Library of Congress
A Usability Test Report
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Created by:
Maria Hernandez,
Datsayana Medina,
Isaiah Middleton
The Library of Congress... What is it?
The Library of Congress... What is it?
Figure 1: The interior of the main reading room of the Library of Congress
Located in Washington D.C, the Library of Congress is the world's largest library, housing millions of books, texts, photos, films, music, and a plethora of other mediums spanning across centuries. The library is used by Congress as its main research center and is available for the public to visit and view materials.
The Library of Congress offers a website, loc.gov, that users can view to get information about the physical location, access its digital catalog, request items, view digitally accessible material, and get research assistance from a librarian. There is so much information, documents, and primary sources embedded within the site that we decided to test to see how easily maneuverable and accessible these materials are for users.
The purpose of conducting this usability test is so that we can get an idea of how efficient the website is for the average person and determine what works, what doesn't, and what improvements can be made to optimize user satisfaction.
Testing loc.gov - A Breakdown
Testing loc.gov - A Breakdown
To conduct our usability tests, we recruited 6 individuals ranging from 15 to 32 years of age to complete 5 different tasks on the Library of Congress Website. The tasks mimic different activities or involve information gathering that the average person would be conducting or would need from the Library of Congress' website, such as planning a trip or needing to find research material. Below we have summarized the process of beginning, conducting, and analyzing our usability tests.
The first steps...
The first steps...
Before our usability testing, we required our participants to complete a consent form to ensure they fully understood the point of the study, the testing process, and their rights. By signing, our participants acknowledged that they are joining our study voluntarily and are informed that their session will be recorded. The consent forms assures that all of their information is confidential and explains that they can leave at any time during the test. Figure 2 provides a copy of the consent form given to our participants.
The Pre-Test Questionnare
The Pre-Test Questionnare
Our usability study incorporated both pre-test and post-test questionnaires to understand each of our participant's backgrounds, and their feedback on the Library of Congress website. The Pre-Test Questionnaire, which was administered prior to the usability testing, gathered important and essential basic information about all 6 participants, including their hobbies, occupations, highest level of education, and if they had any prior experience using government websites.
Conducting the Test
Conducting the Test
For the usability test, participants were given a list of 5 tasks to complete. The tasks were designed to evaluate how easily users could navigate the Library of Congress website to find essential information, use the shop, and locate different resources. Each task focuses on different feature of the site, including: visitor information, multimedia search and access, and exhibition information. By completing these tasks, participants can help us identify the strengths and weaknesses of the website in terms of user usability. Notes were taken during the test, and the test was recorded for further evaluation and data collecting.
Post-Test Questionnaire and Data Analyzation
Post-Test Questionnaire and Data Analyzation
After the participants completed their task list, we administered the post-test questionnaire which evaluated the participants' overall experience. These questions were based on the ease of finding certain materials, the effectiveness of the search system, and the overall site layout. This questionnaire served as an important and valuable insight into the participants' satisfaction and behavior, and it allowed us to find specific areas where usability could be improved. The notes, recordings, and questionnaires were all used to analyze data and create graphs that helped us determine where usability and heuristics are good, and where it could be improved on the Library of Congress' website. You can find our data and its analysis here.
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