Study of the Usability of Online University Library Services. Modification Proposal

Abstract

The aim of the article is to propose a new approach to one of the parameters of the Internet Utility Test of the University Library Service research – the level of completeness and the availability of information on Internet resources useful for scientific and didactic work; evaluation of existing methods of researching the usefulness of the Web services of libraries. It has been suggested to extend the meaning of the term “useful” with the attribute – solving the problem of ignorance of a user who does not know the specific tools and resources and does not know about them, but thanks to library service he or she should reach them due to their needs. Previously used methods of usability testing of library Web sites do not allow effectively solve the problem what finally comes to the fact that the examined user is not able to speak about what the service does not contain, and what it should provide. Experts’ assessments are also prone to the issue of not knowing the digital part of the information infrastructure by themselves. In response to the identified weaknesses in the usability testing methods of library services, the author proposed a new approach. The change consists in the development of a precise and detailed model of digital information infrastructure, which would also be a set of guidelines for the developers of university library services, as well as a set of research criteria to which both users and experts would refer.