Improving the web accessibility of a university digital library: A design thinking approach

• Main Authors: Puspitasari, Ira, Natalnael, Tania R., Raharjana, Indra K.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accessibility; Colleges & universities; Design standards; Design thinking; Digital libraries; Digital systems; Education; Image contrast; Libraries; Lifelong learning; Prototypes; Sustainable development; User experience; User interfaces; User requirements; Websites
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0181095

The accelerated reformation of the digital library system has highlighted the significance of accessibility and user experience design in its development and operation. The digital library is expected to serve more diverse and challenging users’ requirements, making accessibility the prominent attribute. Despite its significance, many digital library systems fail to address accessibility accordingly. This study aims to examine accessibility problems in the digital library system in higher education, i.e., Universitas Airlangga’s e-library, and develop a solution based on the design thinking methodology. The questionnaire on the empathize phase gathered 25 respondents’ perceptions about the current library website. The identified major accessibility requirements are unmatched and incomplete library description on the front page, complex and unclear navigation menu, low contrast between the text and background image—making reading more difficult, especially for users with low vision, the absence of the first heading, and unspecified website language. The solutions generated during the Ideation phase corresponded to the list of identified requirements. The prototype implements these solutions by combining them with the Web Content Accessibility Design 2.0 standard. The evaluation results signify the accessibility progress in the redesigned library website prototype. The average user rating increased from 3 on the current library website to 4.63 on the redesigned version, and the task completion rate reached 92.86%. In addition, the accessibility tests using WAVE and AxeDev Tools exhibit major improvements in contrast error and total accessibility issues. Findings from this study are helpful for system developers, user interface/user experience designers, and libraries in formulating an accessible digital library system. In the effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, the study of accessible digital library systems contributes to SDG number 4, ensuring inclusive and fair education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.