In autumn 2012, the University of Birmingham launched FindIt@Bham, a Primo-based Resource Discovery Service, after a series of focus groups with students and staff to help determine its initial configuration and customisation. This paper presents the results from a large-scale online survey and focus groups that were conducted to poll users' attitudes to the service over twelve months later, adding to a small body of research on user satisfaction with established resource discovery services. From the survey the overall level of appreciation was high with 71.13% rating FindIt@Bham to be 'Good' or 'Very Good'. The level of appreciation was compared across undergraduates, postgraduates (taught and research) and academic staff which revealed that undergraduates are the group of users most happy with the service with academic staff being least satisfied. The reasons for this discrepancy are considered, along with users' behaviour and a discussion of their perceptions of individual functional areas. The survey results led to focus group activities tailored to extract deeper information on system usage and satisfaction. From these combined activities, future customisations and developments to FindIt@Bham such as tuning of result relevancy, improved online help and additional functionality can be prioritised.
Synopsis: From the earliest forms of telephone switchboards to the modern types, the development of the switchboard has been marked by the increasing use of automatic methods to supplement the manual operation wherever this would result in better service to the public or more efficient operation.
In addition to all that has been done in developing and introducing automatic operations with manual switchboards, it has been found desirable and practicable to go further in the direction of introducing automatic operation in the telephone plant and a machine switching system has been developed in which the bulk of the connections are established without the aid of an operator.
The complexity of a large metropolitan area and the exacting requirements which a machine switching system must meet are outlined briefly, and the system which has been developed to meet these requirements is described.
The application of the system to a typical large metropolitan area and the means provided for permitting its gradual introduction into the existing plant are discussed.
Review of the Subject-From the earliest forms of telesystem has been developed in which the bulk of the connections are phone switchboards to the modern types, the development of the established without the aid of an operator. switchboard has been marked by the increasing use of automaticThe complexity of a large metropolitan area and the exacting methods to supplement the manual operation wherever this would requirements which a machine switching system must meet are result in better service to the public or more efficient operation.outlined briefly, and the system which has been developed to meetIn addition to all that has been done in developing and introducing these requirements is described. automatic operations with manual switchboards, it has been found The application of the system to a typical large metropolitan area desirable and practicable to go further in the direction of introducin and the means provided for permitting its gradual introduction into automatic operation in the telephone plant and a machine switching the existing plant are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.