The search box became an obstacle
in [...] questions where it should
not have been used. In some cases,
the search box was viewed as an
all-encompassing search of the entire
site. Several students searched
for administrative information,
research guides, and podcasts in
this box.17
In a 2002 article reporting on a website
usability study, Augustine and Greene
noted that students seemed drawn to use
the library’s website search box whether
or not it was appropriate for the task.18 In
addition to causing frustration, a search
box that misses a wide swath of available
information and resources will make that
missing information practically invisible.
19 When considering whether to position
discovery platforms as the primary
search interface to libraries, it is vital to
understand whether their performance is
adequate for how users search.