Library Terms for Web Sites

http://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qq499w7#page-1, viewed 19 August 2012
Kupersmith, John, "Library Terms that Users Understand"

I found this article through the A.L.I.A. PD Postings email, which each month lists suggestions for Professional Development activities for A.L.I.A. members. These suggestions include professional reading, so the monthly email will be a useful resource for me in this subject.

This particular article summarizes research from usability studies undertaken at many University libraries, and it is meant to help "library web designers decide how to label key resources in such a way that most users can understand them well enough to make productive choices".

Library web sites should avoid terms that can be misunderstood, instead they should use natural language. The example given was to use Borrowing from other Libraries instead of Inter-Library Loans. Confusing terms should be enhanced or explained using mouse-overs or tool tips. Web sites should have a glossary of library terms.

They should provide alternative paths to reach information by putting links in other areas. They need to avoid cognitive dissonance by using terms consistently throughout the web site, and even in the Library itself with signage and printed materials.

The article also details the types of testing done as well as showing results by institution,. I found this to be quite revealing where library web sites often did not use words like book, newspaper, article but instead preferred ambiguous terms like items, resources, or specialized terms like serials. At some institutions, even the term database was unfamiliar to study participants.

When the average success rate for finding journal articles is only 52%, libraries obviously cannot rely on their students being "information literate", particularly first year students. Libraries need to design web sites which use natural language and simple target words, like Find .... They need to avoid acronyms, brand names and jargon (including Library jargon like periodicals and serials - the rest of the world calls them magazines). They also should "provide alternative paths where users are likely to make predictable wrong choices", e.g. a link to article databases from the online catalogue and the Find Journals page. Above all they should remember that not all students are familiar with libraries or their resources and at the risk of shooting myself in the foot by using an acronym, they should KISS (keep it simple stupid)!!