University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Designing Effective Instructional Brochures for Online Catalogs

Arends, Mark

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/1248

Description

Title
Designing Effective Instructional Brochures for Online Catalogs
Author(s)
Arends, Mark
Issue Date
1985
Keyword(s)
  • Libraries --Automation
  • Library personnel management
  • Online library catalogs
  • Library catalogs and users
Abstract
Computerized catalogs are becoming a standard feature in libraries today. The question of how extensively computers will, should, or can economically be used will not be answered for a long time, however. Currently online catalogs, material management, billing, interlibrary loans, and, in some places, electronic information services are being installed across the country and, as with all new systems, computerization is creating some problems for users particularly in how to use the computer to locate materials. The immediate solution to this problem is to provide printed instructional materials for the user. I have looked at a good sampling of instructional folders for using library computer systems. By and large the content is good and the systems they describe are user friendly. However, there is a common problem with the visual presentation and readability of the information. I would like to show some examples, discuss where problems occur, and then suggest some guidelines for producing more effective literature. Probably the best solution to the problem of user instruction is to have the computer do the work by displaying step-by-step instructions along with a menu on a touch-sensitive screen. This will not eliminate the need for printed instructions but those that are needed will not be so vital to the system and, therefore, the design demands will be less critical.
Publisher
Graduate School of Library and Information Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Series/Report Name or Number
Clinic on Library Applications of Data Processing (22nd : 1985)
ISSN
0069-4789
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/1248
Copyright and License Information
Copyright owned by Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1985.

Owning Collections

1985: Human aspects of library automation : helping staff and patrons cope PRIMARY
22nd Clinic on Library Applications of Data Processing (1985). Edited by Debora Shaw.