Open AccessDoes Interface Design Influence Catalog Use? A Case Study
Author(s) -
Jennifer Knievel,
Jina Choi Wakimoto,
Sara Holladay
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
college and research libraries/college and research libraries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.886
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 2150-6701
pISSN - 0010-0870
DOI - 10.5860/0700446
Subject(s) - resolver , computer science , subject (documents) , interface (matter) , information retrieval , sampling (signal processing) , world wide web , operating system , telecommunications , chip , bubble , maximum bubble pressure method , detector
A recent OPAC redesign and implementation of a link resolver at the University of Colorado at Boulder prompted the researchers to question whether the redesign influenced catalog use. Authors evaluated transactional log data between fall of 2005 and spring of 2008. Searches for keyword, title, author, subject, LC call number, and ISSN/ISBN were tracked for each semester during weeks two and three of the semester, a mid-semester sampling period, and finals week. The data show that keyword searches increased slightly following the redesign, and ISSN/ ISBN searches increased dramatically following implementation of the link resolver. Total searches held steady over the course of the study.