Usability of Greenstone's ‘Librarian’ to create and maintain a digital library: The case of senior users

Abstract

While Greenstone is a versatile tool for creating and managing digital collections, its interface is not well suited for senior users. As we age, our usability requirements for software change; the mismatch between interfaces designed for (and by) younger members of society and the interface usability requirements of the elderly can make software less usable for the elderly. This paper reports on an intensive usability study of the Greenstone ‘Librarian’ interface (supporting collection development and maintenance) with senior participants. The findings of this study contribute to a re-design of Greenstone for senior users.