Usability testing and redesign of library Web pages at Lund University, Faculty of Engineering: a case study applying a two-phase, systematic quality approach

To provide informative and easily usable Websites, it is essential that providers of library services learn about the real needs and preferences of their users. With this goal in mind the Faculty of Engineering, Lund University (LTH) performed a LibQUAL+® survey in the spring 2007 to form a clear picture of the users' opinions about the quality of the libraries services. LibQUAL+® is an internationally used tool developed by the Association of Research Libraries (USA) to measure service quality in libraries. It measures quality in three dimensions: Affect of service, Information control and Library as place (Cook & Heath 2001; Persson 2005). The Affect of service dimension refers to the human aspects of service. The questions relate to users' interactions with, and the general helpfulness and competency of, library staff. For the Information control dimension, the survey poses questions relating to the users' perception of their ability to find information in an independent and autonomous way. Library as place deals with the physical environment of the library as a place for individual study, group work, and inspiration. VOL. 15 NO. 2, JUNE, 2010