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Hybrid Electronic Access and Delivery in the Library Networked Environment

LBS HeadLine Personal Information Environment (PIE) User Questionnaire

HeadLine: project to develop a hybrid library system - the HeadLine Personal Information Environment (PIE). The PIE uses portal-type technology to present an information environment that is personalised to the user's needs and allows user customisation.


Welcome to the Second HeadLine questionnaire

Please take a few minutes to complete this brief questionnaire. The responses that you give will contribute to the final evaluation of this pilot system and will help us to improve its design. The first 5 respondents with a correctly entered email address will receive a £15 Amazon book/music voucher. The deadline for questionnaire responses is Monday the 9th July 2001.

If you cannot answer a particular question then please just move on to the next.

At the end of the form is a button that will send the questionnaire and a button to clear it if you make any mistakes. All the individual responses to any of the questions will be kept confidential, and only the combined processed information from all of the questionnaires will be made publicly available.

My email address is

I would like to receive the results of the evaluation.



  1. What is your main role in the LBS?

  2. If you are a Student then please indicate which programme you are on.
    If you are not a Student then please go on to the next question.

  3. If you are a member of Academic staff, or a Researcher then please indicate which research centre you belong to.
    If you are not a member of Academic staff or a Researcher then please go to the next question.

  4. Where have you accessed the PIE from? Please tick the appropriate box(es).
    On campus (shared PC)
    On campus (personal PC)
    At home
    Other - Please state:

  5. How many times have you used the PIE?

    1
    2-5
    6-9
    10-19
    20+
    If you have only used the PIE once then please say why:

  6. What would encourage you to use the PIE more frequently?


  7. How often do you use the following resources?
    Everyday 3-4 times per week 1-2 times per week 1-2 times per month 1-11 times per year Never
    The LBS Library web pages (http://www.london.edu/library/)
    The Library Catalogue (http://webcat.lbs.ac.uk/uhtbin/webcat)
    The Forum (http://forum.london.edu)

  8. If you weren't sure which resource(s) to use to find some information (e.g. for an assignment or for a research project) then where would you go to first?

    The Forum
    The HeadLine PIE
    The Library Catalogue
    A member of Library staff
    Other - please say where:

  9. Which of the following do you prefer to use when looking for information?

    The Forum
    The HeadLine PIE
    The Library Catalogue
    A member of Library staff
    Other - please state:

  10. Please indicate how often you have used the following PIE pages.
    10+ times 6-9 times 2-5 times Once Never
    Your default page (named using your email alias, e.g. "r.j.smith's page")
    HeadLine All Resources
    Finance and Accounting
    Customisation page
    Help pages

  11. Please indicate how often you have used the following PIE functions.
    10+ times 6-9 times 2-5 times Once Never
    Added resources to your default page
    Changed the name of your default page
    Added your own weblinks to your default page
    Created additional PIE pages
    Shared pages with other PIE users
    Searched for resources contained within the PIE database

  12. Please indicate how you useful you think following PIE functions are.
    Very useful Useful Not useful No opinion
    Add resources to your default page
    Change the name of your default page
    Add your own weblinks to your default page
    Create additional PIE pages
    Share pages with other PIE users
    Search for resources contained within the PIE database
    Available from off campus

  13. Are there any additional functions that you would like the PIE to include?

    Parallel searching within resources (searching more than one resource at once)
    Merged and deduplicated (parallel) search results lists
    Seamless access to resources contained within the PIE (so that once logged into the PIE you can access restricted resources without having to enter a username and password)
    Threaded discussion/chat area on particluar pages (e.g. on shared pages, subject pages, pages set up for particular courses)
    Current awareness services (e.g. for particular resources or web links)
    Reference linking
    Document delivery service
    Import links from your web browser's favorites/bookmarks to your PIE
    Export links from your PIE to your web browser's favorites/bookmarks
    Export search results in bibliographic format
    Search web search engines from within the PIE search interface
    Other - Please state:

    If you have searched for resources contained within the PIE database then please answer the following questions, otherwise please go to Question 18.

  14. What types of resources have you searched for?


  15. Have you ever saved a search to your default page?

    Yes - Please say how many times you have saved a search:

    No - Please say why you haven't saved a search:

  16. Do you think that the search functionality could be improved?

    Yes - Please say what could be improved:

    No

  17. Do you think that the search interface could be improved?

    Yes - Please say what could be improved:

    No

  18. The PIE currently displays all resource locations (e.g. web location cd locationshelf location windows location) whether or not they are accessible to you from your current location. For example when you are using the PIE from home then you are presented with resource locations which are restricted to use on campus only (such as CD-Roms) aswell as resource locations that are available for you to use from home. Restricted resources are currently 'greyed' out. Please check the box(es) below against the statement(s) that you agree with:
    I like to be able to see all resource locations, whether or not they are available to me from my current location.
    I would prefer not to be shown resource locations that are unavailable to me.
    I would like to be able to select whether or not restricted resource locations are shown to me. [We could perhaps add an option to the customise page which enables you to select whether or not to see restricted resource locations]

    Please use the text-box to provide any comments on the PIE's provision of restricted resource locations:

  19. Please rate the PIE interface in terms of response times.

    Very good
    Good
    Satisfactory
    Poor
    Very poor
    No opinion

    Use this box to provide us with your comments on the response times that you experienced.

  20. How do you rate the PIE's functionality overall?

    Very good
    Good
    Satisfactory
    Poor
    Very poor
    No opinion

    Please use the box to add any comments.


  21. Prior to completing this questionnaire you should have completed a list of tasks. Please let us know whether you had any problems when using the PIE to complete these tasks.

    Yes - Please describe the problems that you had:

    No

  22. Are you going to continue using the PIE in future?

    Yes

    No - Please say why not:

  23. Please use the box below to make any further comments.

Thank you for your time.

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