I meant to say "some of these issues have to be addressed in configuration"
Cindy Harper, Systems Librarian
Colgate University Libraries
[log in to unmask]
315-228-7363
On Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 9:06 AM, Cindy Harper <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I was going to comment that some of the Encore shortcomings mentioned in
> the PDf do seem to be addressed in current Encore versions, although some
> of these issues have to be addressed - for instance, there is a
> spell-check, but it can give some surprising suggestions, though
> suggestions do clue the user in to the fact that they might have a
> misspelling/typo.
>
> III's reaction to studies that report that users ignore the right-side
> panel of search options was to provide a skin that has only two columns -
> the facets on the left, and the search results on the middle-to-right.
> This pushes important facets like the tag cloud very far down the page, and
> causes a lot of scrolling, so I don't like this skin much.
>
> I recently asked a question on the encore users' list about how the tag
> cloud could be improved - currently it suggests the most common subfield a
> of the subject headings. I would think it should include the general,
> chronological, geographical subdivisions - subfields x,y,z. For instance,
> it doesn't provide good suggestions for improving the search "civil war"
> without these. A chronological subdivision would help a lot there. But
> then again, I haven't seen a prototype of how many relevant subdivisions
> this would result in - would the subdivisions drown out the main headings
> in the tag cloud?
>
> Cindy Harper, Systems Librarian
> Colgate University Libraries
> [log in to unmask]
> 315-228-7363
>
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 5, 2012 at 5:30 PM, Jonathan LeBreton <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>
>> Lucy Holman, Director of the U Baltimore Library, and a former colleague
>> of mine at UMBC, got back to me about this. Her reply puts this
>> particular document into context. It is an interesting reminder that not
>> everything you find on the web is as it seems, and it certainly is not
>> necessarily the final word. We gotta go buy the book!
>> Lucy is off-list, but asked me to post this on her behalf.
>> Her contact information is below, though....
>>
>> Very interesting discussion This issue of what is right and feasible in
>> discovery services and how to configure it is important stuff for many of
>> our libraries and we should be able to build on the findings and
>> experiences of others rather than re-inventing the wheel locally.... (We
>> use Summon)
>>
>> - Jonathan LeBreton
>>
>>
>> ------------------------ begin Lucy's explanation --------------
>>
>> The full study and analysis are included in Chapter 14 of a new book,
>> Planning and Implementing Resource Discovery Tools in Academic Libraries,
>> Mary P. Popp and Diane Dallis (Eds).
>>
>> The project was part of a graduate Research Methods course in the
>> University of Baltimore's MS in Interaction Design and Information
>> Architecture program. Originally groups within the course conducted
>> task-based usability tests on EDS, Primo, Summon and Encore.
>> Unfortunately, the test environment of Encore led to many usability issues
>> that we believed were more a result of the test environment than the
>> product itself; therefore we did not report on Encore in the final
>> analysis. The study (and chapter) does offers findings on the other three
>> discovery tools.
>>
>> There were six student groups in the course; each group studied two tools
>> with the same user population (undergrad, graduate and faculty) so that
>> each tool was compared against the other three with each user population
>> overall. The .pdf that you found was the final report of one of those six
>> groups, so it only addresses two of the four tools. The chapter is the
>> only document that pulls the six portions of the study together.
>>
>> I would be happy to discuss this with any of you individually if you need
>> more information.
>>
>> Thanks for your interest in the study.
>>
>>
>> Lucy Holman, DCD
>> Director, Langsdale Library
>> University of Baltimore
>> 1420 Maryland Avenue
>> Baltimore, MD 21201
>> 410-837-4333
>>
>> ------------------------- end insert --------------------
>>
>> Jonathan LeBreton
>> Sr. Associate University Librarian
>> Temple University Libraries
>> Paley M138, 1210 Polett Walk, Philadelphia PA 19122
>> voice: 215-204-8231
>> fax: 215-204-5201
>> mobile: 215-284-5070
>> email: [log in to unmask]
>> email: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>> > karim boughida
>> > Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 5:09 PM
>> > To: [log in to unmask]
>> > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] U of Baltimore, Final Usability Report, link
>> resolvers --
>> > MIA?
>> >
>> > Hi Tom,
>> > Top players are EDS, Primo and Summon....the only reason I see encore
>> in the
>> > mix is if you have other III products which is not the case of Ubalt
>> library. They
>> > have now worldcat? Encore vs Summon is an easy win for summon.
>> >
>> > Let's wait for Jonathan LeBreton (Thanks BTW).
>> >
>> > Karim Boughida
>> >
>> > On Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 4:26 PM, Tom Pasley <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>> > > Yes, I'm curious to know too! Due to database/resource matching or
>> > > coverage perhaps (anyone's guess).
>> > >
>> > > Tom
>> > >
>> > > On Wed, Sep 5, 2012 at 7:50 AM, karim boughida <[log in to unmask]>
>> > wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> Hi All,
>> > >> Initially EDS, Primo, Summon, and Encore were considered but only
>> > >> Encore and Summon were tested. Do we know why?
>> > >>
>> > >> Thanks
>> > >> Karim Boughida
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> On Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 10:44 AM, Jonathan Rochkind <[log in to unmask]
>> >
>> > >> wrote:
>> > >> > Hi helpful code4lib community, at one point there was a report
>> online at:
>> > >> >
>> > >> >
>> > >>
>> http://student-iat.ubalt.edu/students/kerber_n/idia642/Final_Usabilit
>> > >> y_Report.pdf
>> > >> >
>> > >> > David Walker tells me the report at that location included findings
>> > >> > about SFX and/or other link resolvers.
>> > >> >
>> > >> > I'm really interested in reading it. But it's gone from that
>> > >> > location,
>> > >> and
>> > >> > I'm not sure if it's somewhere else (I don't have a title/author to
>> > >> search
>> > >> > for other than that URL, which is not in google cache or internet
>> > >> archive).
>> > >> >
>> > >> > Is anyone reading this familiar with the report? Perhaps one of the
>> > >> authors
>> > >> > is reading this, or someone reading it knows one of the authors and
>> > >> > can
>> > >> be
>> > >> > put me in touch? Or knows someone likely in the relevant dept at
>> > >> > ubalt
>> > >> and
>> > >> > can be put me in touch? Or has any other information about this
>> > >> > report or ways to get it?
>> > >> >
>> > >> > Thanks!
>> > >> >
>> > >> > Jonathan
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> --
>> > >> Karim B Boughida
>> > >> [log in to unmask]
>> > >> [log in to unmask]
>> > >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Karim B Boughida
>> > [log in to unmask]
>> > [log in to unmask]
>>
>
>
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