report of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) MARS Emerging Technologies in Reference Chair's Program, American Library Association Annual Conference, Chicago, June 2013

ABSTRACT Libraries are increasingly embracing user experience (UX) and user-centered design principles to improve the satisfaction and success of library users. Electronic resources management can utilize such principles to better support users as they interact with the librarys website and its electronic resources. In this column, four academic librarians discuss strategies libraries can employ to improve the user experience. These strategies include utilizing basic UX principles when designing sites and interfaces; analyzing quantitative data to inform the library on how such sites are being used; recruiting strategies for library user studies; and, finally, a call to move to a more unified user experience and to work more closely with vendors on improvements to help users succeed.

Usability Testing for e-Resource Discovery: How Students Find and Choose e-Resources Using Library Web Sites

hoarders of everything, even outdated or broken equipment. Managers may expend effort to address this issue, but at the very least staff members should be expected to leave attractive and pleasant work spaces for those who will come after them. As the work changes, new Technical Services areas need spaces devoted to teamwork, but at the same time Technical Services staff who write code, develop Web and discovery services, or merely need quiet spaces for concentration also must be accommodated. Tolerance for noise can vary from person to person. The changing work in Technical Services has generated changes in organization, a need for different methods of assessment, and the necessity for ongoing training and development to learn the variety of new tasks. Managers in Technical Services are working hard to solve the challenges faced, and many find comfort in learning that their colleagues in other libraries are facing similar challenges and can help with solutions.