| Abstract: | ABSTRACT Academic libraries customize, support, and provide access to myriad information systems, each with complex graphical user interfaces. The number of possible information entry points on an academic library Web site is both daunting to the end-user and consistently challenging to library Web site designers. Faced with the challenges inherent in designing online search interfaces and the ever-growing amount of resources available online, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries sought to explore how to build effective search interfaces that, at the same time, support a wide variety of computer users and provide comprehensive access to assorted collections of electronic resources. Over a nine-month period, the libraries designed, implemented, and tracked the usage of two different search interfaces on their home page. Each interface allowed users to choose between four different search targets. In this case study, the authors discuss the complexities of designing search interfaces, outline findings from the nine-month study, evaluate the effectiveness of the two interface designs, and talk about future research in these areas. |
