Fostering Robust Library Portals: An Assessment of the McMaster University Library Gateway

Working Paper #4 by Brian Detlor, Umar Ruhi, Chris Pollard, Dave Hanna, Mihail Cocosila, Wuping Zheng, Eric Fu, Tao Jiang and Demos Syros, June 2003.

• Library portals support the information needs and uses of patrons.
• The report proposed a five-dimension evaluation framework for robustness.
• The McMaster University Library Gateway was assessed as a test.
• Students of Winter 2003 class K726 carried out the assessment.
• The Gateway showed some good characteristics.

Five dimensions

• Usability of the system interface.
• Support for a wide spectrum of information seeking.
• Personalization matching individual user needs.
• The extent to which the portal fosters knowledge work.
• The degree to which intelligent agents are employed.

Recommendations

• Immediate: reduce library jargon in the interface.
• Immediate: fix screen design inconsistencies.
• Immediate: clean up navigation problems.
• Short term: integrated design not mimicking physical libraries.
• Short term: make catalogue and electronic resources distinction clear.
• Short term: provide better Web log tracking metrics.
• Long term: personalize the site to individual user needs.
• Long term: offer communication and collaboration areas.
• Long term: one homepage browse/search across all library resources.
• Long term: leverage intelligent agents.