User Navigation in Large-Scale Distributed Digital Libraries: The Case of the Digital Public Library of America

This article presents the findings of a case study that examined user navigation in a large-scale digital library in the context of academic use. Using the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) as a case, the study explored user navigation and understanding of a distributed model of large-scale d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of web librarianship Vol. 11; no. 3-4; pp. 157 - 171
Main Author Matusiak, Krystyna K.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Routledge 02.10.2017
Taylor & Francis LLC
Subjects
Case studies
case study
Digital libraries
Digital Public Library of America
discovery of digital collections
information behavior
large-scale digital libraries
Public libraries
User behavior
user studies
United States > US
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Summary:This article presents the findings of a case study that examined user navigation in a large-scale digital library in the context of academic use. Using the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) as a case, the study explored user navigation and understanding of a distributed model of large-scale digital libraries. The DPLA model involves two- or three-step navigation pathways. Most study participants could navigate the DPLA distributed, multilayered system effectively. This study found some confusion among the participants when they must move through a three-step process to locate digital objects provided by a metadata aggregator service hub. The study participants also pointed out the advantages of a distributed model in collocating digital resources and connecting users to a wide range of digital libraries.
ISSN:1932-2909
1932-2917
DOI:10.1080/19322909.2017.1356257