Library User Experience, SPEC Kit 322 (July 2011)

Fox, Robert; Doshi, Ameet

SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience · 157
Rice University
Establishing fondren@brc
https://docs.google.com/a/arl.org/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B82slMUv3UBrNzkx
NTZjOWYtOWQ4Zi00Yjc2LWI3NGYtZmZjMWZjMGMyNzcz&hl=en&authkey=CJ7dhrcL&pli=1
database for emerging sciences such as bioengineering.
5. Innovative technologies that foster communication between the library@brc and Fondren
be explored: use of Skype and GoogleChat, for example.
Faculty and graduate students whom we interviewed seemed to have a generally positive
impression of the library and to welcome help in getting access to information that they
need. With the fondren@brc space, Fondren has the opportunity to explore new models of
librarianship based not so much on collections as on services.

Previous Page Next Page

SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience (July 2011) resources

Extracted Text (may have errors)

SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience · 157
Rice University
Establishing fondren@brc
https://docs.google.com/a/arl.org/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B82slMUv3UBrNzkx
NTZjOWYtOWQ4Zi00Yjc2LWI3NGYtZmZjMWZjMGMyNzcz&hl=en&authkey=CJ7dhrcL&pli=1
database for emerging sciences such as bioengineering.
5. Innovative technologies that foster communication between the library@brc and Fondren
be explored: use of Skype and GoogleChat, for example.
Faculty and graduate students whom we interviewed seemed to have a generally positive
impression of the library and to welcome help in getting access to information that they
need. With the fondren@brc space, Fondren has the opportunity to explore new models of
librarianship based not so much on collections as on services.

Help

158 · Representative Documents: User Feedback
Rutgers University
Summary. New Brunswick Student Focus Groups, Spring 2008
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/staff/planning/reports/student_focus_grous_rul_sp2008.pdf
SUMMARY
NEW BRUNSWICK STUDENT FOCUS GROUPS, SPRING 2008
The Rutgers University Libraries held three student focus groups in New Brunswick during
spring semester 2008. The impetus for having these groups was the desire of the current
Reference and Lobby Redesign Committee to know from students what kinds of spaces they
wanted in the library. There was also a desire to know from students their perceptions and desires
of reference service. In addition, the libraries have been seeking information from graduate
students about a possible redesign of the Graduate Reading Room. To this end we held three
focus groups: March 26 for undergraduates (two students) and one for graduate students (5
students) and April 23 for undergraduates. (eight students). Lila Fredenburg facilitated the
discussions and Jeanne Boyle, Valeda Dent, and Françoise Puniello took notes.
The following questions directed the discussions:
1. We often hear that atmosphere is important for studying. What do you think is the ideal
atmosphere for individual study? Group Study?
2. What three things do you like most about the library? What three things do you like the
least about it?
3. What do you imagine being in the perfect university library?
4. What do you imagine the perfect graduate reading room looking like? What do you
imagine the perfect undergraduate study space?
5. What do you think is meant by reference service?
6. Do the services offered by the library meet your needs?
7. What would make reference service better?

Previous Page Next Page

SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience (July 2011) resources

Extracted Text (may have errors)

158 · Representative Documents: User Feedback
Rutgers University
Summary. New Brunswick Student Focus Groups, Spring 2008
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/staff/planning/reports/student_focus_grous_rul_sp2008.pdf
SUMMARY
NEW BRUNSWICK STUDENT FOCUS GROUPS, SPRING 2008
The Rutgers University Libraries held three student focus groups in New Brunswick during
spring semester 2008. The impetus for having these groups was the desire of the current
Reference and Lobby Redesign Committee to know from students what kinds of spaces they
wanted in the library. There was also a desire to know from students their perceptions and desires
of reference service. In addition, the libraries have been seeking information from graduate
students about a possible redesign of the Graduate Reading Room. To this end we held three
focus groups: March 26 for undergraduates (two students) and one for graduate students (5
students) and April 23 for undergraduates. (eight students). Lila Fredenburg facilitated the
discussions and Jeanne Boyle, Valeda Dent, and Françoise Puniello took notes.
The following questions directed the discussions:
1. We often hear that atmosphere is important for studying. What do you think is the ideal
atmosphere for individual study? Group Study?
2. What three things do you like most about the library? What three things do you like the
least about it?
3. What do you imagine being in the perfect university library?
4. What do you imagine the perfect graduate reading room looking like? What do you
imagine the perfect undergraduate study space?
5. What do you think is meant by reference service?
6. Do the services offered by the library meet your needs?
7. What would make reference service better?

156 · Representative Documents: User Feedback
Rice University
Establishing fondren@brc
https://docs.google.com/a/arl.org/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B82slMUv3UBrNzkx
NTZjOWYtOWQ4Zi00Yjc2LWI3NGYtZmZjMWZjMGMyNzcz&hl=en&authkey=CJ7dhrcL&pli=1
students) come from other countries and may not be familiar with library resources
or how to find what they need. Workshops would be especially useful for first-year
graduate students who may not be familiar with doing serious library research. Faculty
seemed supportive of new graduate students attending workshops focused on their
research areas, and graduate students seemed interested in such workshops as
well. Short workshops that teach researchers how to do their work more quickly and
efficiently might also be popular. In addition, researchers need specialized training in
working with Web Of Science, medical databases, tech transfer, patents, business, and
environmental science.
8. Survey BRC tenant groups about what they need, particularly when it comes to journals
and other information resources.
9. Raise awareness of library services by sending a BRC specific email.
Facilities and Collections
10. Space that can be used for meetings. Already at least one small conference session
has been held in the current Fondren space.
11. Access to high-end printing, particularly poster printing. Typically each lab will
produce about 10 posters per year, according to one interviewee.
12. Access to high-end computer workstations, particularly with expensive software
such as SAS, MatLab, Adobe products, Mathematica, etc. Large displays would also be
helpful. Graduate students particularly identified this as a need.
13. A small collection of new books. One researcher commented that it was difficult to
know “if there's anything new at the library,” but that a display of these books would be
useful. Alternatively, perhaps the subject specialist could compile a quarterly update of
new books relevant to a discipline and circulate that via email.
14. A comfortable, flexible space for collaborative student projects.
15. Video conferencing for meetings with other research groups. (It appears that some
video conferencing facilities are already in the BRC.)
16. A small journal browsing collection. Each research group could provide a list of 5-10
core publications that they would like to see in the building.
17. A touchscreen display showing you what is available in the library.
In addition to the researchers’ suggestions, we recommend that:
1. The library embrace the visual culture of the BRC and promote library services and
resources through posters facing the hallway, colorful drawings on the glass walls, flyers
in the elevators, and other marketing approaches.
2. Fondren sponsor outreach sessions. The hallway outside the library space in the BRC
is large enough to accommodate several tables as well as groups of people, so food
could be served there.
3. Librarians create a BRC Libguide that reflects the interdisciplinary research needs of
the building and provides links to resources in biology, chemistry, bioengineering, and
biophysics.
4. More marketing and training can be done for Scopus, which is generally a better citation

Previous Page Next Page

SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience (July 2011) resources

Extracted Text (may have errors)

156 · Representative Documents: User Feedback
Rice University
Establishing fondren@brc
https://docs.google.com/a/arl.org/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B82slMUv3UBrNzkx
NTZjOWYtOWQ4Zi00Yjc2LWI3NGYtZmZjMWZjMGMyNzcz&hl=en&authkey=CJ7dhrcL&pli=1
students) come from other countries and may not be familiar with library resources
or how to find what they need. Workshops would be especially useful for first-year
graduate students who may not be familiar with doing serious library research. Faculty
seemed supportive of new graduate students attending workshops focused on their
research areas, and graduate students seemed interested in such workshops as
well. Short workshops that teach researchers how to do their work more quickly and
efficiently might also be popular. In addition, researchers need specialized training in
working with Web Of Science, medical databases, tech transfer, patents, business, and
environmental science.
8. Survey BRC tenant groups about what they need, particularly when it comes to journals
and other information resources.
9. Raise awareness of library services by sending a BRC specific email.
Facilities and Collections
10. Space that can be used for meetings. Already at least one small conference session
has been held in the current Fondren space.
11. Access to high-end printing, particularly poster printing. Typically each lab will
produce about 10 posters per year, according to one interviewee.
12. Access to high-end computer workstations, particularly with expensive software
such as SAS, MatLab, Adobe products, Mathematica, etc. Large displays would also be
helpful. Graduate students particularly identified this as a need.
13. A small collection of new books. One researcher commented that it was difficult to
know “if there's anything new at the library,” but that a display of these books would be
useful. Alternatively, perhaps the subject specialist could compile a quarterly update of
new books relevant to a discipline and circulate that via email.
14. A comfortable, flexible space for collaborative student projects.
15. Video conferencing for meetings with other research groups. (It appears that some
video conferencing facilities are already in the BRC.)
16. A small journal browsing collection. Each research group could provide a list of 5-10
core publications that they would like to see in the building.
17. A touchscreen display showing you what is available in the library.
In addition to the researchers’ suggestions, we recommend that:
1. The library embrace the visual culture of the BRC and promote library services and
resources through posters facing the hallway, colorful drawings on the glass walls, flyers
in the elevators, and other marketing approaches.
2. Fondren sponsor outreach sessions. The hallway outside the library space in the BRC
is large enough to accommodate several tables as well as groups of people, so food
could be served there.
3. Librarians create a BRC Libguide that reflects the interdisciplinary research needs of
the building and provides links to resources in biology, chemistry, bioengineering, and
biophysics.
4. More marketing and training can be done for Scopus, which is generally a better citation

Page 9Survey Results click to expand contents

Page 89Representative Documents click to expand contents

Page 91User Experience Planning and Organization click to expand contents

Page 97User Experience Projects click to expand contents

Page 103Recruiting Volunteers click to expand contents

Page 111Web Usability click to expand contents

Page 121Facility Design click to expand contents

Page 135Outreach click to expand contents

Page 143User Feedback click to expand contents

Page 177Advisory Boards click to expand contents

Page 185Job Descriptions click to expand contents

Page 195Selected Resources click to expand contents

SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience (July 2011) resources

All section downloads (PDF) click to expand contents

Extracted Text (may have errors)

Help

loading

SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience (July 2011) resources

Extracted Text (may have errors)

SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience (July 2011) resources

Extracted Text (may have errors)