Document Type

Presentation

Presentation Date

8-24-2023

Abstract or Description

Software testing is about making sure software does what it's supposed to do, and doesn't do anything extra or different. Most academic presentations about software testing are done by people with large complicated projects. Those are the leaders. Many libraries use "shelf ready" software, including open source, to accomplish important work, and do not contribute code or do extensive customization to the software platforms they use. In fact, the ability to grab a piece of software and implement it without spending a lot of time, is part of what makes great software. Great software can be reused and shared without much fuss. This presentation is from that perspective - using "shelf ready" software and keeping it well maintained. Maintaining software in house requires bringing in upgrades from the open source community or vendor. To ensure all is working well, basic software testing is essential as part of routine upgrades. Testing ensures that problems are ruled out or are identified and addressed early before end users experience problems or enter data. This presentation covers how to plan a software test for a library system, by starting with onboarding and training materials, identifying specific tasks in training materials, and making a checklist to test upgrades. By orienting the approach around existing instructions and training, this advocates for a user centered approach and makes the software testing process easy to plan for by anyone actively using the software at work.

Additional Information

Georgia Southern University faculty member, Wilhelmina Randtke presented Software testing: How to design a software testing process for everyone in the WOLFcon, August 2023.

Sponsorship/Conference/Institution

WOLFcon

Location

Chicago, Illinois

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