Institute Evaluation of Digital Libraries Research to be presented at ASIST

On Tuesday, November 1, 2005, Information Institute researchers will present a paper on evaluation methodologies for digital libraries at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Information Science & Technology. The paper is entitled "Developing Multi-Method, Iterative, and User-Centered Evaluation Strategies for Digital Libraries: Functionality, Usability, and Accessibility." John T. Snead, John Carlo Bertot, Paul T. Jaeger, and Charles R. McClure coauthored the paper.

This paper details a long-term, evolving effort to develop meaningful evaluations for assessing digital libraries through usability, functionality, and accessibility testing. The authors of this paper have been engaged in a multi-year study to determine appropriate evaluation techniques, tools, and methodologies for the Florida Electronic Library (FEL) and other digital libraries. The evaluation protocols and approaches have been designed over time and iteratively through assessment efforts of the research team of other digital library initiatives. As such, this paper examines the process of developing, applying, and refining appropriate evaluation methodologies for the networked environment of libraries, as well as the implications of these methodologies. The approach taken in the research relies on a combination of evaluation strategies applied iteratively to assess libraries from the perspective of patron needs. A number of specific methods can be readily developed to provide such evaluations.

For more information, see the ASIST website at: http://www.asis.org/Conferences/AM05/abstracts/161.html

To view a pdf of the conference paper: Developing Multi-Method, Iterative, and User-Centered Evaluation Strategies for Digital Libraries: Functionality, Usability, and Accessibility