In libraries, content creation is a critical component of communication and service delivery. We introduce a five-step content strategy framework that makes the content creation process more effective and user-focused. We use practical examples from library work to outline how audience identification, goal setting, value proposition development, content validation, and measurement form this strategy. By presenting this framework through real-world library scenarios, we demonstrate how it enhances the quality and consistency of all content, from web pages to newsletters. We discuss how we have iterated on the design of this framework to ensure library staff can adapt it to various library content. This framework offers library professionals a structured approach to creating clear, concise content that is aligned with user needs.
In 2020, Weave published my research article, “Structuring and Supporting UX Work in Academic Libraries” (https://doi.org/10.3998/weave.12535642.0003.202). In it, I examined various ways that academic libraries structure and support user experience (UX) work, and I identified some structures and supports that seemed to have a positive impact on both users and UX workers. Two years after applying those findings to restructure my own position, I did not feel I was having a positive impact. I wondered if I had misunderstood or misrepresented my research participants. I decided to check in with some of them to see where I might have gone wrong.
In the professional literature of contemporary academic libraries, sound often becomes a binary discussion, either lauded as the byproduct of active group collaboration or scorned as an infringement on quiet study. We make an exploratory case for an alternative, middle consideration: low-level, ambient sound is a crucial component of ideal study space for some students. By examining a body of published evidence and drawing on the results of a year-long study, we present evidence that a sizable constituency of college students will seek out study spaces that contain “pink” ambient noise. This is a demographic that has been overlooked in the discussion surrounding how libraries negotiate sound within their walls.
I completed a sabbatical project in the spring semester of 2023 with three main goals: 1) conduct interviews with user experience librarians about best practices relating to usability testing in academic libraries; 2) create a comprehensive collection of best practices based on interview results and supporting research; and 3) create a do-it-yourself usability testing toolkit consisting of templates, documents, checklists, report shells, and other materials for librarians to quickly conduct usability testing from start to finish at their own institutions.
In 2019, the Pratt Institute Libraries redesigned their website and launched a new chat service. In the following three years, we explored the user experience of our chat services to determine the placement, label, and functionality of chat widgets on library web pages. We conducted two usability studies in collaboration with a graduate-level course taught at Pratt's School of Information. This paper presents a selection of findings from these studies and a discussion of our approach.
I completed a sabbatical project in the spring semester of 2023 with three main goals: 1) conduct interviews with user experience librarians about best practices relating to usability testing in academic libraries; 2) create a comprehensive collection of best practices based on interview results and supporting research; and 3) create a do-it-yourself usability testing toolkit consisting of templates, documents, checklists, report shells, and other materials for librarians to quickly conduct usability testing from start to finish at their own institutions.
In 2019, the Pratt Institute Libraries redesigned their website and launched a new chat service. In the following three years, we explored the user experience of our chat services to determine the placement, label, and functionality of chat widgets on library web pages. We conducted two usability studies in collaboration with a graduate-level course taught at Pratt's School of Information. This paper presents a selection of findings from these studies and a discussion of our approach.
Dark mode, also known as night mode, is an alternative way of viewing content on a webpage. Rather than having dark text on a light background, dark mode displays light text on a dark background. In fall 2022, the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) University Library launched a dark mode as an option for web users. We present some considerations for design and implementation for those interested in adding a dark mode to their website.
There remains a lack of literature looking at how first-generation students experience and feel about academic library spaces. We sought to help fill this gap by conducting a mixed-methods research study at a large university. We surveyed current first-generation students about their experiences with the institution’s physical libraries and if they felt safe and culturally welcomed. We then explored the results through semi-structured interviews to further develop themes. We found that while many first-generation students reported feeling safe in most of the library spaces, many still reported they did not always feel safe, although how they defined “safe” differed. Also, students expressed differing preferences for what they wanted from the physical spaces, emphasizing the need for libraries to cater to diverse study habits. Data show students used the library spaces to get in the right frame of mind for studying; however, uncertainty remains about where they are allowed.
Library practitioners can use digital accessibility standards to inform and evaluate accessible design, but how can we ensure online learning objects, such as library research guides, are both accessible and usable for students with disabilities? This is the research question that drove our accessible user experience study. Six undergraduate students with diverse disabilities completed the study. While all participants found our guide to be usable, it was not fully accessible to them. We outline our methodology, including considerations for involving participants with disabilities, and discuss our findings and limitations, so that our readers can consider the use of accessible user experience testing in their work.
