Driving Library Change with User Experience Design

What lessons and insights can we draw from user-centered design that are applicable in our day-to-day work in libraries? What does it mean to approach library services holistically? In this presentation, Courtney Greene McDonald will explore these and other questions and leave you with food for thought on identifying and implementing improvements in your library’s user experience, online or in-person.

User experience in libraries should be holistic. Library employees at all levels should be proactive about looking for ways to continuously improve library experiences—both virtual and physical--for their patrons. Even if one person or a committee takes the lead in UX initiatives, it’s still critical to build user experience into your entire organizational culture. Attendees from any type of library will come away from this session with practical ways to increase staff understanding and engagement with user experience, including specific staff training techniques, collaborative activities, and creative processes that can increase staff buy-in for UX work.

Academic libraries are continuously exploring ways to improve spaces and accommodate their growing populations and diverse learning needs, while maintaining the quality and functionality of their learning environment. This session details a case study of an academic library’s undertaking of a user-centered iterative and agile space redesign, through small yet thoughtful and impactful solutions, via targeted incremental planning.

LibGuides is an easy to use tool that was rapidly adopted by libraries worldwide.  However, do to the ease of use, the adoption of strong training programs has been less frequent. With the release of a major update to the software, LibGuides 2, Texas A&M took the opportunity to refocus the LibGuides program using a service design model and an emphasis on UX principles. To ensure buy-in and the success of the new service, a massive training program was launched in order to make certain that guides within the new service provide a quality user experience. The training program has revolved around the ideas of (1) quality assurance; (2) good web design and writing for the web; (3) universal design; and (4) shared practices.

The tabbed search box had to go!  Students were confused. There were too many options. Surely there had to be a better way. In the spring of 2016, the Brooks Library set out to determine which features of the search box for their discovery tool were actually being used by students, what peer institutions were doing, and what options could be eliminated or improved. Learn how the Brooks Library used a variety of usability testing methods to take their search box from super complicated to super simple.

In 2014, the User Experience committee at UTD McDermott Library conducted a 6-week study of student traffic to identify peak hours and popularity of particular seating options in the library building.  Using a tablet and online survey software, occupied vs. vacant seating was counted in all library areas at regular intervals. The results of this survey were used to make decisions for new furniture and renovations.

What do students search for in library discovery tools? What successes and challenges do their search queries reveal? This session will report on a methodology adopted by two Indiana University campuses for analyzing search queries from web-scale discovery tool logs. We will present emergent trends and issues identified from search query examination. We will also discuss how transaction log analyses may facilitate deeper collaborations with faculty both inside and outside the library. Attendees will learn how technical and public services librarians alike may utilize anonymous usage data to further develop information retrieval systems and partner with instructors to build students' information literacy skills.

Learn about how a user experience (UX) study on a self-service model led to the development of Book a Librarian, a personalized reference service model in the 5th largest public library in the United States. Presenters will share the various methods used (word association, fly on the wall observations, etc) to evaluate the self-service model, analyze user interactions in the library, and identify gaps in library services. Presenters will also share how they used user-centered research and design to plan and implement Book a Librarian service from start to finish. They will share how and where the UX approach fits into project management and also the various UX design methods used.

This session will share how to make quick, easy, and impactful changes to improve library user experience, particularly in the physical environment. It will also describe Lindenwood University - Belleville's long-term comprehensive plan for user experience and improvement, including how to get buy-in at the library and university level.

While implementing a discovery system as their primary search tool, librarians from a four-college community college district formed a Library User Experience (LUX) team. LUX has provided a structure allowing us to overcome a tendency toward librarian-focused interface changes, and forcing user data to become a major factor in decisions--all without a designated UX librarian. The session will share the benefits and challenges of our approach, including the role of UX as a framework for action, how our ideals for this team play out in practice, and how UX works in an environment of limited time and coding expertise.

Bosman will discuss the creation of a database-driven searchable/browse-able online research tool which was used to foster interest in New Mexico's literary heritage and demonstrate the database. Topics covered include the origins of the project, the purpose & goals, finding funding, and research methods for identifying relevant content. The presenter is also interested in receiving participant feedback as a means to improve the database.