This paper explores the influence of users' individual differences on the assessment of the usability of digital libraries (DLs). An experiment was conducted in the interactive lab in the School of Communications and Information at Rutgers University in the USA. Thirty-six participants were recruited to explore three DLs and 35 provided valid data. The results indicate that individual differences affect users' usability assessment of DLs, especially DLs'browsing function. Among the individual differences examined in this study, users' education background, gender,browsing expertise, search expertise, and browsing experience influence usability assessment of different aspects of DLs.The study has implications in personalization of digital library design.%本研究利用实验研究方法,探讨用户个体差异对数字图书馆可用性评价的影响.该实验在美国罗格斯,新泽西州立大学传播与信息学院的人机交互实验室开展.35位实验参加人员分别在三个数字图书馆中完成了两项实验任务.结果表明,用户个体差异一定程度上影响了他们对数字图书馆可用性评估,尤其是对浏览功能 (browsing) 的评价.在考察的几种个体差异中,用户的教育背景、性别、浏览技能、搜索技能和浏览经验不同程度地影响了用户对三个数字图书馆可用性评价的不同方面.本研究有助于改善数字图书馆的个性化设计.
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