Digital library usability research often does little to
develop the capacity of users or improve social outcomes
associated with use. These research consequences, however,
are important when users represent marginalized members
of society, such as the poor and people of color. Drawing
on the tenets of participatory action research and the notion
of a “community of inquiry” as developed in the
philosophy of John Dewey and Charles S. Peirce, we
discuss usability research as a democratic and collaborative
process in which all digital library stakeholders can learn
from each other. Our “participative inquiry” approach to
the design and evaluation of digital libraries is grounded in
two empirical research projects: 1) the development of a
digital library of health information for African American
women; and 2) the creation of a digital library that is itself
devoted to inquiry-based learning.
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