Studies of bookshelf design as an information display based on the characteristics and influencing factors of human gaze behavior

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K18335
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 90020:Library and information science, humanistic and social informatics-related
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: Sato Sho 同志社大学, 免許資格課程センター, 准教授 (90707168)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 書架 / ブラウジング / 視線追尾 / 公共図書館 / 注視行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to study the design of library bookshelves as "information display," a series of surveys and experiments were conducted with the aim of clarifying the characteristics of library users' gazing behavior and its influencing factors and effects. The experiments conducted in several public libraries with different characteristics and those conducted under controlled conditions in a laboratory environment showed that regardless of the height of the shelves, the design of the library, or the purpose of users, users' gazing was concentrated on the upper part of the shelves. This effect cannot be counteracted by lighting, but the color of the books on the shelves may affect gazing independently of vertical location on the shelves. The horizontal location of the books on the shelves did not having a significant effect on gazing.

Free Research Field

図書館情報学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

書架の下段が利用者にあまり見られないことは、直感的には図書館関係者に把握されていたが、本研究では実際に注視頻度の偏りが非常に大きいことを示すとともに、その効果が書架の高低や図書館のデザイン、照明等によってもあまり変わらないことを示した。図書館の書架計画を考える際にはこの点に強く留意すべきであろう。それでも書架という存在の構造上、どうしても下段に図書を配置せざるを得ない場合も多いが、その際には照明等を工夫するよりは、配置する図書の色等による工夫の方が有望であろうことも本研究から示唆された。