Year 1 (September 2021 - June 2022)

International Students’
Experiences with Online
Library Services

International Students’ Experiences with
Online Library Services
Report prepared by:
Caitlin Ratcliffe, MLIS, AHIP
Rachel Owen, BA
Sona Macnaughton, MLIS
Teneil Vuori, MLIS

Executive Summary
In 2021-2022, the Library conducted two surveys and one-on-one observations (“think-aloud
testing”) with international students at Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP). This report presents the
results of the two surveys and the observations. The report concludes with a list of
recommendations to continue supporting international students at RDP.

Introduction
Given the increase in international students attending Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), it is
important that the Library's spaces and services adequately support these international
students. We aim to develop inclusive and welcoming spaces and services to support
international students at RDP Library. This is a two-year project. In Year 1 (2021-22), we
assessed the Library's online services; in Year 2 (2022-23), we are assessing the Library's inperson spaces and services. This two-year project is included on the Division of Student
Success' Operational Plan.
For Year 1, we had the following research questions:
1. What online library services do international students use?
2. To what extent are international students satisfied with the Library’s online resources
and services?
3. What changes can the Library make to ensure international students feel supported and
included online?
4. What changes can the Library make to improve the user experience of international
students?
To address these research questions, the working group conducted two surveys, one in Fall
2021 and one in Winter 2022, and one-on-one observations (“think-aloud testing”) in Winter
2022. This report presents the findings from Year 1 and includes a list of recommendations.

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Survey Methods
Survey Administration
Fall 2021 Survey
In November 2021, a survey was distributed via the International Office’s distribution list to 263
registered international students. Upon completion of the survey, students could enter a draw
for one of two $25 gift cards to the Campus Store. Please see Appendix A for a copy of the Fall
2021 survey questions.
Winter 2022 Survey
In April 2022, a survey was distributed via the International Office’s distribution list to 323
registered international students. Upon completion of the survey, students could enter a draw
for one of five $15 gift cards to the Campus Store. Please see Appendix B for a copy of the
Winter 2022 survey questions.

Survey Respondents
Fall 2021 Survey
The Fall 2021 survey received 30 responses, representing five countries of citizenship (Figure
1). Most respondents had been studying at Red Deer Polytechnic for less than one term (Figure
2) and had resided in Canada for less than five months (Figure 3).
Winter 2022 Survey
The Winter 2022 survey received 43 responses, representing at least four countries of
citizenship (Figure 1). Most respondents had been studying at Red Deer Polytechnic for 1-2
terms (Figure 2) and had resided in Canada for less than one year (Figure 3).
Most respondents to the Winter 2022 survey were enrolled in the Early Learning and Child Care
diploma or the Business Administration diploma (Table 1). The majority of respondents reported
they had not been in a class or workshop taught by a librarian (Figure 4).
Figure 1
Survey Respondents by Country of Citizenship

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Figure 2
Survey Respondents by Length of Time at Red Deer
Polytechnic

Figure 3
Survey Respondents by Length of Time Living in
Canada

Table 1
Winter 2022 Survey Respondents by Program

Figure 4
Winter 2022 Survey Respondents by Library Instruction

Program

Responses

Early Learning and Child Care Diploma

13

Business Administration Diploma

10

Management Certificate

5

Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences

2

Practical Nurse Diploma

2

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

1

Electrical Engineering Technology Diploma

1

General Management Diploma

1

Legal Assistant Diploma

1

University Arts Diploma

1

University Sciences Diploma

1

University Transfer: Bachelor of Science
Pre-Professional - Medicine

1

Prefer not to say

5

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Survey Results
The surveys focused on four primary areas: accessing the Library’s online services, contacting
the Library, using the Library’s online resources, and suggestions for increased supports.

Accessing the Library’s Online Services
There are several different ways to access the Library’s online services, including the Library’s
website (LibGuides), the Library’s page on the institution’s website, the Library’s page on
TheLoop, and the Library’s automatic integration into Blackboard courses. Overall, respondents
reported accessing the Library through an even distribution of these platforms (Figure 5).
Figure 5
Accessing the Library’s Online Services

If respondents selected “I don’t use the Library online,” they were asked to provide a reason
why:
Fall 2021:
● 5 respondents selected “I prefer to go to the Library in-person”
Winter 2022:
● 5 respondents selected “I prefer to go to the Library in-person”
● 1 respondent selected “I don’t need to use the Library”

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Contacting the Library
In both surveys, respondents reported a preference for contacting the Library via the proactive
chat feature or by email (Figure 6).
Figure 6
Contacting the Library Online

If respondents selected “I don’t use the Library online,” they were asked to provide a reason
why:
Fall 2021:
● 4 respondents selected “I prefer to go to the Library in-person”
Winter 2022:
● 6 respondents selected “I prefer to go to the Library in-person”
● 1 respondent selected “I don’t need to use the Library”

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Using the Library’s Online Resources
Overall, respondents reported using a wide variety of resources. In both surveys, the most-used
resource was the citation guides, followed by OneSearch (Figure 7). Overall, respondents
reported high levels of satisfaction with these resources.
Figure 7
Using the Library’s Online Resources

For each online resource selected, respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale
from “1 - very dissatisfied” to “4 - very satisfied.”
Fall 2021:
● Every resource received a rating of “4 - very satisfied” or “3 - satisfied,” with one
exception; in this survey, the Library’s FAQ resource received one rating of “2 dissatisfied”
Winter 2022:
● Every resource received a rating of “4 - very satisfied” or “3 - satisfied”
If respondents selected “I don’t use the Library online,” they were asked to provide a reason
why:
Fall 2021:
● 5 respondents selected “I prefer to go to the Library in-person”
Winter 2022
● 6 respondents selected “I prefer to go to the Library in-person”

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Suggestions
Both surveys included two open-ended questions:
●
●

“As an international student, what changes can we make to help you feel supported
online?”
“As an international student, what changes can we make to help you feel included
online?”

While the researchers saw important nuances between the two questions, these nuances were
not reflected in the open-ended responses. Consequently, the open-ended responses to both
questions were combined and coded thematically (Table 2). The most common request was for
more resources, especially resources required in courses.
Table 2
Open-Ended Survey Responses by Theme
Theme

Fall 2021

Winter 2022

Requests for more resources
(including books, e-books, journals, and required
course resources)

10

8

Requests for additional education
(including classes, workshops, and asynchronous
resources such as LibGuides)

7

8

Requests for improved UX

2

3

Requests for increased communication from the
Library

1

5

Requests for increased hours

2

3

Requests for social learning opportunities

1

3

Other requests

4

3

Positive comments

18

19

Other comments

2

1

Please see Appendix C for a complete copy of the open-ended responses by theme.
It is worth noting that several requests are for existing services; for example, a respondent from
the Fall 2021 survey commented ““I think there should be some formatting and APA online
guidance seminar or something like that.” As RDP Library has a variety of APA-related online
resources, this comment implies a need for additional outreach and increased communication
from the Library about existing services.

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Preferred Types of Support
Given the number of requests for additional education in the Fall 2021 survey responses, the
Winter 2022 survey included a question regarding preferred types of support (Figure 8). The
most-preferred type of support was online, self-paced tutorials, followed by YouTube videos.
Respondents also indicated a strong preference for workshops (not associated with a course)
and classes (included in a course).
Figure 8
Preferred Types of Support

Other:
● “one on one online workshop with a librarian to walk through how to make the most out
of our online library resources would be nice”

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Think-Aloud Testing Methods
Think-aloud testing is a widely employed usability method. During think-aloud testing, an
observer asks a participant to complete a series of tasks. As they complete these tasks, the
participant is encouraged to continuously verbalize their thoughts and articulate their
understanding of the user interface. Think-aloud testing enables the observer to directly observe
participants’ misconceptions and sources of confusion.

Think-Aloud Testing Administration
Between February 22 and March 4, 2022, eight in-person observations were conducted at Red
Deer Polytechnic Library. Each participant received a $15 gift card to the Campus Store. During
this testing, participants were first asked demographic questions and then led through a series
of tasks using the Library’s website. Please see Appendix D for a copy of the demographic
questions and the task list.

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Think-Aloud Testing Respondents
The eight participants represented three countries of citizenship (Figure 9) and six programs at
Red Deer Polytechnic (Figure 10). Most participants had been studying at Red Deer Polytechnic
for less than one term (Figure 11) and had resided in Canada for less than four months (Figure
12).
Figure 9
Think-Aloud Testing Participants by Country of
Citizenship

Figure 10
Think-Aloud Testing Participants by Program

Figure 11
Think-Aloud Testing Participants by Length of Time
Studying at Red Deer Polytechnic

Figure 12
Think-Aloud Testing Participants by Length of Time
Living in Canada

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Think-Aloud Testing Results
Participants were asked to complete eight tasks. For each task, the observers noted the website
used to complete the task, the ease of completion for each participant, and any sources of
difficulty. Please see Appendix E for a complete copy of the aggregate think-aloud testing
results.

Website Used to Complete Tasks
Participants were reset to a neutral starting point (https://www.google.ca) between each task.
Since there are several ways to access the Library’s online services, the observers tracked the
website used to complete each task (Figure 13). Overall, the Library’s website
(https://www.guides.rdpolytech.ca) was the most-used website.
Figure 13
Aggregate Use of Website

Notably, many participants used the Library’s webpage on the Red Deer Polytechnic website
(https://rdpolytech.ca/student-services/library) for the initial tasks. When participants
experienced frustration using the RDP website, they switched to consistently using the Library’s
website instead. When asked about this switch, one participant observed that the Library’s
website appeared “more specific.”

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Task 1: Find Library Hours
The first task required participants to find the Library’s opening hours for the following day.
Every participant completed the first task (Figure 14).
Figure 14
Task 1: Ease of Completion

Task 2: Book a Study Room in the Library
The second task required participants to book a study room in the Library for the following day.
Most participants completed the second task (Figure 15).
Figure 15
Task 2: Ease of Completion

Four participants expressed confusion between “Book Appointment” and “Book Space.” One
participant commented: “It took time to know about the word space.”
Three participants used the Library webpage on the RDP website for this task. All three
participants struggled to complete the task using this page.

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Task 3: Schedule an Appointment with the ESL Tutor
The third task required participants to schedule an appointment with the English as a Second
Language (ESL) Tutor for the following day. Every participant completed the third task (Figure
16).
Figure 16
Task 3: Ease of Completion

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Task 4a: Find a Physical Book
The fourth task required participants to find specific books. The first book was a physical item
located on the Library’s shelves: The Social Media Revolution by Jarice Hanson. Participants
were first prompted to find the book in the Library’s catalogue. Once found, participants were
asked how they would read this book.
This was the most challenging task in the think-aloud testing. Although most participants
successfully found the book’s catalogue record, the majority of participants could not identify the
location of the physical book (Figure 17).
Figure 17
Task 4a: Ease of Completion

Of the five participants who could not locate the physical book, all five participants saw the
item’s call number and shelf location (“Floor 2”) in the catalogue record but did not understand
it.
Five participants assumed the book was electronic and attempted to access it through other
links in the catalogue record. Another participant successfully identified that they could use the
item’s call number and shelf location to locate the physical book, but then added that they would
use “the accession number to access online [an e-book version].” There is no e-book version of
this book.

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Task 4b: Find an e-Book
The fourth task required participants to find specific books. The second book was an e-book
licensed by the Library: Education: A Search for New Principles by Herbert Phillipson.
Participants were first prompted to find the book in the Library’s catalogue. Once found,
participants were asked how they would read this book.
Every participant completed this task (Figure 18). However, it is worth noting that several
participants spent a substantial amount of time scanning the catalogue record before identifying
the correct link.
Figure 18
Task 4b: Ease of Completion

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Task 5: Find an Article
The fifth task required participants to find an article in their subject area. The majority of
participants did not complete the fifth task (Figure 19).
Figure 19
Task 5: Ease of Completion

For this task, six participants used OneSearch and two participants used a subject-specific
database. The six participants who used OneSearch encountered several note-worthy
challenges:
●
●
●

All six participants struggled to differentiate between books, articles, and other sources
in OneSearch
Two participants thought the Subject Term links (in the OneSearch catalogue record)
should provide full-text access
Two participants correctly identified the Full Text Finder, but could not successfully use it
to access the full text of an article

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Task 6: Find a Subject Guide
The sixth task required participants to find the subject guide for their area of study. The majority
of participants completed the sixth task (Figure 20).
Figure 20
Task 6: Ease of Completion

During this task, four participants initially passed over the Subject Guides button on the Library’s
website. When prompted, one participant explained that they did not realize the button was
clickable due to the cursor’s behaviour.
At the conclusion of the sixth task, four participants asked for an explanation of the subject
guides.

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Task 7: Asking for Help
The seventh task prompted participants to ask for help. The most common answer was the chat
feature on the Library’s website.
Figure 20
Task 7: Service Identified

Four participants noted that they have not used the chat feature before but are aware of its
existence because of the chat’s proactive behaviour.

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Recommendations
Based on the two surveys and the think-aloud testing results, the authors have three
recommendations:

1. Increase access to required course resources.
The open-ended responses in the Fall 2021 survey and the Winter 2022 survey indicate
a strong desire for increased access to required course resources. There are several
ways to accomplish this access:
a. Add more required textbooks to the reserve collection, especially for
programs with increased international student enrolment.
b. Encourage instructors to adopt zero-textbook cost (ZTC) resources and
Open Educational Resources (OER).

2. Increase information literacy instruction.
The open-ended responses in the Fall 2021 survey and the Winter 2022 survey as well
as the think-aloud testing observations indicate a need for increased information literacy
instruction. There are several opportunities to offer increased instruction to international
students:
a. Incorporate information literacy classes into programs with increased
international student enrolment.
b. Incorporate information literacy-related outcomes into pre-arrival content,
such as the International Office’s Foundations for Success preparatory modules.
c. Offer more optional drop-in workshops. Although optional workshops are
historically under-attended, the Winter 2022 survey indicates that this is a
preferred method for learning more about the Library. These workshops should
be offered in collaboration with the International Office.

3. Improve user experience (UX) on the Library’s various online
platforms.
The open-ended responses in the Fall 2021 survey and the Winter 2022 survey as well
as the think-aloud testing observations demonstrated several common difficulties that
international students experienced when accessing the Library’s online services.
a. Redesign the Library’s webpage on the Red Deer Polytechnic website to be
more aligned with the Library’s website. Throughout the think-aloud testing
observations, many participants struggled to complete the tasks using the
Library’s webpage on the Red Deer Polytechnic website
(https://rdpolytech.ca/student-services/library). These participants did not
experience similar challenges when using the Library’s website
(https://guides.rdpolytech.ca).

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b. Redesign the buttons on the home page of the Library’s website. In the sixth
task of the think-aloud testing, four participants initially passed over the Subject
Guides button on the home page of the Library’s website. When prompted, one
participant explained that the cursor did not behave in the way they expected.
c. Change “Book Space” to “Book Study Room” on all websites. In the second
task of the think-aloud testing, four participants expressed confusion between
“Book Appointment” and “Book Space.” One participant commented: “It took time
to know about the word space.”
d. Investigate possible changes to the OneSearch interface.
In the fourth and fifth tasks of the think-aloud testing, the majority of participants
struggled to understand the OneSearch interface. It is worth noting that the
majority of the participants in the think-aloud testing had been studying at RDP
for less than one term, so increased information literacy instruction may provide
support for these issues. However, these challenges are not unique to
international students and are likely experienced by the majority of students
beginning their studies at RDP. Similarly, a few of the open-ended responses in
the Fall 2021 survey and the Winter 2022 survey specifically highlight a need for
improving the user experience (UX) when searching for resources such as
books.
Given the prominence of OneSearch, there is value in investigating what
changes could be made to make this discovery system friendlier to first-time
users.

Contact
For more information about this study, please contact Caitlin Ratcliffe at
caitlin.ratcliffe@rdpolytech.ca

Acknowledgements
This study would not have been possible without the Red Deer Polytechnic International Office’s
cooperation; the authors are very grateful for their ongoing support.
The authors would like to thank Carmen Cookson-Hills and Anne Marie Watson for their
contributions to the working group in the 2021-22 academic year. The authors would also like to
extend their gratitude to Michelle Edwards Thomson for her extensive support developing this
study.

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Appendix A
Fall 2021 Survey Questions
Page 1
1. Approximately how long have you been studying at Red Deer Polytechnic?
a. Less than 1 term
b. 1-2 terms
c. 3-4 terms
d. More than 4 terms
e. Other (fillable)
2. Approximately how long have you been in Canada? (optional)
Open-ended
3. What is your country of origin? (optional)
Open-ended
Page 2
4. How do you access the Library online? (Select all pictures that apply)
a. Library website (LibGuides)
b. Library webpage on rdpolytech.ca
c. Library webpage on The Loop
d. Library & Research page in a Blackboard course
e. I don’t use the Library online
5. Do you access the Library online any other way?
Open-ended
6. [If “I don’t use the Library online” is selected] If you do not access the Library online, why
not?
a. I prefer to go to the Library in-person
b. I don’t need to use the Library
c. Other (fillable)
Page 3
7. How do you prefer to contact the Library online? (Select all that apply)
a. Chat feature on the website
b. Text
c. Email
d. Virtual appointment
e. I don’t contact the Library online
f. Other (fillable)

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8. [If “I don’t contact the Library online” is selected] If you do not contact the Library online,
why not?
a. I prefer to go to the Library in-person
b. I don’t need to use the Library
c. Other (fillable)
Page 4
9. Which of the Library’s online services do you use? (Select all pictures that apply)
a. Subject guides
b. Citation guides
c. OneSearch
d. Subject-specific databases (e.g. CINAHL, Academic Search Complete)
e. Online tutorials (e.g. APA Fundamentals)
f. FAQ
g. RDP Library YouTube videos
10. Are there any other online Library services that you use?
Open-ended
11. Please rate your satisfaction with [only the services selected] (4 = best, 1 = worst)
Likert scale: (4) Very satisfied, (3) Satisfied, (2) Dissatisfied, (1) Very Dissatisfied
12. What changes can we make to improve your experience with the Library’s online
services?
Open-ended
13. Approximately how often do you use the Library’s online services?
a. Every day
b. A few times a week
c. A few times a month
d. A few times a semester
e. Never
f. Other (fillable)
Page 5
14. As an international student, what changes can we make to help you feel supported
online?
Open-ended
15. As an international student, what changes can we make to help you feel included
online?
Open-ended

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Appendix B
Winter 2022 Survey Questions
Page 1
1. Approximately how long have you been studying at Red Deer Polytechnic?
a. Less than 1 term
b. 1-2 terms
c. 3-4 terms
d. More than 4 terms
e. Other (fillable)
2. Approximately how long have you been in Canada? (optional)
Open-ended
3. What is your country of citizenship? (optional)
Open-ended
4. What program are you enrolled in? (optional)
Open-ended
5. Have you been in a class or workshop taught by a librarian?
a. Yes
b. No
c. I’m not sure
d. Other (fillable)
Page 2
6. How do you access the Library online? (Select all pictures that apply)
a. Library website (LibGuides)
b. Library webpage on rdpolytech.ca
c. Library webpage on The Loop
d. Library & Research page in a Blackboard course
e. I don’t use the Library online
7. Do you access the Library online any other way?
Open-ended
8. [If “I don’t use the Library online” is selected] If you do not access the Library online, why
not?
a. I prefer to go to the Library in-person
b. I don’t need to use the Library
c. Other (fillable)

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Page 3
9. How do you prefer to contact the Library online? (Select all that apply)
a. Chat feature on the website
b. Text
c. Email
d. Virtual appointment
e. I don’t contact the Library online
f. Other (fillable)
10. [If “I don’t contact the Library online” is selected] If you do not contact the Library online,
why not?
a. I prefer to go to the Library in-person
b. I don’t need to use the Library
c. Other (fillable)
Page 4
11. Which of the Library’s online resources do you use? (Select all pictures that apply)
a. Subject guides
b. Citation guides
c. OneSearch
d. Subject-specific databases (e.g. CINAHL, Academic Search Complete)
e. Online tutorials (e.g. APA Fundamentals)
f. FAQ
g. RDP Library YouTube videos
12. Are there any other online Library resources that you use?
Open-ended
13. Please rate your satisfaction with [only the services selected] (4 = best, 1 = worst)
Likert scale: (4) Very satisfied, (3) Satisfied, (2) Dissatisfied, (1) Very Dissatisfied
14. What changes can we make to improve your experience with the Library’s online
resources?
Open-ended
15. Approximately how often do you use the Library online?
a. Every day
b. A few times a week
c. A few times a month
d. A few times a term
e. Never
f. Other (fillable)

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Page 5
16. If you wanted to learn more about how to use the Library, how would you like to learn?
(Select all that apply)
a. YouTube videos
b. Online, self-paced tutorials
c. FAQ
d. Workshops (not associated with a course)
e. Classes (included in a course)
f. Other (fillable)
Page 6
17. As an international student, what changes can we make to help you feel supported
online?
Open-ended
18. As an international student, what changes can we make to help you feel included
online?
Open-ended

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Appendix C
Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 Open-Ended Survey Responses by Theme
Theme
Requests for
more resources
(including books,
e-books, journals,
and required
course resources)

Fall 2021 Responses
1. “New novels (e-books) that
we can borrow and return
online.”
2. “Well, everything is perfect
whether it is regarding
searching any book or
getting knowledge about
APA citation. I am totally
satisfied with Library online
services but in person, less
number of books and
waiting for getting book
which is on hold needs
faster speed.”
3. “More educational
materials especially in
ELCC most of it are
outdated”
4. “With growing tuition and
living costs, I hope there is
a way to loan a textbook
(e-book) from the library for
the duration of the
semester.”
5. “Access to more online
resources to support our
writing”
6. “To have more access with
books used [for] class
online.”
7. “Make books available
online”
8. “Make an international
section where we can
explore more ideas and
concepts from all over the
part of the world”
9. “Most of the sources we
can access in school we
are unable to access when
at home. If that can be
[solved] it'll be really [nice]”
10. “If we could get easy
access to ‘request loan’”

Winter 2022 Responses
1. “By not limiting the one
stop resources, some of
the journals that we would
like to access we still need
to request for library loan
and wait for few more days
to access it.”
2. “Online texts”
3. “For the video if we can
have more”
4. “free online course
textbooks we can use in a
term period”
5. “Books required by courses
should also be available in
the library.”
6. “more updated books”
7. “More books”
8. “Firstly there must be more
choices.. secondly, we
must have access to books
easily”

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Requests for
additional
education
(including
classes,
workshops, and
asynchronous
resources)

1. “Teach all the features to
new students at college
because it is hard to figure
it out”
2. “Teach me more about
online resources”
3. “Well it is hard to
understand the system in
the beginning so there
should be some [video]
guidance in the loop”
4. “Do one orientation to
provide information
regarding library that how
to access to it in easy way”
5. “Knowing more on how to
use all the features
available”
6. “I think there should be
some formatting and APA
online guidance seminar or
something like that.”
7. “Provide updates if school
books are available for
borrowing or rent.”

1. “I do not access library
online because i am not
habitual of that. So i am
taught that what resources
i am offered online i will
definitely prefer that.
College should organise a
class for international
students and teach them
about online library and
other services offered by
library.”
2. “help students by teaching
different ways on how to
look for articles, what kind
of different approaches one
can use”
3. “More online information
about the availability of
subject books required for
certain subjects.”
4. “classes or tutorials at our
own pace that are readily
avaailable for us wherever
we are”
5. “By Offering classes that
how to access online
library.”
6. “Reach out to more
international students of
the use of the library
especially when they are
looking for books and
availability related to their
programs.”
7. “Workshops and gathering
online.”
8. “It would be nice to have a
link or resource that is for
international students,
where you can sign up for
writing labs specifically for
international students. In
the beginning I struggled
with how to write good
papers, and it would be
nice to have easily
accessible resources for
international students.”

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Request for
improved UX

1. “Make it little easy to
access to library as its
[quite a] confusing
process”
2. “Just i find one difficulty in
finding the books .”

1. “Interface online some are
not user friendly. Must
have also access through
our phone or maybe an
app.”
2. “To have easily accessible
links, this makes it easier
to find the resources and
not have to click through a
lot of other links to get to
what I need.”
3. “It's so clustered that there
are several different things
at the webpage on the
same time which confuses
people so my suggestion to
make more space in the
room”

Requests for
increased
communication
from the Library

1. “Information sent through
Email directly to the
students”

1. “Sending messages via
text messages on the
updated programs of the
library”
2. “Emailed by the services
for library resources.”
3. “By updating us through
our RDC email add”
4. “Daily email through ms
outlook.”
5. “More engagement.
Probably an advertisement
or anything that can catch
our attention”

Requests for
increased hours

1. “By extending online chat
hours”
2. “24/7 fast response”

1. “More time or extend the
time.”
2. “provide more time options”
3. “Enough time”

Requests for
social learning
opportunities

1. “Mentoring”

1. “Maybe a library support
group for international
students to help us
navigate how to use online
library resources. I have
been studying in RDP for
two years and I feel like I
have not fully utilized the
services offered by the
library.”

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2. “provide native person
(same nationality)”
3. “Online library events like
zoom workshops or
trainings that focuses on
learning about culture and
diversity. As an
international student I have
my own unique culture and
I would like to share it with
other people and I am
interested to hear it from
others as well.”
Other requests

1. “Translation services?
Because sometimes it's
difficult to translate some
concepts/ideas from my
native language (Tagalog)
to English.”
2. “Optional feedbacks on
chats I think”
3. “More activities for
international students,
sessions or preparations
on what to do next after
schooling, on how to stay
here in Canada for
Permanent Residency.”
4. “As an international student
I feel we need a potion on
the library which will
understands us better in
literacy I guess”

1. “By increasing the time we
can book the room.”
2. “Always be there if we are
connected on chat .. never
leave if there is any
internet problem mean to
say never end chat ..”
3. “allow flexibility on timing if
you have classes”

Positive
comments

1. “No changes for now
because I get all and any
information at one click”
2. “I guess we are doing
excellent right now and we
don’t need to change
anything.”
3. “It's good”
4. “Well for me everything
works perfectly..”
5. "you all are already very
supportive and guide us in
all difficult situation”
6. “None as I feel supported
anytime I get to chat online

1. “Its all great”
2. “So far, Online Library
Services is accessible and
easy to use. I can't see any
more changes or
improvements needed.”
3. “NONE”
4. “I can't think of any right
now because I feel
supported online every
time I ask the library
through chat. They always
respond fast and are very
nice and friendly. They are
always able to help me

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Other comments

or make a request”
7. “We are doing good and I
won’t recommend any
changes. Everything runs
smoothly and all the staff
members are really polite
and respectful while
speaking.”
8. “I think the online helps
resolve my issue”
9. “Nothing, it's all good for
me.”
10. “Everything was good”
11. “There is nothing wrong
with your services. In fact
all the services are easy to
use. Moreover, chatting
service over there helps a
lot to students.”
12. “I haven't myself used an
online service as I prefer in
person, but in future will
sure use and explore the
online service”
13. “I feel included online due
to immediate response I
get.”
14. “I feel included already
because I get clarifications
to all my doubts online”
15. “Nothing, it's all good for
me.”
16. “I think the school is doing
a good job hosting online
mental health series and
self-development events
each month.”
17. “Everything is good .”
18. “Everything is PERFECT!”

with my studies and always
provide additional
sources.”
5. “no views . All gud.”
6. “None as of the moment
because i'm satisfied with
your service.”
7. “None. I think most of the
courses I’ve been so far
has library tutorials
included on one of the
discussion time so it was a
helpful start.”
8. “None”
9. “Well I always feel that our
college library is so
supportive because
whenever I ask them
anything they gave me
good solution that’s why I
don’t wanna change
anything .”
10. “None”
11. “None”
12. “NONE”
13. “I can't think of any right
now as I feel included
online because there are
variety ways on how I can
look thru library.”
14. “None as of the moment
because i'm satisfied with
your service.”
15. “None. So far it’s good.”
16. “All good”
17. “None”
18. “Everything is perfect, staff
is so supportive online too.”
19. “None”

1. “Maintain the best service”
2. “[Enhance] and maintain
services for all students”

1. “I always prefer in person”

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Appendix D
Think-Aloud Testing Demographic Questions and Task List
Demographic Questions
●
●
●
●

Approximately how long have you been studying at Red Deer Polytechnic?
Approximately how long have you been in Canada?
What is your country of citizenship?
What program are you enrolled in?

Task List
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.
8.

When is the Library open today?
Book a study room in the Library for tomorrow.
Schedule an appointment with the ESL Tutor.
Your instructor has provided you with a list of readings and says that you can find them
at the Library.
a. Find The Social Media Revolution by Jarice Hanson. [Once found] How would
you read this?
b. Find Education: A Search for New Principles by Herbert Phillipson. [Once found]
How would you read this?
You need articles to write an essay. Find an article in your subject area.
Every program has a “subject guide.” Find the subject guide for your program.
If you didn’t know how to do something, how would you ask for help?
Is there anything else you want to tell me?

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Appendix E
Think-Aloud Testing Aggregate Results

Task 1 - Find Library hours

Sources of Difficulty
● One participant (#1) initially Googled “Red Deer Library,” which produced results for Red Deer
Public Library. The participant quickly corrected their error, so this was likely nerves.

● One participant (#6) used TheLoop because they knew we were evaluating our websites but
commented that they would check social media (specifically Facebook) first for hours.

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Task 2 – Book a study room in the Library

Sources of Difficulty
● Four participants (#1, #2, #4, and #8) expressed confusion between “Book Appointment” and
“Book Space.” All four were able to self-correct.
o One participant (# 2) commented: “It took time to know about the word space”
● On the RDP website page, it’s hard to find “Book Space.”
o Three participants (#2, #3, and #8) spent substantial time scanning the Library page on
the RDP website.
▪ One participant (#8) never did find the “Book Space” link on this page, and
completed the task in a much more round-about way.
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o One participant (#3) searched for “Study Room” in the search bar on the RDP website
o One participant (#8) searched for “Book Appointment” in the search bar on the RDP
website

o One participant (#3) clicked on “Student Services” on the RDP website
●
●
●

One participant (#5) struggled to change the date in LibCal
One participant (#6) initially tried to book time in bulk (e.g. select the first and last time slots and
expected to get all the slots in between). Participant successfully self-corrected.
One participant (#6) commented that they previously experienced frustration with the time limit
(for booking seats specifically). This participant suggested that the time limit should be added to
the other pop-up information (“Info”) about the space.

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Task 3 – Schedule an appointment with the ESL Tutor.

Sources of Difficulty
●

One participant (#5) selected “Services” in TheLoop (rather than “Library”). This participant was
able to self-correct.

●

One participant (#7) completed this task after an extended period of time scanning the Library’s
page in TheLoop. This participant was focused on the left sidebar and scanned past the correct
link several times. This participant did find the “Tutoring” link eventually.

●

One participant (#8) searched for “Book Appointment” in the search bar on the RDP website.
The top result was related to Accessibility Services, so this participant eventually landed on
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LibGuides and was able to find “Book Appointment” in the global navigation of the Accessibility
Services Guide.

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Task 4a – Find a physical book

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Sources of Difficulty
●

●

Five participants (#1, #3, #5, #7, and #8) could not locate the physical book
o Five participants (#1, #3, #5, #7, and #8) saw the “Red Deer College | Call Number |
Floor 2” location information but did not understand it
o Two participants (#1 and #8) assumed the book was electronic and tried to find the link
under “Other Formats and Editions”
o Three participants (#5, #7, and #8) assumed the book was electronic and tried to find
the link under “Tools,” including “Save,” “Add to folder,” and “Download in RIS format.”
One participant (#4) successfully identified the Call Number/Floor 2 information to locate the
physical book, but then added that they would use “the accession number to access online [a ebook version].” There is no e-book version of this book.

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Task 4b – Find an e-book

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Sources of Difficulty
●
●

●

Two participants (#2 and #7) searched for “new principles,” which does not produce the correct
result
Two participants (#2 and #5) required mis-clicks/quite a bit of scanning to find the access link to
the full book
o One participant (#5) spent quite a bit of time scanning the OneSearch record, then
found the link to NEOS and found the link to the full book there (after several mis-clicks
to other institutions). This participant never did notice the access link in the OneSearch
record.
Two participants (#3 and #5) tried to find the access link under “Tools,” including “Save,” “Add
to folder,” and “Download in RIS format.”

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Task 5 – Find an article

*Subject-specific database:
1 found via A-Z Databases (via LibGuides Home)
1 found via A-Z Databases (via Blackboard LTI)

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Sources of Difficulty
●

●

●
●

Six participants (#1, #3, #4, #6, #7, #8) struggled to differentiate between books, articles, and
other sources in OneSearch
o Two participants (#6 and #7) did not even glance at the limiters to the left – possibly due
to ad blindness. This was consistent with Participant #5’s experience with OneSearch.
o Once I explained the difference between source types, one participant (#8) immediately
tried the limiters to the left. This participant commented that the limiters were “like
shopping online.”
One participant (#2) used the A-Z Databases list (via LibGuides Home). This participant initially
assumed this list would be organized by subject area, but quickly self-corrected and used the
filter at the top to change from “All Subjects” to their subject area.
Two participants (#1 and #6) thought the Subject Term links (in the OneSearch catalogue record)
should provide full-text access
Two participants (#1 and #6) could not successfully use Full Text Finder
o One participant (#1) thought the (correct) link looked wrong because they did not
recognize the database name
o One participant (#6) used the correct link, but could not find full text access in the new
database

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Task 6 – Find a subject guide

Sources of Difficulty
●

At the conclusion of the task, four participants (#1, #6, #7, #8) asked for an explanation of the
subject guides

●

Four participants (#3, #5, #7, and #8) initially passed over the Subject Guides button on the
LibGuides Home
o

When prompted, one participant (#5) explained that they didn’t initially realize that the
green “Subject Guides” button was clickable. This participant explained that they were
looking for the cursor to change from a pointer to a hand to see if they could click
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anything. On this button, only the text is clickable, so the cursor only changes when
hovering over the text, not over the rest of the green area.

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Task 7 – Asking for help

*Other: 1 participant (#1) integrated this into Task 4a

Notable Comments
●

Four participants (#1, #2, #7, and #8) noted they have not used the chat before, but know it
exists because it is proactive
o

●

One participant (#8) asked if the chat was a bot, and was quite surprised to hear it was a
person

One participant (#4) ranked their preference as: (1) ask at the Service Desk, (2) email, (3) chat,
(4) fill out an FAQ question.
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●

One participant (#5) ranked their preference as: (1) ask a friend not an instructor, (2) ask at the
Service Desk

●

One participant (#7) ranked their preference as: (1) call, (2) chat

●

One participant (#8) ranked their preference as: (1) email, (2) chat

Task 8 – Any other comments?
●

Several participants had additional questions, including:
o

What is a database? (x1)

o

How to locate a specific book? (x2 – both textbooks on reserve)

●

One participant (#5) commented that the Library’s page on TheLoop was “congested.” The
participant felt three columns was too much information. (This was consistent with the same
participant’s comments about the three columns in OneSearch.)

●

When prompted, one participant (#7) said it would have been nice to learn about how to find
books sooner.

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