Digital libraries are on the rise. Frequently digital libraries are developed over a period of time with out a clear plan for the information architecture’s growth. It is easy for digital libraries to incorporate other existing digital material. Unfortunately this piecemeal growth does not keep in mind the needs of end-users and can quickly become unusable to the library’s patron base.
To avoid this pitfall digital libraries need to start out with a plan and not rely on a “gluing together” of preexisting digital platforms. Designers must keep the end-users’ needs in the forefront of their minds. Do not be tempted by standard templates. Especially when working with specialized populations or unique research collections try to design a digital library to fulfill unique interactions between patrons and the interface. Bear in mind in different types of situations will causes end-users to interact with the website and what specific information they will need to perform. Attributes that are important in a music library probably will not help users of a STEM library connect with their needed resources.
Surla suggested the resource, Making Library Websites Usable edited by Tom Lehman and Terry Nikkel to anyone who is trying to create a digital library. Remember that in this digital age end-users have high expectations of digital resources’ contents and behavior. Keeping a user-centered focus during the design stage will ensure that your digital library flows well and connects end-users to information efficiently.
Surla, S M. 2007. An Information Architecture Approach to Building a Much Better Digital Library. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science & Technology. 33(6), 41-43.
It's important to keep the end user in mind, and I have to agree that digital users have high expectations and want things to work fast and friendly.
ReplyDeleteNot only should (in an ideal world with lots of funding) the digital library be built as its own user-centered design but as technology changes or users change the library needs to be redesigned to incorporate the changes.
ReplyDeleteIf creating a new digital library is expensive, redesigning one is twice that. There is the cost of the design then the cost of migrating everything to the new design.
UNT's digital projects lab is good about moving everything to new frameworks that get implemented with new projects. But this is not always the case with other digital libraries.