Using Catalogue Browsing for Speech-Based Interface to a Digital Library

Catalogue browsing is a well known activity in the library world. We are all familiar with the box of cards that is used by the librarian who browsed it over in order to find the card for the book we were searching for. The Catalogue Browsing Access Paradigm (CBAP) that is suggested in this paper aims at providing the users with the same feeling of the actual catalogue browsing activity while using the benefits of the digital world. In particular, relationships between the physical and the digital realms are investigated. We illustrate the CBAP concept using a prototype presentation of a speech-based mobile interface to a digital library (DL). A physical to digital relationship is examined when using vocal commands to control the search activity. A digital to physical relation is examined when using digital instructions from a positioning system in order to navigate in a physical library. We use agile software development and user centered design as the methodologies in the development of CBAP, and present user evaluation data that emerged from this process.