Brooklyn Public Library
Usability Report
Overview.
An analysis of the search functionalities of the Brooklyn Public Library’s website.
My Role.
This was an independent exploration I did with the goal of developing my skills in both usability testing and heuristic analyses.
Digital search technology has moved in leaps and bounds in recent years — search engines correct for our typos, e-commerce sites automatically suggest items we might like. But what’s happening with the OG digital search tool, the library catalog? Has it gotten any easier to find a library book online?
Methodology
The Website
I wanted to understand how the layout and design of the website impacted the user’s ability to find a book.
The Search Functions
There were two distinct search functionalities — the traditional catalog search and a general, sitewide search. Which one would be more useful?
The User’s Experience
After exploring how the site was built, I wanted to know how real people interact with it. I designed tasks to understand which paths users would take when searching for a book.
Tools Used
Site Map
Heuristic Analysis
User Flows
Screener Survey
User Testing
Wireframes
The Website
I began with an investigation into the website’s hierarchy. The information architecture was overwhelming to me, so I began by making a site map.
Information Architecture
The site map demonstrates just how many clickable links there are in the secondary navigation. In attempting to include links to all the library’s various offering, the navigation options become overwhelming to a casual user.
Click to enlarge.
The information architecture could be reworked, maintaining the primary and sticky navigation options, while streamlining the secondary navigation, by eliminating and combining some into tertiary options.
It would be useful to explore the site’s metrics to see how often some of the secondary navigation links are actually utilized.
Where does “Search” live?
The answer was surprisingly complicated. First, you have to decide which search you want to use.
The General Search
The General Search function, pulling results from the entire website (including the catalog, events, and other offerings), can be found using the search bar on the homepage or in the sticky navigation.*
General Search bar on homepage.
General Search bar in sticky navigation.
I did notice some inconsistencies in the sticky navigation options across the site. For example, the General Search option doesn’t appear in the sticky nav on the homepage, above.
The Catalog Search
Many different routes lead to the Catalog Search (which only searches borrowable materials), including two small links under the General Search bar on the homepage and several links in the secondary navigation.
Catalog Search links on the homepage are very hard to see due to their small size and the photo background.
Links to the Catalog Search within the secondary navigation.
The first link in the secondary nav, “Launch the Catalog,” opens the Catalog Search page in a separate tab. The second group also takes you to the Catalog Search page, filtered for the corresponding format.
At least, that’s how it should work.
Here’s what actually happens when you use the secondary navigation links:
Task Flow: Launching a catalog search from the secondary navigation. Scroll through for details of each step.
I launched a catalog search from the Secondary navigation link, “Movies.”
Before entering a search term, it appears that my search results will be filtered by format to DVD, Online Video, and VHS Video results.
However, once I entered a search term, in this case “harry potter,” no filters were applied to the results. In fact, their first recommendation is a book!
In reality, when I launched a search this way, my results were not filtered by format.
So what’s the point of those five secondary navigation links?
The Search Functions
As we have seen, the BPL has two ways to search. In this section, I will be utilizing task flows and heuristic analyses to explore both the Catalog and General Searches.
The Catalog Search
The process for utilizing the Catalog Search is more or less the same as you learned from your school librarian. Enter a search term, then filter the results for specificity.
It’s a relatively elegant process that gives you recourse to make corrections at every stage if you’re not happy with the results.
Reviewing the Results
Which brings up another issue — the appearance and application of the filters themselves.
The General Search
A General Search brings you to this Green Results Page. It is not a distinct page, but an overlay.
The General Search seems like a great tool. The BPL website has so many offerings above and beyond just borrowable materials, it makes sense that they’d have a search tool above and beyond just the catalog.
It’s much more streamlined than the catalog search — more like the search bar you’d find on any eCommerce site, with no filters to apply. The results are displayed on a more streamlined manner, as well.
But what happens if you don’t get the results you wanted on your first try?
It’s a much more complicated process that, in many cases, requires abandoning the General Search altogether for the Catalog Search. However, there’s no direct link from the Green Results Screen to a catalog search. You have to close the Green Results Screen and start the process anew.
Heuristic Analysis
I applied Abby Covert's 10-point method to analyze the heuristics of both search functions. In the case of the Catalog Search, evaluated the Catalog Search page as well as the results page. For the General Search, I analyzed the Green Results Screen.
Click to review complete heuristic analysis, with detailed recommendations.
The majority of the significant problems had to do with color contrast ratios, the application of filters, consistency of results, and navigability to and from results pages.
Possible solutions could include:
Reconsidering color selection and font size to be AA compliant, particularly the widely used shades blue (HEX #2196f3) and green (HEX #65c570) against white
Allowing users to apply more than one filter at a time
Retaining previously selected filters when search is refreshed or new filters added
Reformatting General Search results as a distinct, navigable page, replacing the current Green Screen Overlay
I will explore these solutions further after incorporating the results of my usability tests, below.
The User Experience
Who is the user?
With over 700,000 active cardholders, BPL is one of the largest public library systems in the country. They make it their mission to serve mission to serve Brooklynites from all economic standings, ages, and cultural backgrounds.
“Brooklyn Public Library is among the borough’s most democratic civic institutions, serving patrons in every neighborhood and from every walk of life.”
Given BPL’s explicit commitment to diversity, I elected not to create a persona for this exploration.
Screener Survey
Nonetheless, users of BPL’s search functions have at least a few things in common:
They live in a city (Brooklyn)
They want to borrow something from the library
They use digital tools to find a book, movie, ebook, etc.
In devising a user survey, I sought to screen for the following traits of behaviors:
Based in a city
Uses their public library
Searches for reading materials online
24
Survey Responses
11
Suitable Candidates
5
Individual Selected
I prioritized demographic diversity across education, gender, and ethnic identities when selecting individuals for usability testing.
Usability Tests
I devised the tasks below to explore two main concepts:
What path would users choose when searching for information?
How easily would they be able to apply filters to their search results?
SCENARIO
You’re looking for something to read, but need some inspiration.
TASK 1
See if an author you like has published anything you haven’t read yet.
TASK 2
See if a digital version of one of those books is available now.
One particularly interesting finding: the average user’s satisfaction rating was 3.8/5, despite the fact that none were able to complete either task on the first attempt. This might be due to the fact that the users are self-described “readers.”
Participants were likely already familiar with navigating the traditional catalog search by applying filters
They were also tolerant of “circumnavigating” to get where they want from the wrong results
The Usability Report
I compiled the findings from both user testing and heuristic analyses into a consolidated usability report.
Recommendations
Secondary Navigation
The information architecture should be streamlined, with fewer secondary navigation options.
Build format-specific pages for the links under “Borrow” (books, movies, etc.) to house and highlight library offerings.
Ensure that the search pages launched from the format-specific pages are utilizing the appropriate filters.
General Search
Make the General Search results a distinct, navigable page, eliminating the Green Results overlay that is currently used.
Include links to the Catalog Search, so that users have a recourse if they don’t get the results they wanted.
Include “Did you mean…” prompt.
Filters
Improve visibility of active filters.
Ensure that previously selected filters are retained when new criteria is added and/or page is refreshed.
Enable users to add more than one filter at a time.
Clarify terminology around availability, adding a distinct filter for “Available for Check Out.”
The secondary navigation links could lead to format-specific pages, housing relevant library offerings along with a Catalog Search bar.
General Search results should be a distinct, navigable page, while maintaining the original streamlined appearance.
Catalog Search results should feature more prominent filters, while streamlining the appearance of the catalog offerings.
Lastly, a small but meaningful suggestion — the colors of BPL’s logo should be tweaked ever so slightly for accessibility to meet AA color contrast standards.
Parting Thoughts
I really loved doing this work. Figuring out how all the search modifiers worked, exploring user flows, devising usability tests, and performing heuristic analyses — it’s all the puzzle-solving that drew me to UX in the first place.
UPDATE
As of January 2021, BPL has actually enacted some of the changes I’d recommended!
The secondary navigation links now send you format-specific pages that include tabs for related library offerings like “Events.”
The General Search results are now a distinct, navigable page, with easier access points to the catalog search.
The Catalog Search filters are more prominent, replacing the checkboxes with pill buttons and allowing users to filter for “Available Now” along with other, more intuitive filters (like age appropriateness).
Their logo is now monochromatic.