The role of information architecture in designing a third-generation library web site

College and Research Libraries

Volumn 69, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 301-318

  Duncan, Jennifer ^a   Holliday, Wendy ^a  

^a UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 49449091798     PISSN: 00100870     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.5860/crl.69.4.301     Document Type: Review

References (29)

1. Louis Rosenfeld, "Information Architecture: Looking Ahead," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 53, no. 10 (2002): 875.
2. Andrew Dillon, "Information Architecture in JASIST: Just Where Did We Come From?" Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 53, no. 10 (2002): 821.
3. Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, 2nd ed. (Cambridge, Mass.: O'Reilly, 2002): 4.
4. See, for example, Brenda Battleson, Austin Booth, and Jane Weintrop, "Usability Testing of an Academic Library Web Site: A Case Study," The Journal of Academic Librarianship 27, no. 3 (2001): 188-98;
5. Galina Letnikova, "Usability Testing of Academic Library Web Sites: A Selective Annotated Bibliography," Internet Reference Services Quarterly 8, no. 4 (2003): 53-68;
6. Louise McGillis and Elaine G. Toms, "Usability of the Academic Library Web Site: Implications for Design," College & Research Libraries 62, no. 4 (2001): 355-67;
7. Susan McMullen, "Usability Testing in a Library Web Site Redesign Project," Reference Services Review 29, no. 1 (2001): 7-22;
8. Tiffini Anne Travis and Elaina Norlin, "Testing the Competition: Usability of Commercial Information Sites Compared with Academic Library Web Sites," College & Research Libraries 63, no. 5 (2002): 433-48.
9. Troy Swanson, "From Creating Web Pages to Creating Web Sites: The Use of Information Architecture for Library Web Site Redesign," Internet Reference Services Quarterly 61, no. 1 (2001): 1-12.
10. Shelley Gullikson et al., "The Impact of Information Architecture on Academic Web Site Usability," Electronic Library 17, no. 5 (1999): 293-304.
11. David Robins and Sigrid Kelsey, "Analysis of Web-Based Information Architecture in a University Library: Navigating for Known Items," Information Technology and Libraries 21, no. 4 (2002): 158-69.
12. McGillis and Toms, "Usability of the Academic Library Web Site," 355-67.
13. Elaine G. Toms, "Information Interaction: Providing a Framework for Information Architecture," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 53, no. 10 (2002): 855-62.
14. Marsha Haverty, "Information Architecture without Internal Theory: An Inductive Design Process," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 53, no. 10 (2002): 839.
15. Ibid, 839-45.
16. Members included Jennifer Duncan, Wendy Holliday, Rob Morrison, Daren Olson, and Sandra Weingart.
17. For an example of how program requirement documents have been applied to IA, see Steve Toub, Evaluating Information Architecture (Argus Center for Information Architecture, 2000). Available online from http://argus-acia.com/ white_papers/evaluating_ia.pdf. [Accessed 18 October 2004].
18. Bob Wiggins, "Specifying and Procuring Software," in Information Architecture: Designing Environments for Purpose, ed. Alan Gilchrist and Barry Mahon (New York: Neal-Schuman, 2004), 69-85.
19. Alan Gilchrist and Barry Mahon, Information Architecture: Designing Information Environments for Purpose (New York: Neal-Schuman, 2004).
20. For an overview of design trade-offs and Web usability, see Jakob Nielsen, Usability Engineering (San Diego: Academic Press, 1993).
21. Julie Rowbotham, "Librarians - Architects of the Future?" Aslib Proceedings 51, no. 2 (1999): 59-63.
22. Jennifer Duncan and Wendy Holliday, "USU Web Architecture Task Force Program Requirement Document." (Feb. 2004). Available online from http://library.usu.edu/elecres/architecture/web-program-requirements.pdf. [Accessed 28 November 2006].
23. For a discussion of the validity of relying on small number of test subjects for usability tests, see Jakob Nielsen, "Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users," Alertbox (Mar. 19, 2000). Available online from www.useit.com/alertbox/20000319.html. [Accessed 27 September 2006].
24. Joe Lamantia, "Analyzing Card Sort Results with a Spreadsheet Template" (Aug. 26,2003). Available online from www.boxesandarrows.com/ archives/analyzing_card_sort_results_with_a_spreadsheet_template.php. [Accessed 27 November 2006].
25. Available online from http:/library.usu.edu/elecres/architecture/ Information_Architecture/index.html. [Accessed 27 November 2006].
26. Because our new building was slated to open in October 2005, we initially intended the Web site to go live in September. Due to overwhelming demands associated with the move, the Web site did not go live until May 2006.
27. The complete blueprint is available online from http://library.usu.edu/ elecres/architecture/Architecture_Blueprint.ppt. [Accessed 27 November 2006].
28. A professor in the Technical Writing program who planned to teach a class on Web site usability approached the Task Force looking for a major project for the students to help test and develop in spring 2005. The Task Force strongly encouraged the Steering Committee to take advantage of this opportunity, which they did. Almost every major organizational change to the final site was a direct result of recommendations suggested by this class. The reports from this major usability study are available online from http://library.usu.edu/elecres/ architecture/First%20Year%20Students%20Test%20Report.pdf; http://library.usu. edu/elecres/architecture/Advanced%20Undergraduates%20Test%20Report.pdf; and http://library.usu.edu/elecres/architecture/ Graduate%20Students%20Usability%20Test%20Report.pdf. [Accessed 27 November 2006].
29. The initial graphic design phase lasted through December 2004; usability testing occurred during spring 2005; a second graphic design phase began in summer 2005 with the redesign of the university Web site; and our newly designed page went live in spring 2006.