librarysociety

Criteria for using a Web Service at Your Library

Page history last edited by Tim 1 yr ago

I'm doing a presentation for the Canadian Health Libraries Association, and I want to come up with a list of things to evaluate when considering a web 2.0 tool for use in a library. I encourage anyone to add or subtract to this list.

Criterion	Things to Consider	Examples
Value to user	are your users already familiar with technology? is there something obvious about the service that will fulfill a user need? are people talking positively about the service? Who is the likely target of the service, and does that target mesh with library clientele?
Interface	will a new user find it easy to get around the site? do the colours, layout etc suit the image you wish to portray about your library? Can you change the way the product looks?
Ease of Use	Is it easy to get an account? Do the help files explain things very well? Are there help files?
Internal Capacity	will you or another staff member be able to learn this service easily? are there training tools, tutorials etc. for this tool? is the scope of the potential service managable for your library?
Fun-factor	Is this service going to make people happy? Will staff enjoy using the service? Will people want to play with this "just because it's fun?"
Relevance to Mission	Is the service "dumb" in the context of your library's service? will you easily be able to justify the service in context of your library's mission? Are there plenty of out-of-context or annoying ads on the service?
Social Benefits	How easy will it be for users to tell their friends about the service? Does the service connect your institution to its users in some unique way? Does the service connect users to other users? How will users and/or staff collaborate with this tool?
The Change Factor	Will this product bring about positive changes in the culture of my organization? Can I use this to cultivate innovation in my workplace?
Openness	Is there an "Api" (application program interface) so you can create modules or mashups from the data? How are the help files? Does the company encourage feedback on the service, and respond openly to new ideas? Is there a development/support wiki and/or discussion forum for the product?
Transparency	Is there a privacy statement and does it makes clear sense? Are the terms of service reasonable? Do they resemble the terms provided by other well-known services? Are there any examples of wording that are 1) unclear, 2) ominous, or 3) spooky?

I will let you stick this where you want to (no humor intended), but to me the most important criteria is this: Are your customers/patrons using it? Usability and a lot of the other criteria list come in a distant second to this. If the folks are not there it does not matter how relevant it is to the library's mission, or if the customer is getting any "real" value from the service (who are we to decided what has value to our customers), if it has any redeeming social benefits, or if it is covered in purple polka dots. Libraries should be focused on servicing their customer where they are, not turning up their noses at ""MySpace"". – Tim K. (sorry for foaming at the mouth.