Users' criteria of video digital libraries from a public affairs context

This paper reports on a user-centered analysis of video digital libraries. Video digital libraries enable "in the loop" retrieval and playback from centralized and organized collections. As a time-based and multi-channeled format, video digital library systems warrant different considerations for design and information delivery. The purpose of the present study is to collect and initially analyze users' criteria of video digital libraries as part of their interactive experiences. Fifty-two journalism and political science college majors were surveyed, resulting in a total of 242 individual collected responses. Content analysis was performed on the survey responses, and the emergent coding method produced 28 criteria (subcategories) under 5 major categories. Criteria corresponding to Retrieval functions of video digital libraries emerged as the highest priority of the participants, based on its frequency across the responses for the major categories. Criteria corresponding to the User Interface, Collection Quality, User Support, and Organization of Collection followed respectively, in terms of frequency. Cohen's Kappa was .87, indicative of high-level of inter-coder reliability. Findings of the present study provide an initial baseline for design and evaluation of video digital libraries and motivate further research.