Hi All,

This week’s MeL Minute highlights the work of MeL Team member Sonya Schryer Norris and her research assistant Aris Bailey in evaluating users’ experiences using the search box on the MeL homepage.  The study and article she authored appears in the October, 2016 issue of Computers in Libraries magazine, Encore Duet: How the Michigan eLibrary Tweaked Configuration Options to Improve the User Experience.  In it she explains the goals, methodology, and results in conducting a “…user experience evaluation of our implementation of the discovery service Encore Duet 4.4. We wanted to determine how well it was serving patrons and librarians using the Michigan eLibrary (MeL; mel.org). Was the search box we designed as the gateway to our resources providing easy access to what users wanted? First, we used industry-standard evaluation methods and made recommendations based on user input. Then we worked with the vendor, applied changes to the configuration options, and created custom JavaScript to improve our users’ experience.”  We invite you to read the article for an interesting behind-the-scenes look at evaluating and configuring MeL. Sonya will also be presenting her findings during a poster session at this year’s Library Information Technology Association (LITA) conference in Ft. Worth later this month.

MeL Minutes are brought to you by the Library of Michigan.  Want more information on MeL?  Stay tuned for next week’s MeL Minute available on many Michigan library listservs, email us at contact@mel.org  or visit http://mel.org. We encourage you to share MeL Minutes with your colleagues and networks.

Registration is now open for the next LM/MCLS webinar. Standardized tests are a reality for Michigan students from elementary through High School. MeL databases provides resources which can bolster achievement. Please join us on November 30, at 3:30pm for a 30-minute webinar focused on MeL resources which prepare students for these important examinations. Registration is free and open to all Michigan library staff and other interested users. Read more and register for this webinar.

Eunice

Eunice C. Borrelli

Michigan eLibrary Internet Librarian

Library of Michigan/Michigan Dept. of Education

517-241-4996

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