Comments on: Website Usability at Fresno State Library

By: Bobby Shepard

Bobby Shepard — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:27:42 +0000

I think that students might struggle with this site because of the fact that for a few years, we didn’t have an on campus library. I know I had a bad experience in “ordering” a book, and it had to be retrieved from the off campus storage facility while the new madden library was being built. Because of this, the older students may feel the need to go elsewhere to find material. I know some of my freshman and sophomore friends (who were not around when the library was being built, and have always had a library) spend a lot of time in the library studying and doing homework. On the other hand, I have grown accustomed to studying at my own house or with class mates. This being said, when my generation “dies off” (or graduates), i believer that the library will become a hotter commodity, and people will use the library’s web site more often.

By: MaiLorV.

MaiLorV. — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:29:31 +0000

I think the usability study of Fresno State library is a great idea and does sound like lots of fun. Yes, you have to always keep in mind that you are doing a research on how well the library website is, as to how well students find information they need. Especially when other ideas come up while doing the study is tempting, you always have keep focus on the purpose in the beginning. When I use the Fresno State library website at first to do research, it was quite confusing. But after a while of roaming the website I was able to find what I needed to look for. It was hard to find something that was greatly valuable to the subject I wanted to look for; in the end I was able to find portions and portions of information on the site. I am not pro on the website yet, but it is somewhat useful sometimes. It is good to work on a project like this one. The whole point of the website is to be able to make the usage easier for students. It is quite hard to tell how great the website is, unless make a study out of it, like how you guys did. I never knew that searching something on Google, can take you back to the library website. That has never once happened to me before. I was quite surprise when it was talked about on this post. All in all, I agree that the website is a wonderful and efficient place to look up certain materials when need to. The library website is a really great source, especially when students need to good information sources. I am glad that you guys took into consideration, to look into the Fresno State library website. This study sounds pretty interesting while reading the post. I think it was pretty useful to do a study like this. The website is a great opportunity for Fresno State students to use and they should take the advantage of it. Sometimes, it is so hard to find sources on certain topics when trying to look for it online. The best way is to be able to use a site that you have access to in order to find compatible resources.

By: RicardoP

RicardoP — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:37:28 +0000

I see what the author is talking about when using the sites search engine. In my experience with research i have done exactly what the author talks about i go to google and search for any information. I find it to difficult to use the henry madden library search i believe it hasnt been promoted to us students. I think there should be more promotion made in an attempt o have students more willing to use the resources they pay for with tuition. I only recently new about the research system the library has about a month ago. A librarian came to talk to the engineering department where he gave a brief presentation on the library resources. He made it seem very easy to gather information using our class computer. I actually couldn’t believe how much information was on the system i was also unaware that if you needed information from another campus library the fresno state library could send a request and get it to you in the form of a cd. After hearing about this i went home to try it out but i found it very difficult to do so, so i decided to use google scholar and i was able to find inf that came from the henry madden library. Now that i have read this blog i laugh to think that i did what these guys are trying to prevent i accessed the web sit via google. I think the team should really talk to students and inform them about all the benifits of the search as well as teach them how to use it

By: Andrew Epperson

Andrew Epperson — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:05:51 +0000

I believe that this study has great potential for obtaining useful feedback on the website used at the Fresno State’s Henry Madden Library. Having actual statistical feedback will allow for a better analysis of the website’s ease of access to information and result in a more user friendly and resourceful informational site. This is a major resource used by all college students. If this study can make it easier for students to find the correct information in a timely fashion then it will have a great effect on student’s ability and opportunity to research and expand their knowledge at the library.
The multidisciplinary nature of this project is very interesting and can have a major impact on the outcome of the study. Having the librarians help on the study will solve most of the problems that would have occurred from not being familiar with the system. They might already have suggestions to improve the access to information through the website.
I agree that prohibition of “off-site” web usage should be enforced in order to maintain focus on the ability of the Libraries website. Allowing this would just reduce the accuracy of the study and throw the results off. Although, I do believe the use of search engines such as Google and Bing are very important and have their place among this study. I believe the best benefit would be to have a completely different study allowing “off-site” searching and then compare the results of each study to develop the most effective way to access information through the website and all other resources available to students. By comparing the two studies it would create twice the amount of statistical information to use in order to gain a deeper look into the pros and cons of the website. Any input from the student users after testing has been completed will come to good use in making the site more user friendly and information easy to access.

By: Marco Mendez

Marco Mendez — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:45:52 +0000

Prior to the experiment and the assessment of the student’s understanding of how to utilize all the resources presented to them to their full potential I did not really consider all of the different ways in order to gain accessibility to valid information and knowledge. With technology becoming such a major part of our every day lives it is easy simply to sit back and allow the technological devices to access all of an individual’s desired information, whether the source are valid or invalid. I really believe that the majority of students are not concerned about the validity of their source, but are simply more concerned about deadlines and which road is the most simple in order to obtain their information.
With all the obstacles and the stressful situations that are brought upon college students it is extremely vital for the Henry Madden Library search engine to make credible information accessible with very little possibilities of confusion and restrictions. This generation and future generations of college students are familiarized with search engines such as: Google, Yahoo, and MSN. I am part of this generation, which has depended on the previously listed search engines. I have indeed tried to use the search engine set up by the Henry Madden Library, but have I have not used this resource with much consistency. The basic reason for this was simply because of the unfamiliarity of the library’s search engine format. It was simply easier to go on to a search engine like Yahoo and Google to obtain my desired information. It was something I was more familiar with and knew the exact methods to manipulate the search to find exactly what information that I wanted to obtain. When I used the Henry Madden Library search engine I was very confused, not because the library search engine was faulty, but the fact that I generally grew up with the search engines that I use primarily.
Although search engines have helped tremendously and are immensely innovated, I feel they have forever damaged the quality of research, in regards to a student’s work and findings. Students in general, including myself have developed the skills in order to obtain credible research and findings without using search engines like Yahoo and Google. Students rarely access their information based on site research utilizing methods such as sample survey, assessment, and obtain their desired knowledge through first hand research. Students my not feel comfortable obtaining information from a search engine that they may feel are bias according to the Henry Madden Library postings.
Like I stated before, I believe students are more concerned with the level of simplicity rather than the validity of their sources. Until students are not allowed to use sources retrieved from common search engines like Yahoo and Google, students including my self will not obtain research with alternatives such as the Henry Madden Library search engine. Technology has not allowed students to utilize their critical thinking skills or development because of the simplicity to obtain information off the Internet, whether credible or not.

By: JocelynO

JocelynO — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:26:11 +0000

This study was a great idea. The library is very important to a university and its students. During my freshman year I was taught how to use the system properly. I can honestly admit if not for this I probably would’ve never been able to use the system correctly and given up. I would look for a simpler way to find the information that I need through an outside search engine. Our library’s website is very well done for the most part. If done correctly one is able to find what they are looking for easily but if not you are taken to too many places that can make it frustrating. Sometimes the research information may be overwhelming and the results might not even be what you are looking for just contain some keywords. I would suggest that everything be able to be searched from one engine instead of going through multiple sections. Many professors in the past have also uploaded information relevant to the course and make things easier to research.
When it comes to deciding whether people should be able to leave the library website is tough. Limiting people will make it more frustrating for a person if they are not getting the right information. It is easier and more convenient for people to use search engines such as Google because it is a lot more accessible. However, sometimes the research leads you right back to a library source, so if the system allows you to leave the site it would be more convenient for a student to use. Students tend to use search engines that are easy to use such as Google, Bing or Yahoo. This study has made me think about the library website, and how it is not always my first choice when researching but it should be because it will be the most reliable.

By: Breanna Giersch

Breanna Giersch — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:37:23 +0000

I have been a student at Fresno State for 5 years now and I have seen the library go through many changes. I have always found that the Fresno State website as well as the library website were not very easy to use. I think it is very important to have the resoucres of a library online. In this time period technology is so common and convient that not having the ease of a library website can make research difficult. Also, at Fresno State we have alot of students who communte to school and it may be difficult to get to the library if they are in need a last minute research.
I definatly think that to accurately assess the website you can not allow the use of google or any other search engines. Using another website means that the library website could not met your needs so instead of added another website we can record the data and improve the original website.
I still find other search engines such as google to be more helpful then the library website. A benefit of the library website is that you can get information from books and articles for free that you often have to pay for on other websites.

By: ZohraH

ZohraH — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 04:36:25 +0000

This project clearly explains what its goals and intentions are. I believe it is a great idea and its nice to evaluate a students comfort level with the libraries website. I’ve been a student at Fresno State for close to 2 years and I have never used the libraries website. I actually had forgotten the benefits it can provide for current students until recently when I was working on a project with a fellow classmate. I find it easier to use Google.com to answer any of my questions. Google.com is a lot faster, user-friendly and also more convenient. I am glad a study like this is being conducted. I feel that the student should refer to its local resources rather than referring to sites such as Google.com or Yahoo.com as their primary search engines. To ensure success in this study libraries and universities will have to make sure the site is user-friendly and provides additional information than the student might need. This is important because technology is advancing so quickly that these institutions need to take advantage of what is being offered and use it to its extent.

By: Sean Bennett

Sean Bennett — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:16:41 +0000

Perhaps I’m old too old fashion, but in my opinion programs such as Blackboard and other online scholar programs are ruining the value of a college education. Back in the good old days, if people wanted a valuable college education they had to go to an actual class. This required a lot of dedication and time. Now students can register for an online course and work on the class work at their leisure. They can even have someone else help them with their work. In my opinion, the worst part about it is these courses are equivalent to a conventional college course, even when much less time and devotion was spent in the course. It actually irritates me when I hear that someone got an online degree and they are in the running for a competitive job market. This discredits all the time and work others have put into a conventional degree. I realize that I have gotten a little off topic but this was the first thing that came to my mind when I read this post.

By: Aglaed G

Aglaed G — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:15:56 +0000

It sounds like you guys are in front of a big, yet fun and interesting project. It is extremely important that you identify and clarify what it is that makes the website inefficient and not user-friendly, and then look for potential solutions. In this article, you state that it is a “constant struggle to clearly define what you are doing” (anthroguy). Possibly with the help of various instructors at Fresno State, you could collect valuable information from students through surveys. The testing phase would be an ideal time to obtain information from those that ultimately benefit from the changes of the new protocol. Although, this represents another challenge since most students prefer not to participate in surveys, instructors can increase students’ interest in participation by offering a few extra credit points. Information from student can facilitate the work of identifying those areas that need improvement. If you formulate the right questions in the survey, students will identify for you the main problems or at least a better idea of what is causing them to opt for Google instead.
Another idea would be using Google as a benchmark for possible changes on the new protocol. This search engine website is extremely popular because it is simple, appealing to the eye, easy to navigate, and effective. If the library’s website is easy to use and helps you find the information you need, we as students, will not exit immediately and depend on Google Scholar as the main tool. Another factor that may not be as important, but plays a major role in retaining visitors on a webpage is related to how pleasing it is for the eyes. Although I am not an expert, I am assuming that there has to be certain colors, font sizes that the age-group of college students, which are the targeted audience, find more appealing. I am not sure if the colors must be similar to those used by other Fresno State’s websites, if that is not the case, it would be worth to consider changing some font colors. The factor related to ease of navigation is also very important. As I mentioned earlier, the easier a website it is to navigate the more likely that you will stay on it without having to rely on other websites. The most important factor to consider has to be the effectiveness of the website. The library’s website is visited principally for one reason, and that is to find information sources. If the Henry Madden Library’s website provides a service that is consistently reliable, students will forget about other options and use it as their primary information source. In this blog, I read that one of the main problems is students going off site; this can be a tendency that can be the result of ineffectiveness of the website. If the new protocol offers faster and more accurate results, then serious progress is being made. These are just ideas of possible causes, once again, a great source to identify the real problems can only come from large number of students surveyed no their experiences with the website.