Defining the boundaries of computing across complex organizations
Critical issues in information systems research
Making usable, useful, productivity-enhancing computer applications
Communications of the ACM
Groupware in practice: an interpretation of work experiences
Computerization and controversy
Hypertext for the electronic library?: CORE sample results
HYPERTEXT '91 Proceedings of the third annual ACM conference on Hypertext
Interface design when you don't know how
Communications of the ACM
Challenges and strategies for research in systems development
Usability Engineering
Expert Critiquing Systems
Navigating the Internet
Talking in the library: implications for the design of digital libraries
DL '97 Proceedings of the second ACM international conference on Digital libraries
Computer
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
State digital library usability: contributing organizational factors
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
What leads to user acceptance of digital libraries?
Communications of the ACM - Bioinformatics
Journal of Management Information Systems
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Creating smart and accessible ubiquitous knowledge environments
UAHCI'07 Proceedings of the 4th international conference on Universal access in human-computer interaction: ambient interaction
International Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals
Hi-index | 0.00 |
During the last decade, software designers have made progress in improving the usability of software products, such as word processors, by focusing on the design of interfaces. Less attention has been given to usability issues that go beyond the interface in the design of multi-user systems, such as a digital library (DL).In this paper, we discuss two aspects of DL usability-interface and organizational. While the Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) research community has helped pioneer design principles to improve interface usability, organizational usability is less well understood. In fact, HCI researchers often treat the term "DL usability" as synonymous with a DL's interface usability. "Design for organizational usability" is a new term that refers to the design of computer-based systems so that they are effectively integrated into the work practices of organizations. Issues of organizational design have been identified and faced by researchers and practitioners in neighboring fields, such as Information Systems. DL developers need to consider "design for organizational usability" issues during DL system design.Anthropologists have successfully used the concept of "cultural models" to understand the cultural constructs through which people view their worlds. Computer systems development communities, including the DL design community, usually have some consensus (cultural models) about the character of systems usability in their development process---how people do and should use computer systems, and what roles different users should play in the design of new systems. We discuss five typical models of computer systems design. These models become cultural models when they are taken for granted within a professional community as THE (natural) way to design all systems. A new model that incorporates "design for organizational usability" principles into system design is proposed. We believe that this model has the strongest chance of producing DL systems that diverse people can use effectively.