Denise Frost, University of Queensland Library, St. Lucia, Qld. 4072, Australia.d.frost@library.uq.edu.au
The University of Queensland Cybrary (Joint Winner for Services to Students, 1998 Australian Awards for University Teaching) gives students control of their own learning. Using the Cybrary as a springboard, students can plan their forays into the universe of information.The Cybrary is a powerful support for flexible teaching and an enhancement to flexible learning, empowering students in the world of information.
A key component of the Cybrary is a single integrated Web interface to all Library collections and services - a "virtual library" in a "wired university" - combining the traditional with the innovative.
This paper describes the process of building and developing the Cybrary. Research with focus groups of University students and staff aimed to determine client needs in relation to a library Web site. The research outcomes were used to develop the logical structure and key features of the site and still provide criteria against which ongoing development can be tested. In addition, the Library continues to seek and act upon student feedback.
A review is given of the key features of the site together with typical student narratives to illustrate their use. The latest Cybrary projects are related to customer-based criteria of responsiveness to changing need, helpfulness, customisablity, technical transparency and equity of access.
The management and technical infrastructure supporting the Cybrary is considered.
The University of Queensland Cybrary [HREF1] (Joint Winner for Services to Students, 1998 Australian Awards for University Teaching) gives students control of their own learning. Using the Cybrary as a springboard, students can plan their forays into the universe of information, taking advantage of short cuts or discovering exciting new places off the beaten track.
From any of hundreds of high-end workstations within the Library, and day or night from home or office, students and faculty can explore the world of information as they wish. This innovative, Web-based way to navigate to resources, pushes out the boundaries of information gathering and gives students new scope for synthesising and processing the material they discover.
The Cybrary is supported by a comprehensive information skills training programme and significant investment in information technology infrastructure.
A key component of the Cybrary is a single integrated Web interface to all Library collections and services -
During 1997, the Library realised that its Web pages needed restructuring. The Web site had been designed from the library perspective rather than a client's and was internally, rather than externally defined. It did not have an overall plan, subdirectory structure tended to be uneven and idiosyncratic and the standard for site structure, style and presentation of Web pages was an ad hoc one that had evolved over time. There was no means of navigation or search facility.
Although the site was heavily used, it could not be considered the essential access point to all of the Library's resources.
Here then, was the opportunity to aim at a totality that was more than a Web site alone - a " Cybrary" - a "virtual library" in a "wired university", offering customers an integrated Web interface to all Library collections and services.
In March 1997, a Web Advisory Group was established in the Library to provide advice and recommendations for the redesign of the Cybrary's Web interface. Tasks assigned to the team covered four areas - structure, content, maintenance and presentation. In essence, the Web Advisory Group was to -
After a survey of Library Web sites in Australia and overseas and a literature review on Web design principles, Web Advisory Group members compiled a list of structural approaches and useful features. These were evaluated and ranked and used to generate brainstorming sessions on customer information needs. The team made a concerted effort to think like Library customers.
Over a period of months, the Web Advisory Group produced five logical models. None of the models was satisfactory, although the design process did serve to distil both the essential and the undesirable elements. Finally, the Web Advisory Group produced a sixth model using the principles of Internet marketing.[HREF2] This model was favourably received by Library Management and Library staff, but the fact remained that it had been designed from a Library perspective. The time had come for user-based research.
Late in 1997, a market research consultant was engaged to conduct focus groups with Library clients to assist in the development of an ideal approach.
The broad objectives of the research were to determine existing client needs in relation to the Library Web site, develop a Web site format which best suited the wide range of characteristics of the University of Queensland Library client base and to provide some guidance as to which information should be included on the site. In addition, the research aimed to test the proposed model for useability, so that the final design could be improved to reflect customer needs and offer benefits which would encourage them to return to the site. A number of existing library Web sites were explored to determine patterns and usage and reactions to layout. (Olsen, 1997, p.1,2)
The forty-seven participants in the five focus groups were all students or staff at the University of Queensland St. Lucia or Gatton campuses. They represented a wide range of faculties and every year of study. A selection of mature-age, undergraduate and postgraduate students and staff of varying ages were included. Participants were also grouped according to their self-assessment of Internet experience, so that the extremes of requirements could be identified.
The research revealed that students would like to believe in "magic". Their ultimate fantasy is that technology will somehow read their minds, perform some sort of electronic sleight of hand and deliver information tailored to their personal requirements.
Most people know only a little about the Library. Few will ever acquire an in-depth knowledge. Their approaches to the Library Web site are task-oriented and frequently crisis-driven. The Library is the source of information essential to the writing of an assignment, thesis or the next paper. Hence, their primary need is direct access to the catalogue and databases.
The client base has little interest in the Library outside of this requirement. Many students only make use of the Library to the extent that it is necessary to complete specific projects. As with many aspects of university life, the focus is on personal needs, not on a relationship with a structural entity. One focus group participant commented -
Information is the first and foremost thing you are looking for. Any extras are just bonuses. (Olsen, 1997, p.4)
Many students and staff lack computer skills, Internet skills and information seeking skills. For these clients, the Library is a source of frustration.
The focus groups research was invaluable in distilling exactly what customers' priorities were in relation to a library Web site.
Because few people have any real understanding of what the Library can offer them, they have no obvious expectations of what to look for in the Library’s Web interface. They need to be able to create a cognitive framework, identifying how the whole site fits together and navigating via a clear logical path from one component to the next.
Logical headings and branches let you go down and find things easily. If a site is not logical you can spend hours trying to find something that you know must be there. (Olsen, 1997, p.9)
Students are not willing to explore an unfamiliar or ambiguous link, so there must be instant comprehension of link words for efficient browsing. The use of library or Internet jargon makes this especially difficult.
It would be really amazing if you could go to a page straight away and figure out what things like Electronic Reserve meant. (Olsen, 1997, p.10)
Other ways to explore or navigate the site were fundamental. Experienced users preferred a search engine, others found a contents page most useful.
Whether experienced or inexperienced, students and faculty were interested in learning how to search more effectively.
They also needed essential information about the Library, including opening hours, borrowing procedures, location and so on. Examination papers were high on the list for undergraduates, but course outlines, reading lists and lecture notes were also considered very important.
A very high priority was high speed access. Flashy graphics were condemned outright as a waste of time and bandwidth.
In direct response to the student and staff input from the focus groups, the model originally proposed by the Web Advisory Group was extensively redesigned and developed.
Essential items of communication were placed at the first level of the site. Information categories and the wording of links were made as clear and concise as possible. When necessary to avoid ambiguity, subheadings (which were also hyperlinks) were provided. Statements were designed to be immediately clear at the lowest level of experience and details kept as brief as possible. Clarity is the key to content.
The Cybrary's Home Page gives students direct access to the research tools (the catalogue, databases), Course Materials (reading lists, examination papers, lecture notes) and essential information about the Library they had asked for. Further down the page, they can access helpful links to improve their research skills.
Layout was standardised across all pages with the design of a simple template which contained server-side includes for a navigation bar, and page information – a version date, the URL, a copyright statement. Access to a search engine and a contents page are one click away from the navigation bar.
The Cybrary's new interface went live late in February 1998, in time for the beginning of the academic year. Because the approach of focus group participants to the Web interface was so severely functional, little effort was invested in sophisticated graphic design. The Web Advisory Group's goal was to produce a utilitarian site that offered the content and resources required by students. The design is linear and text-based. There are no graphics which are not essential. Statistical monitoring indicated that Netscape 1.1 was the most appropriate bottom-line browser for design purposes at the time.
With leading-edge technology, much is possible, but it requires imagination, flair, planning and detailed application to develop truly innovative products and services that meet student needs.
With the goal of improving the students' control over the learning process, the Library actively seeks and acts upon student feedback, building on the input of the original focus groups. Statistics of use are analysed to determine trends, physical and electronic suggestion boxes are monitored and timely responses made, Liaison Librarians collaborate with academic departments.
Statistical analysis of the webserver logs shows what students want - daily, weekly, monthly. Problem pages are identified and page design and maintenance prioritised.
Analysis of student feedback through the Web site's Suggestion Box [HREF3] reflects the major outcome of the Library's focus groups research. Messages from students focus on personal information needs - particularly on the logistics that hinder their learning - items that aren't on the shelf, faulty printers, noise in the Library, failed access to databases or electronic journals.
Students ask for help at their point of need. Two-way communication via the Suggestion Box ensures that they get it - Library staff are alerted to problems, taking action to improve the Cybrary's services and facilities. Resources under pressure are placed in a high use category or extra copies are ordered, ensuring equity of access. Comments from postgraduate students and staff about the Web-based Document Delivery form [HREF4], have been used to progressively improve its useability.
Students and staff in the focus groups were also unanimous in their desire to learn how to search more effectively. However, despite the fact that they identified searching as their greatest challenge, their patience with "help" was extremely limited. (Olsen, 1997, p.19)
Their ideal "help" was context sensitive, meeting them at their point of need - providing customised help for particular users in particular situations. If the assistance can be interactive, even better. It should be in the form of short recipes with simple steps, graded to their ability. Students needed encouragement at every stage – or they tended to simply give up. When a search failed, they needed an alternative to try.
As a result of this finding, the Cybrary has taken a variety of approaches to customer assistance.
Students can start with a "virtual tour" for an overview of the Cybrary's Web site. This Road Map [HREF5] has been specially designed to extend orientation activities for first-year students. It contains the minimum number of words and the maximum amount of end-point information.
Over one hundred Find Its [HREF6], short, structured guides to sources of information in particular subject areas have been developed. These guides are used by students to springboard their research. Introductory sources of information are listed and linked to catalogue records, as are the appropriate subject headings in the catalogue. A select list of relevant databases leads seamlessly to an online database search service. Selected Internet sites are recommended and linked from the page. Specialised sources of information are also briefly described.
Use Its [HREF7] are the companion guides to the Find Its. They cover the use of software programs and special resources such as Citation Indexes or WebSPIRS Searching. The emphasis is on a short basic "recipe" to get the student started.
More extensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pages are provided to help with more complex tasks - such as downloading and installing Adobe Acrobat, for example. [HREF8]
To place help in context, an effort is made to create links from deep within pages to the appropriate help "recipe". In addition, work has begun on a pop-up glossary of Library and Internet terms.
Specific help is provided for customers using the site's search engine [HREF9]. If their search fails, they can avoid the frustration of a dead end by following the alternative strategies provided on the "no matches" page. Similarly, the File not Found page has been modified to offer somewhere to go, something else to try.
The Library assists learning through the provision of specially tailored information skills training programmes. Programmes are provided both in the classroom and interactively via the Cybrary. The content of the programmes emphasises effective search strategies and effective use of resources, using the Cybrary as a springboard. Many programmes are designed in partnership with teaching staff and relate to specific assignments. The students are then assessed on the quality of information located as part of their assessment.
Among these programmes are Web-based information skills courses using WebCT software. Having obtained access via the Cybrary's Web, students login and work through course notes, use bulletin boards and chat rooms, follow hyperlinks and complete quizzes for self-monitoring or formal assessment.
In collaboration with the School of Computer Science and Engineering, the Library has produced QUIK-it, an interactive Internet training kit freely available to the University of Queensland community.
QUIK-it caters for differing levels of experience through a set of four teaching modules. It allows students to learn at their own pace and to target particular Internet resources and services. The tutorial uses optional interactive exercises and quizzes to test learning.
Staff and students in the focus group were consistent in their desire for personalised information, tailored to their individual needs. They wished to be empowered in the world of information, to be able to customise interfaces and filter information. Services like My Yahoo [HREF10] already offer the Internet public this sort of functionality.
Furthermore, major trends in customer service which include "do-it-yourself", convenience, economy, connectivity and privacy impact on customer behaviour. Examples of service changes in other sectors include automatic teller machines, EFTPOS, self-service petrol stations and telephone banking.
In response, the Library is presently working on a customisable front-end to the services and resources of the Cybrary. The model is based on those at Virginia Commonwealth University Library (My Library) [HREF11], University of Washington Libraries (My Gateway) [HREF12] and NC State University Libraries (MyLibrary) [HREF13].
After creating a password-protected user profile, students will be able to customise their page by selecting specific links in certain categories, (resources like databases, electronic journals or Find Its and services like renewing loans and document delivery). Dynamic content changes and global messages will ensure that students are updated on developments in the Cybrary.
By customising their own interface to the Cybrary, students impose order, organising a "mental map" of the world of information, one which focuses on their own research needs. They gain a portable (accessible from any Web browser), but private interface. (Morgan, 1999)
Overall, structured information is integrated in the most transparent way possible for the customer, as the following student narratives demonstrate.
Kylie opens the Cybrary’s Home Page. She's wondering where to begin, when she notices a link a Road Map. Kylie finds the Road Map's virtual tour easy to follow. First stop is the Course Materials Index, which lists Reading Lists and she chooses the link for her Social Work subject. All the book titles she needs are linked to the Catalogue. Kylie clicks, checks that the books are available, prints out the reading list and decides to pick up the books as soon as she finishes the virtual tour. The next stop on the tour links the reading list to a reserve of photocopied articles. This is even better! There's more in the tour, but feeling much more in control, Kylie strikes out on her own. She finds Lecture Notes listed under Course Materials. The Lecture Notes for her subject link to a web-based information skills programme for Social Work. Kylie logs in to the programme and begins to work her way through the Table of Contents. Everything is explained clearly, there's a glossary of terms, a bulletin board, lots of links back to the Cybrary's Web site and a quiz to check her progress. Kylie's on her way. |
Jason opens the Cybrary's Home Page to start work on his assignment. He selects the link Searching by Your Subject Area, then the Find It for Sociology. Jason checks which databases to search for information under "Journals – Current Information on your Topic". The databases are all on the Cybrary’s Silverplatter Electronic Reference Library. Jason clicks, logging on to Sociofile, searches using WebSPIRS and finds three appropriate articles in the Journal of Adolescence. There's a link from the database search results to the Library's holdings, and Jason discovers that the full-text of articles is available electronically. But wait a minute - Adobe Acrobat is required. Jason's never heard of it. He clicks on the Search link in the navigation bar and searches for information on Adobe Acrobat, finding a FAQ which explains what to do, step-by-step. A cup of coffee later, he has downloaded and installed the Adobe Acrobat software. Jason obtains his articles and prints them out. The following evening, he returns to the Cybrary and the Sociology Find It. His lecturer has mentioned checking for information on the Internet. He follows the Internet links in the Find It and finds lots of useful material. Wanting to know more about Internet searching, he clicks on the Cybrary's Internet page and follows the link to Search the Internet, then Search Engines. After scanning the information about Hotbot, he decides to use it for his search. He spends the next hour scanning more documents on his topic. Jason quickly checks his loans on the library system. There are two books due back today and he renews them. After logging off, he begins the draft of his assignment. Maybe he will get to the beach this weekend, after all. |
The Library has developed services with the actual facilities students are likely to have in mind. It has chosen to develop interfaces requiring only widely available hardware and software and new services have been worked up from prototypes. Services have been developed with students’ time constraints and pressures in mind and are simple and user friendly. Both research and observation show that students have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the underlying technical mechanisms required to be produce the "magic" of transparent access to resources. They are focused entirely on end-point information.
The management and maintenance of the Cybrary is supported by two groups, which have complementary responsibilities. The Web Advisory Group continues as a filter - reporting to and advising Library Management on policy and innovation.
Responsibility for Cybrary content has been devolved wherever possible, with managers "signing off" on pages concerning their own branch or section. Each manager has appointed members of their own staff to be "Webwriters" - to provide technical support and be responsible for converting material to HTML, editing and uploading pages to the Webserver. Each Webwriter has limited rights on the server. Some staff serve both as members of the Web Advisory Group and as Webwriters. All communicate via regular meetings and an internal discussion list.
To develop the Cybrary, the Library has invested heavily in information technology hardware and software infrastructure. This infrastructure is comprised of -
The University of Queensland Library assists students to access information equitably by providing Electronic Information Centres for student use, free of charge, in all branch libraries. Access to the Cybrary is available from lecture theatres, tutorial rooms and offices on all campuses. Dial-up use 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year means that the Cybrary is available for students to use at their own pace, in their own place, and in their own time.
Student response to the Cybrary has been extremely positive with very high use indicating extensive adoption of services. Logins to the catalogue increased 100% from 1997 to 1998 to almost 1,000,000 logins per month.
In the same period, logins to networked databases increased 60% to 200,000 logins per month. Compared with other university libraries in Australia, the statistics supplied by the various services show that the University of Queensland Library is consistently the highest user of all databases for which consortium purchasing agreements have been arranged.
The Cybrary's Web site has proved to be the most heavily used site at the University of Queensland [HREF15]. Furthermore, as part of an enhancement of the University's Web site, a direct link to the Library has been placed on the navigation bar.
Library customers have established the criteria by which the effectiveness of the Cybrary as a springboard for learning is measured. It must be -
The Cybrary is an indispensable, integrated approach to meet the information demands of lifelong learning and problem based teaching. It is a powerful support for flexible teaching and an enhancement to flexible learning, empowering students in the world of information.
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Scanlan, P. (1996). Internet Marketing: How you can boost your sales. [HREF2]
University of Queensland Library (1998) Australian Awards for University Teaching: A Submission to the 1998 Institutional Awards
Denise Frost, © 1999. The author assigns to Southern Cross University and other educational and non-profit institutions a non-exclusive licence to use this document for personal use and in courses of instruction provided that the article is used in full and this copyright statement is reproduced. The author also grants a non-exclusive licence to Southern Cross University to publish this document in full on the World Wide Web and on CD-ROM and in printed form with the conference papers and for the document to be published on mirrors on the World Wide Web.