The Usability of On-line Archival Resources: The Polaris Project Finding Aid

Abstract

T h e A m e r i c a n A r c h i v i s t , V o l . 6 4 ( S p r i n g / S u m m e r 2 0 0 1 ) : 1 2 1 -1 3 1 121The Usability of On-line Archival Resources: The Polaris Project Finding Aid Burt Altman and John R. Nemmers A b s t r a c tThis case study examines how the Florida State University Libraries' Claude Pepper Library planned the first phase of the Pepper OnLine Archival Retrieval and Information System (POLARIS) Project-the development of an on-line finding aid and search engine-to provide electronic access to its unique resources. It also demonstrates how the project staff studied the research usability of the Pepper Collection finding aid in the on-line environment. The identification of potential users, creation of a focus group based on a sampling of these users, and the compilation and analysis of focus group responses were important factors in planning the first phase, evaluating usability of the finding aid, and influencing the changes that the POLARIS Project team made.

Historians' use of digital archival collections: The web, historical scholarship, and archival research

“…Some researchers analyze the ease of use and challenges of archival information systems, such as finding aids, MARC, EAD, and access systems. As archival systems have incorporated advanced technologies and newer standards, researchers have delved more into the users' understanding and usage of such systems; the usability of a system, its functionalities, the effectiveness of its searching and retrieval functions, the learning curves faced by its users, and users' willingness to accept a system are a few of the topics that have emerged although the subjects of these studies have not always been historians (Altman & Nemmers, ; Czeck, ; Daniels & Yakel, ; Meissner, ; Prom, ; Scheir, ; Spindler & Pearce‐Moses, ; Yakel, ). The findability of archival materials on the web has been increasingly of interest to researchers as the web has become an important venue for information seeking (Feeney, ; Tibbo & Meho, ).…”

Bridging anthropology and its archives: an analysis from the Smithsonian's National Anthropological Archives

“…These findings are important for improving access for our archives' top user community, but also for creating a model for other projects. While there are some exceptions (see Altman & Nemmers 2001;Conway 1994), few user studies have the benefit of being undertaken at a repository, rather than by university-based researchers. Likewise, with a few exceptions (see Brancolini 2000; Daines & Nimer 2011), such projects do not benefit from a three-year timeline in which findings can be implemented and reflected upon.…”

Researchers at Work: Assessing Needs for Content and Presentation of Archival Materials

“…Still as late as 2006, Zhou identified a number of instances of online finding aids with no search function as well as inconsistencies when searching for the same finding aid in a collaborative EAD database (such as The Online Archive of California [OAC]) and at the home institution. 11 Search strategies and their effectiveness have also been the subject of several studies. Hamburger surveyed archive users to examine their methods of resource discovery.…”