Open AccessComputer ScienceEducation
DOI: 10.6017/ital.v24i2.3365

tlooto Summary

An evaluation model and a suite of instruments for evaluating usability for academic digital libraries are proposed and it is found that there exists an interlocking relationship among effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.

Abstract

This paper reviews how usability has been defined in the context of the digital library, what methods have been applied and their applicability, and proposes an evaluation model and a suite of instruments for evaluating usability for academic digital libraries. The model examines effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and learnability. It is found that there exists an interlocking relationship among effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. It also examines how learnability interacts with these three attributes.

Citation format

JENG, Judy H. What is usability in the context of the digital library and how can it be measured. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND LIBRARIES, 2005, 24: 47–56.