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Impact of bookshelf locations using eye-tracking methodology

Sho Sato (Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan)
Yukari Eto (Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan)
Kotomi Iwaki (Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan)
Tadashi Oyanagi (Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan)
Yu Yasuma (Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan)

Library Management

ISSN: 0143-5124

Article publication date: 26 June 2020

Issue publication date: 20 October 2020

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to understand better the user gaze behavior on bookshelves using eye-tracking technology.

Design/methodology/approach

An eye-tracking experiment in a public library with 11 participants was performed. The impact of vertical shelf location of books on the number of times the books are looked at, the impact of horizontal location and the relationship between user behavior and location impact were examined by the findings.

Findings

The results showed that the vertical location of books has a significant impact on the number of times the books are looked at. More than 80% of the time spent looking at bookshelves was spent on books on the top to fourth rows. It was also revealed that the horizontal location of books has a little impact. Books located on the left side of shelves will be looked at significantly more often than those on the right side. No significant relationships between type of user behaviors and location impact were observed.

Originality/value

The study explored the impact of the vertical location of books on time spent looking at bookshelves using eye-tracking methodology. Few published studies do such experiments to address user gaze behavior on bookshelves. The study explored that the vertical location of books has a great impact, and horizontal location has a little impact on user gaze behavior.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Ebina City Main Library for their cooperation in our experiment. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI [grant numbers JP 26730164, JP 25330389, JP 17H02026, JP 18K18335, and JP 18K02915]. A part of this study was presented at the 9th International Conference on Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 23–26 May 2017 in Limerick, Ireland.

Citation

Sato, S., Eto, Y., Iwaki, K., Oyanagi, T. and Yasuma, Y. (2020), "Impact of bookshelf locations using eye-tracking methodology", Library Management, Vol. 41 No. 8/9, pp. 617-629. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-04-2020-0063

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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