New Research Article: “Assessing the User Experience of E-Books in Academic Libraries” (Preprint)

The following article (accepted for publication, preprint) is scheduled for publication in the September 2017 issue of College & Research Libraries (C&RL).
Title
Assessing the User Experience of E-Books in Academic Libraries
Authors
Tao Zhang
Purdue University
Xi Niu
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Marlen Promann
Purdue University
Source
via C&RL Website
Abstract

We report findings from an assessment of e-book user experience (search and information seeking) from usage data and user tests. The usage data showed that most reading sessions were brief and focused on certain pages, suggesting that users mainly use e-books to find specific information. The user tests found that participants tended to use default keyword search and browse the search results. Experience levels with e-books and features of e-book platforms influenced users’ information seeking in e-books. The assessment results have significant implications for designing e-book features to support users’ reading strategies and help libraries create a consistent user experience.

Direct to Full Text Article (Preprint) (46 pages; PDF)

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Data Files, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users, Reports