Approaching usability: a study of an academic health sciences library web site.

A usability study was conducted at a medium-sized academic health sciences library with the goal of providing data to inform the future redesign of the library's Web page. A two-stage approach was used: (1) A preliminary survey designed to identify common tasks and issues on which to focus, and (2) usability testing. Responses to the survey indicated general satisfaction with the site and suggested areas for testing. Usability testing participants were asked to perform scripted tasks. The results indicate that users do have considerable difficulty navigating the site and recommendations are presented. This method of testing is recommended for health sciences libraries.

Asked and answered--online: how two medical libraries are using OCLC's QuestionPoint to answer reference questions.

This paper imparts the experiences of two similar but unaffiliated medical libraries that use QuestionPoint, OCLC's collaborative virtual reference product. The authors introduce the major features of QuestionPoint, with particular emphasis on its asynchronous e-mail reference service. After presenting how both libraries have employed this service in their respective environments, the paper examines the quantity and quality of reference questions submitted via QuestionPoint. The types of questions are explicated, and statistical trends are compared.