Usability and user experience research methodology, usually defined as a group of techniques that seek to “gain a deep understanding of users, what they need, what they value and their limitations” (usability.gov) has been applied in libraries regularly to websites and public services. Common techniques include more traditional information gathering practices, like focus groups and one-one-one interview sessions to examine patron experiences, as well as observation of patrons attempting to perform tasks using a specific tool or service. Yet, outside of some usability studies comparing commercial discovery systems, little information exists in the literature about acquisitions, collections, or electronic resource management librarians using such techniques for their own work. In this presentation, I will use my work at the University of North Carolina Greensboro’s library as a case study to demonstrate how to implement these techniques to solve common problems for technical services, such as improving access and discoverability of library resources. At UNCG, user experience studies have been scattered across departments. In order to both have a seat at the table and remove duplication of effort, I cultivated a partnership with our web services librarian and our distance education librarian, both who had been involved with user experience projects in the past. Together, we set up the first user experience team at UNCG, which focused equally on public and technical service issues. I will discuss techniques that I used to build these relationships and share our strategies for selecting initial projects that create the greatest library buy-in. Attendees should leave this session ready to look for their own User Experience partners in their library. The second part of this presentation will discuss two case studies that demonstrate specific common user experience techniques and how they can be implemented to improve resource discovery and collection development. Attendees will learn about conducting simple five minute usability tests and longer focus group interviews. Our User Experience team has used the first technique, in which patrons performed a small series of pre-written tasks on a particular site and then answered questions about this experience, to redesign our Database A-Z page and our libguides Tests were low prep, conducted over a lunch hour in the main foyer of our library and drew an excellent patron sample. For the second technique, we conducted three focus groups with faculty who, according to emails or syllabi, have used our streaming media collections in their classroom. Our goals here were to learn more about what they value about streaming media, where they struggle in locating and using it, and to identify potential gaps in our marketing of collections. This presentation will discuss results in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the techniques, but the main focus will be to teach these two techniques. Kate Hill

1. Usability Beyond the Home
Page: Bringing Usability into
the Technical Services
Workflow
Kate Hill, UNC Greensboro

2. ● What is Usability
● Why in Technical Services?
● Types of User Testing
● Tips for starting
● A Case Study!

3. Poll Time!

5. Librarian
User
Image by Auckland Zoo,
https://www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/experiences/red-panda-experi
ence

6. Usability=qualitative and quantitative data

7. Usability=Action Items and Empathy

8. Tech Services understand access and
discovery

9. We have a broad picture
Jill Emry, Graham Stone, Peter McCraken.
https://library.hud.ac.uk/blogs/terms/

10. We know who to talk to and how (vendors!)

11. Choosing Users
Photo by Julie Larsen Maher
(Associated Press)
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/n
ews/nation/2015/11/23/us-zoos-boos
t-red-panda-population-debut-ny/762
74786/

12. Facilitation suggestions
Photo by Tripadvisor,
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Locati
onPhotoDirectLink-g274873-d2322
601-i270401696-ZOO_Ljubljana-Lj
ubljana_Upper_Carniola_Region.ht
ml

13. Classic Usability Tests

14. Types of Data
Performance Data:
Task took 45 seconds to complete on average
6/8 participants took six clicks to get to the right
link
Preference Data:
Students commented that they liked the second
option due to the amount of white space and
cleaness of design

15. Heuristic Testing
Developed byJoão Machini,
https://ebiinterfaces.wordpress.com/2014/03/0
4/evaluation-heuristic-analysis/

16. Card Sorting
Photo by Experience UX,
https://www.experienceux.co.uk/faqs/wh
at-is-card-sorting/

17. A/B Comparison

18. Prototype Testing

19. Inspirations
Fry, A. (presenter), & Lesher, M. (recorder) (2011). Beyond Lists and Guides: Using Usability to Help
Students Get the Most Out of E-resources. The Serials Librarian, 60(1–4), 206–212.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0361526X.2011.556036
Stonebraker, I. R. . (2015). Measuring Usability in the Database Review Process: Results From a
Pilot. Journal of Library Innovation, 6(2), 15–34.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=llf&AN=112069613&site=ehost-live
Wrubel, L. S. (2007). Improving Access to Electronic Resources (ER) Through Usability Testing.
Collection Management, 32(1/2), 225–234

20. Getting into the UX world
Katie Paton/RZSS
Edinburgh Zoo,
https://redpandazine.com/
2017/05/05/edinburgh-zoo
-red-pandas/

21. Start Small

22. Share your work
DE
Librarian
ERM
Librarian
Web
Librarian
Help Box
ROI Web Team Assessment

23. Make it a pilot
Drawing by The Locked,
https://www.deviantart.com/thelocked/ar
t/flying-red-panda-313343697

24. Life (and UX) lessons
● Start Small
● Find your allies
● Why you? Why Tech Services?
● Collaborate
● Educate others
● Share it out

25. Worksheet Time

26. A Case Study: Libguides and Database A-Z
Testing

27. The Problem
Photo by Encyclopedia
Britannica
https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=9UkTY8lFdqk

28. Browsing by Subject?

29. Methodology

30. Building Tasks

31. Testing Subject Discovery in the A-Z List

32. A/B/C Comparison

33. LibGuides Testing

34. Recruitment

35. Conducting the Test

36. Demographics

37. General subject search

38. Database A-Z Subjects?

39. What is a Database?

40. A/B/C Comparison winner!

41. LibGuides Results

42. Too Many Options

44. Contact me!
Kate Hill
kmhill6@uncg.edu