Milner Library is pleased to unveil a new search box design on the library’s homepage just in time for the spring 2023 semester. Replacing the tabbed search box, the new design features a single box that defaults to searching “Everything”: the physical items you’ll find in the library, books from I-Share libraries, and digital resources like eBooks, articles, and streaming media.
Users still have the option to search a smaller subset of materials: using the dropdown, you can limit to the library catalog (physical materials in the library like books, print journals, and government documents, as well as eBooks), articles (digital newspaper, magazine, and journal articles), course reserves (materials placed on reserve by instructors and found at the Milner Library Access Services desk), and all I-Share libraries (materials in the library catalog, as well as requestable books from I-Share Libraries). These are the same options that were previously available.
The new design highlights links to our Database A-Z List, Library Guides, and Library Accounts to increase their visibility. To inform this new design, Data Services Librarian Chad Kahl and Instructional Design Librarian Lindsey Skaggs conducted two rounds of usability testing, talking with students, faculty, and staff about their experiences searching for resources on the library’s site. Overwhelmingly, participants preferred the new design, and we hope you’ll find it easier to use, too!
If you have any questions about the search box, contact Lindsey Skaggs at lsskagg@ilstu.edu.
