USERS, USER INTERFACES, AND OBJECTS - ENVISION, A DIGITAL LIBRARY

Project Envision aims to build a ''user-centered database from the com puter science literature,'' initially using the publications of the As sociation for Computing Machinery (ACM). Accordingly, we have intervie wed potential users, as well as experts in library, information, and c omputer science-to understand their needs, to become aware of their pe rception of existing information systems, and to collect their recomme ndations. Design and formative usability evaluation of our interface h ave been based on those interviews, leading to innovative query formul ation and search results screens that work well according to our usabi lity testing. Our development of the Envision database, system softwar e, and protocol for client-server communication builds upon work to id entify and represent ''objects'' that will facilitate reuse and high-l evel communication of information from author to reader (user). All th ese efforts are leading not only to a usable prototype digital library but also to a set of nine principles for digital libraries, which we have tried to follow, covering issues of representation, architecture, and interfacing.