Library UX (NEFLIN 13 November 2014)

Library UXLaura Johnson &Michael SauersNEFLIN 13 November 2014

What is UX?User experience is how someone feels when using aproduct orservice.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36993742@N00/4773946797/

What they want


Wha

t the

y ge

t


What do you think your

users want?


Have you asked them?


What are they actually doing?


Principle of Least Effort[Zipf's Law]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/spackletoe/90811910

What do your patrons

want?https://www.flickr.com/photos/a2gemma/1448178195

Signs, signs, everywhere

are signs!

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w.flickr.com

/photos/77144005@N

00/24986220/

How would you describe your library’s

signage?https://www.flickr.com/photos/a2gemma/1448178195

PhysicalLayout

http://www.flickr.com/photos/libraryman/414960752/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/douglascountylibraries/7726155664/

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Books Circulated from One Section of Shelves

18

29

18

28

16

13

5

Top

Bottom

Row 2

Row 3

Row 4

Row 5

Row 6

Source: “The Influence of sloping shelves on book circulation” by Ralph R. Shaw, The Library Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 4, October 1938, pp. 480-490.

Shelves just inside the door circulate 24% more books than shelves 15 feet inside the door.

(98) (74) Shaw, 1938

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/cevincat/1174631634

https://www.flickr.com/photos/abhi_ryan/2476059942

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dafnecholet/5374200948/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ppl_ri_images/4019188259/

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Should there be an app for that?

Responsive Web Design

One design, multiple platforms

Personas• Personas are representative

of larger groups with detailed attributes to enable a focused approach to usability and design.

• Personas are representatives, defined with “significant rigor and precision”, and built on a combination of assumptive reasoning and data, which allows for focusing requirements.

(http://www.prescientdigital.com/articles/strategic-design/focusing-on-your-website-user-by-developing-personas)

Persona #1: Ethel• 65 years old• Has been the town librarian

since 1968• Generally afraid of computers• Library does not have a Web

presence• Staff all says that the library

needs a Web site• Patrons keep asking if there is a

Web site• Writes a weekly column for the

town paper about the libraryhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/chelmsfordpubliclibrary/3542465095/

Persona #2: Joan• 52 years old• Empty-nester who’s been with

the library since her kids left home 15 years ago

• Uses Facebook and e-mail to see pictures of the grandchildren

• Comfortable with helping patrons with the basics of Word and Excel

• No Web design experience• The library has a page on the

town’s Web site that the library has no control over

• Wants the library to move into the 21st century

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shankbone/6224521826/

Persona #3: Amy

• 35 years old• Has been with the library for

five years• Completely comfortable with

computers• Used to work for a library

technology vendor• Has Web design experience• Wants to take the library’s Web

site from a “hand-coded monster” to an easy-to-update CMS

• Once she gets the new site up and running she will train additional staff on how to contribute content including audio and video

Needs Assessment

Users• No coding required but

available• No back-end updating needed• Simple to use, but powerful for

advanced users• Good technical support both

from NLC and other sources

Back-end people• Easy installation• Easy upgrades• Low server overhead

So, what can youdo in your

library?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/86979666@N00/7623744452/

weaveux.org

walkingpaper.org

uxmag.com

Laura [email protected]

Michael [email protected]://travlinlibrarian.info

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jenosaur/4051305996/