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Personas, stemming from the field of user-centered design (UCD), are hypothetical users that represent the behaviors, goals, and values of actual users. This study describes the creation of personas in an academic library. With the goal of leveraging service-generated data, the authors coded a sample of chat reference transcripts, producing two numeric values for each. The transcripts were plotted on an X/Y graph where X represented the nature of the user's information need and Y represented the nature of the user's motivation. A k-means cluster analysis of the plotted points produced four clusters, which served as the personas' basis.

Academic libraries have realized the importance of integrating library resources into CMS. However, methodology for arranging and choosing the right library resources for inclusion cannot be overlooked. Designing the Library/CMS interface using a goal-based approach speaks to users' mental models by directly aligning resources and services with the completion of tasks. Further, it creates the opportunity for useful and meaningful library resources to be excavated from the link-heavy library homepage model where relevant research resources are often hidden several tiers below the homepage. Finally, it operationalizes a flexible structure that can persist through technological change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]