This document summarizes a research study examining how users interact with and utilize social discovery features in public library catalogues. The study will analyze transaction logs from two Canadian library catalogues over four months, tracking user search behaviors, interactions with tagging, reviews and other social features. Future research will involve usability testing to understand how useful, effective and satisfying users find the catalogues and identify ways to improve the user experience. The goal is to provide libraries insights into how social features impact user behaviors and library services.

1. The Public Library Catalogue as a Social Space: Usability Studies of User Interaction with Social Discovery Systems Louise Spiteri, Dalhousie University Laurel Tarulli, Halifax Public Libraries

4. Functions and uses outside the box

5. Potential to impact core library services

8. Sharing expertise

9. Different perspectives and approaches

10. Different needs and applications for the research

12. Competing against powerful alternatives for information discovery

13. Extensions of the physical library, considered in a social context as well as fulfilling information needs

14. Potential to impact core library services, with our emphasis on user-centered collections and RA driven services

15. Growing in popularity and increased implementation in libraries

20. Different launch dates – does use change over time?

21. Familiarity with the two social catalogue solutions

23. What works, what doesn't? How is it being used?

24. How can we make it even better?

25. Where are we going and how do we get there?

29. Major library system in the mid-West representing a large geographic area with diverse communities, income and educational levels

30. Interest in the research and what it will tell them about their social catalogue

32. The public library users’ perception of, and satisfaction with, the benefits of social discovery systems; and

33. The public library librarians’ and staffs’ perception of, and satisfaction with, the benefits of social discovery systems.

39. Types of data gathered Type of search used (e.g., keyword, subject) Use of relevance ranking features Use of sorting features Use of tagging features Use of posted reviews Use of ratings features Use of faceted navigation

41. View results (How user chooses to have the system display the results)

42. Navigation (Use of faceted navigation)

43. User-contributed content (Tagging, ratings, reviews)

45. 10 Adult non-fiction

46. 10 Children's fiction

47. 10 Children's non-fiction

48. 10 Graphic novels

52. Spelling variation (e.g., labor/labour)

53. Syntactical variation (e.g., sofa/couch)

56. Effectiveness : How well does the system behave in the way that users/staff expect it to?

57. Efficiency : How long does it take library users/staff to accomplish their desired tasks?

58. Learnability : How easily can users/staff learn how to use the system?

59. Satisfaction : How well does the system meet library users’/staff needs and expectations?