F08Q5

=Fall 2008 Question #5=
 * Researchers and scholars of information seeking and use (for example, Carol **** 
 * **Kuhlthau) have described the importance of “affect” (feelings, emotions or**
 * moods) with respect to the user’s experience in the process of information**
 * seeking. A holistic view of information seeking encompasses the affective**
 * experiences of users. Choose ONE library environment (academic, school media**
 * center, public, special) and identify and discuss THREE methods that can be used**
 * to reduce the impact of negative emotions in information seeking in that**
 * environment.** **

Responses:
Leland: I would select the **academic library** as my information environment, and my three methods would be: the use of **cognitive walkthroughs**, usability testing with **sample groups**, and the use of **personas** throughout website or interface design. Let us start with the last mentioned first, the tool of the persona. The persona is a fictional individual created by aggregating real information regarding a specific type of user, in an academic setting let us say a humanties faculty member. Once this persona is constructed it stands in for the members of that constiuency and is available to test all stages of interface or site design, such as labeling, which features are made available for searching or browsing, and the like. The persona saves the developer, librarian or committee from replacing their users with themselves under the dangerous guise of "knowing their users". Cognitive walkthough would be the next logical tool to utilize during the development or evaluation of an information tool. A cognitive walkthrough is the purposeful attempt of an 'expert' to detail the steps in accomplishing a given task in an attempt to anticipate user errors or confusion. Because it is still conducted by an 'expert' it has the advantage of not requiring forming testing groups of actual users, but has the disadvantage of still suffering from potential blind spots. The test is still done by an expert and likely by someone familar with the information tool. Lastly, proper usability testing should be conducted using a representative pool of real users. Whether an ethnographic interview model is used record a representative users experience completing an assigned task or a method more technologically sophisticated, real data from real users will help on issues of clarity in labeling, expected features or even behavior by the sytem of your environments user populations. These are only three methods and only deal with reducing the frustration factor of users with a given information tool, but they can still be powerful assets to information professionals in serving their public.

Older responses:
Jody: selecting the context of viewing a website If a website is poorly designed, the user is likely to become confused and frustrated, which will make it even more difficult for him to locate the information he needs, and will make it much more likely that he will go elsewhere to find a substitute. Information professionals can educate themselves on simple usability best practices, such as standard navigational toolbars throughout the site, an icon on the upper left corner to identify the site, throughout all pages, straightforward and simple layouts that draw the eye to the intended material, simple and effective search box on the upper right of the toolbar, effective contrast in colors, clear and resizable font, and features that support screen readers.

Maryke: Belkin describes the process of information seeking as moving from an anomalous state of knowledge (ASK) to actual knowledge; Kuhlthau talks about uncertainty. Both ideas, anomaly and uncertainty, are good indicators of the state of mind of the patron who approaches a reference desk: there can be a great deal of anxiety involved in even asking a question and, depending on the experience he or she is about to have with the reference librarian, a great deal more can ensue. The patron might feel intimidated, confused, anxious, hurried, eager to please an authority figure or fearful about interrupting someone's work. All of these feelings can inhibit the ability to convey one's information need and, if the experience with the librarian is not a positive one, negative feelings can also inhibit the patron's learning anything about using the library to search for information. Finally, emotion might even prevent the patron from being able to recognize or utilize the needed information when it is presented to her/him. Finally, reference transactions can also create negative emotions when the library, or the librarian, does not accomodate a patron's disability. An example would be a public library where all of the brochures with database searching instructions are only printed in small type - a senior citizen, who may well be anxious due to a lack of experience with computers, will be strongly affected by being handed a "helpful" resource she cannot read. Information professionals can reduce the impact of negative emotions in a number of ways:
 * create a welcoming reference environment (this includes both comfortable facilities and staff who are comfortable, feel appreciated, and enjoy their work)
 * educate staff about information seeking behavior, and about various patrons groups and their needs
 * create policies and standards to encourage consistency in the quality of reference interviews
 * plan regular assessments of reference service in various formats, to ensure that patrons continue to have a positive experience.