User Interface Task Group
Meeting of October 2, 2007

Present: Cindy Todd (Co-chair), Laura Wrubel, Heidi Hansen, Janet Evander (notetaker), Sean Henry, Susan Wheeler (Co-chair), Lenore England, Linda Seguin

Topic 1: MetaLib 4 discussion.
Janet reported on the recent usability testing of Research Port screen concepts. Students responded well to the simpler interface, but there were some issues the usability team discovered during testing. Those issues are detailed in the report for this test. Based on the usability test findings, discussions with the UITG screen subgroup, and members of ITD who will implement the new design, Janet created some revised screen concepts. The members of UITG agreed that ITD should move forward with implementing the concepts shown in the screen designs.

Topic 2: Review of Change Requests.
Heidi reviewed the Catalog change requests that she has completed and those that are still outstanding. The discussion produced the following outcomes:

• Heidi will move the new Preferences link (and associated text) into the live Catalog and she will add a “Back to My Account” link to the Preferences page.
• In “My Account” this text appears: “Your contact information. Please notify library service desk if your information needs updating.” How do users know who to notify (in person, by telephone, via e-mail)? Lenore will contact RSTG and request a list of contact information for each campus. Heidi will then create a new page listing all the campus contacts and link to the new page from “My Account”
• The Catalog has confusing language regarding save/e-mail. We should revisit this and develop clearer language.
• We need to consolidate Wiki screens so all the outstanding change requests are in one place. Who will do this?

Topic 3: Response to Kat Ryner and Serials Record Study Group.
We received a request that included this, “… I ask for your assistance in providing anecdotal information on the impact of multiple-serial-records-for-the-same-title (regardless of format) in the catalog on users. If you have any stories to share with me, please do so by October 5

Cindy will draft a response and post it on the UITG Wiki. The response will indicate that we have already discussed this issue and recommended single serial records in the catalog. The response may also reference rounds 4 and 5 of the usability reports for “Electronic Resources in the Catalog, including Find It.”

Topic 4: Report on Task Chairs meeting.
Susan reported on the recent Task Chairs meeting. Topics covered at the meeting included travel guidelines, communication between task groups and CLD, how ITD priorities are set, and the December due date for task group work plans and annual reports (we will receive templates for these). It was also noted that system librarians will not serve as chairs of task groups, but will be active participants.

CLD’s top three priorities are related to patron privacy, reporting, and Metalib 4.

Topic 5: Authorities.
While authorities was not listed by CLD as a top priority, it is part of UITG’s work list. The group reviewed the Authorities Task List (from September 2006) on the UITG Wiki and determined that it is still accurate. Heidi will create a version 18 test environment for authorities as the first step in returning to this project.

Future topic: UITG work plan.
Cindy asked all to review “What’s Next for the Catalog?” in our minutes of August 7, 2007 on the UITG Wiki as a way to start thinking about developing our work plan due in December

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