In response to COVID-19, many libraries have closed their physical buildings, offered fully remote services, and experienced staffing decreases, amid other disruptions. Despite this, administrators, consortia, and funding agencies will expect the same data that we report each year. This poses an interesting question: how do we communicate the value of what the library has been doing for our communities during these tumultuous times? Join Library UX Chicago for an online event exploring ways to think about data collection and apply storytelling techniques to convey value to administrators and stakeholders. We plan to discuss ways of documenting innovation in the libraries during COVID-19, strategic decision-making and goal setting using data that cannot be meaningfully benchmarked, the short-term impact of maintaining typical data collection methods, and more.
Call for Participation! Library UX is looking for lightning round presenters to share ideas they have for framing library data for administrators, methods for collaboratively establishing a value framework, or experience with applying communication or storytelling techniques to library data. Brief presentations (about 10 minutes) will be given via Zoom followed by an open discussion. If you have ideas, concepts, or lessons-learned to share with the group, please email Abby Annala at [email protected] or Devin Savage at [email protected]. RSVP for the Event Thursday, October 1, 2020 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Location: Zoom A link to the Zoom session will be provided upon registration. This session will not be recorded. RSVP here Thanks to all who attended last month’s Remote User Testing roundtable, and thanks to Emma Boettcher (UChicago) and Eileen López for co-convening.
Pressing Areas for Testing CARLI is moving forward with the migration to Alma/Primo in June 2020. User testing is not centralized through CARLI, in part because individual institutions are able to make many local customization (for example, search scopes, top-level menus, naming and ordering of facets). Many attendees had planned to do user testing this spring, so that work will either need to be done online or postponed until after go-live in June. Other areas for testing include website or institutional repository development that was in process prior to COVID-related closures. Remote Card Sorting with OptimalSort Eileen López gave a brief presentation about a study she conducted on the University of Chicago Library’s intranet. This study served two purposes: testing the organization of content across multiple pages via a card sorting exercise and evaluating the utility of two platforms (OptimalSort and Qualtrics ) for conducting this sort of study. After reviewing the features and functionality of both platforms, Eileen determined that Qualtrics could not support an open card sort. She used OptimalSort’s free trial, which allows users to create an unlimited number of tests of with up to 10 participants and 30 cards each, to conduct this project. The built-in tools made grouping and analysis of reports much easier than anticipated. Other Strategies for Remote Testing Attendees shared several strategies they’ve tried:
Remote testing presents different logistical challenges that in person. Participants have to use their own equipment rather than yours which will result in more authentic feedback about how your tool will function in the real world – but also means that you can’t control the environment, internet connection, device speed, etc in order to ensure that your tool is what is being tested. It is possible that your participant may not be able to access the thing you need to test! Recruitment is also proving to be challenging in an environment where communication with patrons is often discouraged. Some attendees mentioned working with student workers or other affiliated student groups to conduct testing. Others are reaching out to pools of previous participants. All of these groups bring with them the caveat that they may be familiar with the library and its systems. Remaining Questions The roundtable closed with a discussion of future plans – or, rather, the difficulty of balancing work that can feasibly be done right now with the needs of our institutions longer term. Questions included:
On Friday, September 27th, Library UX held a coffee chat at pHlour Bakery & Cafe. This month's chat was about assessing library instruction, and ethnographic methods.
We continued our series on ethnography in libraries with a discussion of "So You Want to Do Anthropology in Your Library?" by Andrew Asher and Susan Miller. This is the toolkit from the ERIAL project.
This book club discussion took place on Tuesday, August 20 at the Joseph Regenstein Library, The University of Chicago, 1100 East 57th Street, Chicago IL In this interactive workshop, attendees learned how to use the Project Outcome for Academic Libraries surveys and resources. Project Outcome is a free toolkit that helps libraries measure four key learning outcomes – knowledge, confidence, application, and awareness – across seven library program and service areas. The survey topics cover: Instruction, Events/Programs, Research, Teaching Support, Digital & Special Collections, Space, and Library Technology. Project Outcome provides academic libraries of any size the means to easily measure outcomes in those areas and to use that data as the basis for continuous improvements and advocacy.
This workshop was on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at Loyola University, Lakeshore Campus, McCormick Lounge in Coffey Hall, 1000 W Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois 60626 |
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