User Studies for Digital Library Development

Citation

Pisanski, J. (2013), "User Studies for Digital Library Development", Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 47 No. 2, pp. 206-207. https://doi.org/10.1108/00330331311313771

As is usual in our field, various experts have varying definitions of a particular phenomenon. Usually these differences are a result of different philosophical views and the impact of this variety is not necessarily observable in practice. When it comes to digital libraries, the differences in definitions, as well as implementations, can vary to a puzzling degree. Therefore, one can interpret User Studies for Digital Library Development as a bold attempt at presenting the challenges that developers of digital libraries face from a variety of perspectives on a wide range of variously defined digital libraries.

With that in mind, it has to be stressed that the editors Milena Dobreva, Andy O'Dwyer and Pierluigi Feliciati did a fine job of not only making clear what is expected of this book in the introduction (i.e. that it is not a handbook and it does not describe various methods in detail), but also setting a clear outline. The first part appropriately labelled “Setting the scene” consists of chapters on models, user‐centric studies, design issues and the importance of users as regards the evaluation of digital libraries. These key chapters avoid the trap of overwhelming readers with too much information. However, some points, especially in the chapter about design, could be considered as too trivial for the cornerstone of the book.

The title of the next part, “Methods explained and illustrated”, is also as clear as can be. The five chapters focus on questionnaires, interviews and focus groups, expert evaluation, deep log analysis, eye tracking and personas. As the title suggests, real‐life digital libraries illustrate the use of each approach. On the other hand the thoroughness of explanations varies, as lesser‐known approaches are explained in greater detail. Inevitably, the above‐mentioned differences in definitions and scope of digital libraries are also clearly felt here.

The third part could best be described as dedicated to various modern life contexts of digital libraries. The themes discussed range from mobile devices and social media to children and learning, along with the more traditional topics such as multilingualism and preservation.

Then the book takes a different approach and presents user studies in context of various cultural sectors (discussing not only libraries, archives and museums, but also digital arts and audio‐visual materials). Somewhat unexpectedly an otherwise solid chapter on business‐model perspective is also included in this part.

The book is concluded by a chapter written by the editors that proposes a step‐by‐step approach to user studies of digital libraries, in large part based on the issues discussed in previous chapters. In doing so, the authors also provide a well‐balanced counterpart to the introduction.

While a broad variety of digital libraries is indeed presented through a thoroughly practical perspective that in large part mirrors reality in the field, the focus of the book is not always clear. Signs of another limiting aspect, the length of individual chapters, are omnipresent and sometimes the reader can sense that the authors would have liked to discuss the pressing issues in greater detail. On the other hand, especially when it comes to description of newer technologies that are a part of our everyday lives, the discussion may be too general, even for novice readers. A multitude of authors with various backgrounds adds to the complexity. While the authors are too many to mention individually, there is a strong European presence. Although all of the authors clearly show their expertise, the chapter that seems to provide the best fit with the overarching theme of this book was, perhaps unsurprisingly, written by one of the editors, Andy O'Dwyer (the chapter on audio‐visual collections). Also, there is some down‐to‐earth writing in the chapter on mobile devices by Lina Petrakieva, which this reviewer found charming, but may not suit every reader.

When reading the book from cover to cover, one notices that some of the issues and descriptions are repeated. For instance Europeana, which is given as an example of a digital library in various places, is described multiple times at different lengths. Of course, for those only interested in one chapter such descriptions can be beneficial. Also, the glossary at the beginning of the book is helpful and there are some cross‐references within the book.

While this book can be useful for those trying to grasp the importance of user studies as they pertain to the various stages of development of digital libraries, the changing focus makes it harder to read all the way through and individual chapters may not be detailed enough for those seeking quick fix answers or protocols. Indeed, as the editors rightly point out in the closing segment, it may well pose more questions than answers. Although it may seem counterintuitive, that is its greatest value. It should therefore appeal, at various levels, to those just beginning to deal with digital libraries, to the experienced practitioners, but also to those who are interested in user studies in general.