Do students prefer to use Google instead of the library catalog? Ever wondered why? Google is easier to use and delivers plenty of "good enough" resources to meet their needs. The current generation of online catalogs has two main problems. First, the look and feel of the interface doesn't reflect the conventions adhered to elsewhere on the web,…

As a concept, the next-generation catalog (NGC) is not new to librarians, who have been wishing for better OPAC interfaces for their integrated library systems (ILSs). The NGC has been the focus of discussion for more than 5 years now, from the 2006 report of the implementation of Endeca at North Carolina State University, to Marshall Breeding's…

Researchers at American University investigated user preferences for discovery layer features, interface design, and content. They tested local implementations of WorldCat Local and Aquabrowser by conducting a group test with eighteen students and individual tests with ten students. Students searched a given question and a topic of their choosing…

A study of 170 undergraduates at the University of Washington examined the effect of terminology and screen layout on student ability to select databases from an initial online interface, "Session Manager." Results indicated that student ability to navigate menu screens was improved with expanded terminology and type grouping of online…

As libraries increasingly look to give their collections a strong digital presence, many of the librarians involved come from traditionally technical services oriented areas: catalogers, systems librarians, web developers, and database specialists. Collaboration between representatives of public services, collection development, and technical…

This paper promotes further discussion and analysis of interactivity in learning environments and contains a classification of interaction types appropriate for consideration in multimedia settings. Through an examination of related factors associated with navigation and control, a matrix of interactive dimensions is proposed. (Author)

As more archival metadata and archival records become available online, providing effective interfaces to those materials is increasingly important to give users access. This article describes five approaches from the hypertext and visualization research communities which can be used to improve such access: (1) navigating hierarchical structures,…

Summarizes the issues, debates, and decisions that helped to shape "The Washington Post's" online service, Digital Ink. Highlights include: differences between online and print versions of the newspaper, structure of the user interface, organization of information, content, searching and navigation, and advertising. (JKP)

This paper proposes a model for a general interface between people and Computer Algebra Systems (CAS). The main features in the CAS interface are data navigation and the possibility of accessing powerful remote machines. This model is based on the idea of session management, in which the main engine of the tool enables interactions with the…

This paper examines hypermedia design and draws conclusions about how educational research and theory applies to various aspects of World Wide Web (WWW) homepage design. "Hypermedia" is defined as any collection of information which may be textual, graphical, visual, or auditory in nature and which may be accessed via a nonlinear route.…