Presents a framework for the design of information representations in terms of previews and overviews, to aid designers of digital library interfaces. Defines previews and overviews, as graphic or textual representations of information abstracted from primary information objects, analogous to bibliographic records and catalogs; and describes four…

As more information resources become accessible using computers, the digital interfaces to those resources need to be appropriate for all people. However, when it comes to digital libraries, the interfaces have typically been designed for older children or adults. The researchers have begun to develop a digital library interface that is…

This discussion of the design of user-initiated help systems in computers focuses on the information that users actively seek to help them with their tasks, with emphasis on how to help users ask the questions that will bridge the gap between the initial internal (mental) form of the query and their information need as expressed by the system.…