A 10 minute presentation given at the UKSG Forum on Wednesday 18th December 2015

1. Ethnography and a
wider perspective on
library user experience
Andy Priestner (@andytraining)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisco_osorio/15846068506

2. How good are
librarians at
seeing the big
picture?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pikerslanefarm/2798037108

3. tps://www.flickr.com/photos/auduhomes/9330082354
A case of
tunnel vision?
Some can’t
see past
‘library’…

4. https://www.flickr.com/photos/sashavasko/4400528704
Focus too much
on library use
(and usually only
in terms of footfall,
loan stats and
survey data)

5. https://www.flickr.com/photos/vmwelt/18763194909
Failure to focus
on students
who don’t use
our libraries

6. LIBRARY
IT CAREERS
And thoughts beyond library only go so far as
integration with other support departments
STUDENT
SUPPORT
COURSE
ADMIN

7. https://www.flickr.com/photos/alwaysshooting/14913046889
But where does
‘library’ actually
fit within the
wider student
experience of
University?

8. https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisco_osorio/9513730462
How can we start
to uncover and
understand the
bigger picture?

9. If we keep within our
library field of vision it’s
a bit like a cropped
Photoshop image – what
part of the picture are
we missing?
We’re not missing much
in this cropped kitten
picture, but what about
on these classic album
covers..?

16. So how do we
uncover this
bigger picture?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/professorbop/2756892204

17. https://www.flickr.com/photos/74576085@N00/6335630844
Through
ethnography:
talking to and
listening to
students…

18. https://www.flickr.com/photos/guinicholas/19587297588
…and
observing and
recording their
behaviour

19. …and thereby
piecing
together their
whole learning
landscape…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanenglish/744025274

20. …and better
appreciating
where (and if)
library fits into
that landscape
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kthbiblioteket/4472643699

21. Simple sticky note exercise undertaken
with students at Cambridge University:
‘Detail your entire experience of University
life – warts and all – with one element per
sticky note. Use as many notes as you need.’

22. https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmattiphotography/10197758956/
SOCIAL
sports
sex
drugs
alcohol
/bars
friends
girl/boy
-friend
shopping clubs &
societies
coffee
& cafes
summer
ball
music
eating
out
travel
student
union
theatre town
cinema
house
parties

23. https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmattiphotography/10197758956/
COURSE
readings
study
space
essays
practicals
library deadlines
IT
support
exams
data
tutorials
course
staff
lectures
project
work revision
time-
table
PCs
printing

24. https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmattiphotography/10197758956/
DAY-TO-DAY
laundry health
communal
living
buying
food
getting
from A
to B
stress
cooking
meals
cycling
managing
money
your
room
packing
&
unpacking
home
-sick
calling
home
counsell
-ing
disabled
access

25. https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmattiphotography/10197758956/
TECHNEXT
phone
signal
WIFI tabletlaptop phone
power
interviews CV job
search
pursue
academic
career
pursue
course
elsewhere

26. https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmattiphotography/10197758956/
readingsstudy
space
library
IT
support
data revision PCs
printing
WIFI power

27. https://www.flickr.com/photos/124429633@N03/14360887815
A pan-Cambridge innovation
programme delivering new
products and services derived
from ethnography and
human-centred design

28. Futurelib’s most recent success story…

29. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bakokojp/8269964720
Spacefinder
would seek to
illumine and
uncover the
University’s many
spaces and match
them to study
needs and
preferences
Derived from
ethnographic
research
• diary studies
• collaborative design
workshops (pictured)
• interviews (unstructured,
structured, guerilla)

30. https://www.flickr.com/photos/leonfishman/6738681839
Problem
identified…
Students were not
finding spaces that
matched their
study preferences
and these needs
were hugely
diverse…

31. study preferences
• in groups
• totally alone
• ‘together alone’
(studying independently
but next to friends who
can help them)
• alone but in crowded
quiet reading rooms (to
make them work)
• alone but in a noisier
location (some can’t
work in silence)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johncohen/152850884

32. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinoboy/6868841128
types of space
• common areas
• cafes
• pubs
• parks
(not just libraries)

33. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bakokojp/8269964720
Spacefinder would
seek to illumine
and uncover the
University’s many
spaces and match
them to study
needs and
preferences

34. ethnographic /
design research
was continuous
during the project
• prototyping
• testing and iterating
(photo: students testing a
prototype phone version of
Spacefinder)

35. http://spacefinder.lib.cam.ac.uk

37. “I wanted to write personally, to
thank you for Spacefinder, and tell
you how useful students are already
finding it. This is an achievement
which shouldn't be underestimated. I
thought you might be amused to
know that the general response has
been one of sheer astonishment that
the University have helped produce
something so up-to-date and
relevant to student life!”
Poppy Logan
Cambridge University Students Union
– Welfare and Rights Officer

38. https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelmattiphotography/10197758956/
library PCs
phone
signal
WIFI
tablet
laptop
power
coffee
& cafes
friends
stress
music
eating
out
phone
signal
cycling
printing
disabled
access
Spacefinder is successful because it fulfils many needs beyond library
and recognises a broader student experience and learning landscape…
study
space
revisionphone
getting
from A
to B
powerdisabled
access powerdisabled
access
phone
signal
stress

39. Survey results,
quantitative data, and
more importantly a focus
solely on library would
never have led us to
Spacefinder.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisco_osorio/8424407891

40. Survey results,
quantitative data, and
more importantly a focus
solely on library would
never have led us to
Spacefinder.
We had to become
interested in a
wider picture of
experience
and piece that together
through ethnographic
research and human-
centred design.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisco_osorio/8424407891

41. What is outside of your
‘library field of vision’?