Usability of Central Library Websites of Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences an Evaluation

Abstract


 
 
 With regard to the potential of huge knowledge dissemination by academic library websites, their usability is considered as a matter of great interest to university administrators as well as users. In the present study, a descriptive survey was designed aimed at evaluating usability of central library websites of type-1 universities of medical sciences in Iran in order to identify their usability issues and to provide inputs for possible remediation efforts to improve the design of similar websites in the future. The research procedure involved a library study to identify the tasks typically needed on library websites, use of the identified tasks to design a checklist for measuring three dimensions of usability (effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction), and finally a usability evaluation by two specialists of medical informatics and two librarianship experts. The given websites were rated “good” (60 % - 80 %) in terms of usability and no statistically significant difference was found between evaluations by different experts. It was concluded that more attention to website usability could improve users’ interest in services and facilitate realisation of goals in parent organisations. The results of this study could provide a basic framework for website design and improvement through giving proper attention to usability dimensions.
 
 

Evaluasi Kebergunaan (Usability) dan Rekomendasi Penggunaan Google Classroom untuk Blended Learning di Perguruan Tinggi

“…Dari langkah tersebut dapat disusun sebuah rekomendasi perbaikan-perbaikan user interface pada website Perpustakaan UMB. Melakukan monitoring dan problem solving terkait masalah usability sistus website menjadi penting untuk melihat seberapa tingkat penerimaan dan frekuensi penggunaan oleh user (Habibi et al, 2019).…”

The Walkthrough Method

“…After designing the App, following Norman's (1986) action model, the authors decided to evaluate the functionality of the system. (Habibi et al, 2019). Specifically, the evaluation procedure was divided into two sections: the first one more general, where the different functions and the navigation cycle were analyzed; the second more specific, where the users who tested the product answered a questionnaire about specific actions that users can perform, the level of comprehensibility of the various functions and finally the level of difficulty/simplicity of execution.…”

Human factors affecting information security in libraries

“…Websites tend to be one of the most important tools for accessing libraries and are gateways to guide users to information resources. Therefore, security is crucial in designing and deploying library websites (Habibi et al, 2019).…”