The authors conducted the first study to investigate the types of coping tactics that blind and visually impaired (BVI) users applied when they encountered difficulties interacting with digital libraries (DLs). Coping tactics are defined as diverse action choices used by BVI users to accomplish specific goals in response to different types of help-seeking situations. Sixty-four participants were recruited throughout the United States. Multiple data collection methods were employed to collect data: pre-questionnaires, think-aloud protocols, transaction logs, and diaries. The study identified 19 types of coping tactics associated with the top five help-seeking situations. The findings were further compared with prior research to highlight the tactics previously identified from non-DL environments and unique coping tactics found only in the DL context. On the one hand, BVI participants brought their 11 types of coping tactics from non-DL environments into the DL context. Among them, Searching for keywords and Seeking human help are the coping tactics employed to address all of the top five situations in the DL environment. On the other hand, the combination of structural complexity, use of multimedia formats, and sight-centered designs found in DLs force BVI users to apply eight unique coping tactics in the DL context. The linear way of going through the DL structure led BVI users to explore DL page structure. At the same time, they had to Explore an accessible alternative to deal with inaccessible multimedia content. To support the coping tactics adopted from non-DL environments, the design suggestions focus on directly resolving situations, offering more options within DLs, and creating or enhancing features based on BVI users’ coping tactics. To support the unique coping tactics, the design implications concentrate on ways of reducing help-seeking situations.

作者进行了第一项研究，以调查盲人和视障 (BVI) 用户在与数字图书馆 (DL) 交互时遇到困难时所采用的应对策略类型。应对策略被定义为英属维尔京群岛用户用于实现特定目标以应对不同类型的求助情况的不同行动选择。在美国各地招募了 64 名参与者。采用多种数据收集方法来收集数据：预先问卷、大声思考协议、交易日志和日记。该研究确定了与前五种求助情况相关的 19 种应对策略。研究结果与之前的研究进行了进一步比较，以突出先前从非深度学习环境中发现的策略和仅在深度学习环境中发现的独特应对策略。一方面，BVI 参与者将他们的 11 种应对策略从非深度学习环境引入到深度学习环境中。其中，搜索关键字和寻求人类帮助是解决深度学习环境中所有前五种情况的应对策略。另一方面，深度学习中结构复杂性、多媒体格式的使用和以视觉为中心的设计的结合迫使英属维尔京群岛用户在深度学习环境中应用八种独特的应对策略。通过 DL 结构的线性方式引导 BVI 用户探索 DL 页面结构。同时，他们必须探索一种可访问的替代方案来处理无法访问的多媒体内容。为了支持从非深度学习环境中采用的应对策略，设计建议侧重于直接解决情况，在深度学习中提供更多选项，并根据 BVI 用户的应对策略创建或增强功能。为了支持独特的应对策略，设计含义集中在减少求助情况的方法上。