Goals
As part of our iterative development process, we’ve dedicated some AD&S resources to improving the Special Collections Registry (SCR) – the primary mode for researchers to first engage with our Special Collections, be it through Discover, Google, or other search engines. This third iteration is going to focus on improving the experience for researchers and improving the cross-functionality between different systems. This project, SCR 2020, is expected to continue through at least the next several months.
Methods
We have engaged Susan Liberator from the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum, and Halle Mares of the University Archives to act in the role of co-Product Owner. In this role, they will help guide us through the tasks that will make SCR represent our Special Collections equally well; this is particularly challenging in that the size, level of description, materials and researchers vary widely across Units’ myriad Collections. To this end, they have agreed to help identify, prioritize, research, and test solutions for this project, as well as bringing in other stakeholders as needed for expertise, feedback and testing.
The first phase of the project began with looking at the SCR with a critical eye, feedback tickets, and some usage statistics. One startling thing that we found immediately was that 40% of our users were using a mobile device to use the SCR. We certainly didn’t imagine that such a dense source of information would be something folks would try to engage with in a phone screen, but we have made improving the mobile experience a primary goal for this project.
Less surprising, (at least to me because I’d seen the tickets) was the trouble that visitors were having with some of the user interface elements. We will be looking carefully at the application navigation, the collection navigation, the container list, as well as any other elements that come up in our research. We’ve also identified a need to help researchers of various experience navigate how to use archives and engage with our collections.
Next Steps
The core team has met a few times already to set our goals, begin research, and discuss findings. We have started the process for developing usability tests and engaging testers to help us further understand what is useful to researchers and how we can make it easier to use. We’re also ideating on how we might help researchers improve their use of our tools, perhaps through FAQ’s and maybe videos.
Soon we will be reaching out to other stakeholders in the organization with specific tasks for the project, but in the meantime if you have questions or comments please reach out to Halle, Susan, Phoebe or Russell.
Thanks,
Russell
