Describes a collaborative effort to explore user needs in a digital library, develop interface prototypes for a digital library, and suggest and prototype tools for digital librarians and users at the Library of Congress. The design process and results are described and suggestions for future work are offered. (Author/LRW)

Compares features and search performances of three popular Web-based search services: InfoSeek, Lycos, and OpenText. Five queries were used to conduct searches with these services. There was a low level of result overlap among the services; none of the services provide good output control for users. Includes recommendations for improvements in…

Reports on a comparative investigation of WAIS, a networking and finding aid used on the Internet, and a Boolean-based retrieval system. The terms and limitations of the study are described, and the comparative recall and precision rates are given. The problems and potential of WAIS and other highly interactive search systems are presented.…

Describes an applied research project which builds on a perceived need for community information and through exploiting the professional know-how of library science, takes the initiative in inventing and designing an information product and service to meet that need. Discusses cooperative planning and describes seven main components of the work.…

Presents results from a study of three federal government statistical Web sites. Objectives were to determine who uses these services, types of tasks brought to the sites, strategies used for finding statistical information, and to make recommendations for design improvements. (Author/AEF)

Discusses essential features of interfaces to support end-user information seeking. Highlights include cognitive engineering; task models and task analysis; the problem-solving nature of information seeking; examples of systems for end-users, including online public access catalogs (OPACs), hypertext, and help systems; and suggested research…

This digest highlights several psychological dimensions of user-computer interfaces. First, the psychological theory behind interface design and the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) are discussed. Two psychological models, the information processing model of cognition and the mental model--both of which contribute to interface design--are…

Discusses changes in academic libraries resulting from evolving technologies, and the need to train library patrons and staff in the use of electronic information systems. A review of the training literature and the results of three projects for supporting patron use of online systems are reported. (CLB)

Describes a study that examined the information-seeking behavior of undergraduate students searching print and electronic encyclopedias to determine how mental models are adapted for different types of media. Cognitive load is discussed; print and electronic systems are compared; differences among three electronic encyclopedias are described; and…