Comments on: Another Example Submitted For Your Reaction http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/2008/02/21/another-example-submitted-for-your-reaction/ Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:51:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sherry Bailey http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/2008/02/21/another-example-submitted-for-your-reaction/comment-page-1/#comment-5716 Sherry Bailey Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:03:04 +0000 http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/2008/02/21/another-example-submitted-for-your-reaction/#comment-5716 It seems to me, and I am REALLY a novice at all of this, that UX is exactly what we as librarians need to implement, but that it is slippery both in definition (exactly WHAT does UX look like in a library, especially public library, setting?) and in implementability. My library operates on a very tight budget. The building is about 18 years old and due for some cosmetic and organizational changes. I'm just starting to research and realize some of the UX ways that the reorganization of the space could go, this being a perfect juncture to fix traffic flow and other physical issues. But it's hard to find concrete information and obviously I am not the expert. MAYA Designs, which did what seems to be excellent work for the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, is probably outside the budget for a consult. What's needed in library UX, in my opinion, is, first, a gathering of "best practices" ideas that are fairly transferrable (such as having a "Sign Czar" in charge of making sure the hierarchy of signage makes sense, functions well, and looks good, and that sign clutter is minimized if not eliminated) -- things most librarys could implement to improve things if not perfect them. (A book? A website? A video?) And, second, it would help to have some guidelines for performing the local research needed for individual solutions -- how, exactly, does a librarian follow patrons around and identify where they are having problems, especially without making the patrons haul off and whack the living daylights out of them!! ;^) Strategies, techniques, checklists, brainstorming tips, whatever. Libraries are full of intelligent and articulate people who can probably manage to find ways to implement great UX improvements in their facilities, but if they never thought of the world in UX terms, help is needed. (And for small and mid-sized systems, expensive consultants are probably not in the picture.) I'm sure similar issues are true in academia, as well. It seems to me, and I am REALLY a novice at all of this, that UX is exactly what we as librarians need to implement, but that it is slippery both in definition (exactly WHAT does UX look like in a library, especially public library, setting?) and in implementability.

My library operates on a very tight budget. The building is about 18 years old and due for some cosmetic and organizational changes. I’m just starting to research and realize some of the UX ways that the reorganization of the space could go, this being a perfect juncture to fix traffic flow and other physical issues. But it’s hard to find concrete information and obviously I am not the expert. MAYA Designs, which did what seems to be excellent work for the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh, is probably outside the budget for a consult.

What’s needed in library UX, in my opinion, is, first, a gathering of “best practices” ideas that are fairly transferrable (such as having a “Sign Czar” in charge of making sure the hierarchy of signage makes sense, functions well, and looks good, and that sign clutter is minimized if not eliminated) — things most librarys could implement to improve things if not perfect them. (A book? A website? A video?)

And, second, it would help to have some guidelines for performing the local research needed for individual solutions — how, exactly, does a librarian follow patrons around and identify where they are having problems, especially without making the patrons haul off and whack the living daylights out of them!! ;^) Strategies, techniques, checklists, brainstorming tips, whatever.

Libraries are full of intelligent and articulate people who can probably manage to find ways to implement great UX improvements in their facilities, but if they never thought of the world in UX terms, help is needed. (And for small and mid-sized systems, expensive consultants are probably not in the picture.) I’m sure similar issues are true in academia, as well.

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