Just What Are Those Users Doing? Metrics for Understanding User Behavior in an Next-Generation Online Catalog

Yale University Library implemented a new catalog interface in 2008. Yufind (based on Vufind, originally developed at Villanova University) offers new functionality for search and discovery of scholarly material. This presentation will provide an overview of two methods used to assess usage of and make changes to the catalog: usability testing and web analytics. Several rounds of usability testing have been done with undergraduate and graduate students (18 total test participants), and Yufind log files have been analyzed to better understand user behavior. We will discuss results, show video clips of testing, and indicate the changes made based on testing.