Discovering How Students Search a Library Web Site: A Usability Case Study

Abstract

Have Internet search engines influenced the way students search library Web pages? The results of this usability study reveal that students consistently and frequently use the library Web site’s internal search engine to find information rather than navigating through pages. If students are searching rather than navigating, library Web page designers must make metadata and powerful search engines priorities. The study also shows that students have difficulty interpreting library terminology, experience confusion discerning difference amongst library resources, and prefer to seek human assistance when encountering problems online. These findings imply that library Web sites have not alleviated some of the basic and long-range problems that have challenged librarians in the past.