SPEC Kit 322: Library User Experience · 23
centered on continuing to improve the physical space and increasing access to technology and online services and
resources. Together, this information helps the library focus its resources to responsively meet the varied needs of its
users, while also ensuring that it is fulfilling its mission to support, enhance, and collaborate in the education, research,
and service activities of the university. The UIC University Library is committed to ongoing assessment in order to best
serve its users. Future assessment activities will continue to focus on the user experience, including plans for: a new
comprehensive user survey evaluating satisfaction with services and resources improved instruction evaluation tools
new in-depth reference assessment tools and the introduction of online and physical suggestion boxes. Additionally,
all current and future assessment activities will be complemented by a new marketing campaign aiming to better
communicate assessment efforts and subsequent improvements with users, while also building a greater culture of
assessment library-wide.
In addition to user experience activities, NARA also complies with the Government Performance and Results Act of
1993 (GPRA). In doing so, we survey virtually all users of NARA staff-provided services, and report these results to
Congress.
Integrated—all part of administrative efforts at assessment.
It is one aspect of many, but in a “where the rubber hits the road” sort of way.
It’s really the centerpiece in many ways almost everything you want to measure or improve has to do with the users.
Members of the library’s Assessment Team consult on user experience activities and conduct assessments of their own.
The Team has worked to establish a culture of assessment so more individuals have taken responsibility for assessing
their activities.
Most of our assessment activities fall into the category of “user experience” even though we might not call it that. Like
most libraries, we do focus groups, surveys, usability testing, etc., but there is no formal assessment program or plan to
guide these assessment activities.
Most of the activities of my department are involved in one way or the other with the user experience—either virtual or
physical use of the library. There are other data kept by separate departments that are reported annually, but we don’t
act on these very much. These are things like data reported to ARL.
Much of the assessment is identified and conducted by library departments that have specific assessment needs, with
support (as needed) from the User Feedback &Assessment Committee.
Our assessment program relies on multiple methods to provide information about our community’s library and
information needs, use, importance, and satisfaction on both an ongoing and project basis. We find that qualitative
methods focusing on the user experience are absolutely critical in gaining student input.
Our intent is to develop assessment efforts this next year, as part of our strategic planning efforts. Assessment will
primarily focus on user experiences.
Our library has a department dedicated to analyzing and improving the User Experience. Assessment is a major
component of the User Experience department’s role, but other activities also include: facilitating an active student
library advisory board, conducting outreach with users outside the library, collaborating with innovative campus
partners, facilitating focus groups, monitoring and engaging with users on social media feeds, and performing both
systematic and ad hoc surveys with students in library spaces.
Our most recent strategic plan includes the goal of improving the user experience.
Our user experience activities are “Actions” tied to the goals and objectives of our strategic plan. The measure of the
success of the “Action” is an assessment activity.
centered on continuing to improve the physical space and increasing access to technology and online services and
resources. Together, this information helps the library focus its resources to responsively meet the varied needs of its
users, while also ensuring that it is fulfilling its mission to support, enhance, and collaborate in the education, research,
and service activities of the university. The UIC University Library is committed to ongoing assessment in order to best
serve its users. Future assessment activities will continue to focus on the user experience, including plans for: a new
comprehensive user survey evaluating satisfaction with services and resources improved instruction evaluation tools
new in-depth reference assessment tools and the introduction of online and physical suggestion boxes. Additionally,
all current and future assessment activities will be complemented by a new marketing campaign aiming to better
communicate assessment efforts and subsequent improvements with users, while also building a greater culture of
assessment library-wide.
In addition to user experience activities, NARA also complies with the Government Performance and Results Act of
1993 (GPRA). In doing so, we survey virtually all users of NARA staff-provided services, and report these results to
Congress.
Integrated—all part of administrative efforts at assessment.
It is one aspect of many, but in a “where the rubber hits the road” sort of way.
It’s really the centerpiece in many ways almost everything you want to measure or improve has to do with the users.
Members of the library’s Assessment Team consult on user experience activities and conduct assessments of their own.
The Team has worked to establish a culture of assessment so more individuals have taken responsibility for assessing
their activities.
Most of our assessment activities fall into the category of “user experience” even though we might not call it that. Like
most libraries, we do focus groups, surveys, usability testing, etc., but there is no formal assessment program or plan to
guide these assessment activities.
Most of the activities of my department are involved in one way or the other with the user experience—either virtual or
physical use of the library. There are other data kept by separate departments that are reported annually, but we don’t
act on these very much. These are things like data reported to ARL.
Much of the assessment is identified and conducted by library departments that have specific assessment needs, with
support (as needed) from the User Feedback &Assessment Committee.
Our assessment program relies on multiple methods to provide information about our community’s library and
information needs, use, importance, and satisfaction on both an ongoing and project basis. We find that qualitative
methods focusing on the user experience are absolutely critical in gaining student input.
Our intent is to develop assessment efforts this next year, as part of our strategic planning efforts. Assessment will
primarily focus on user experiences.
Our library has a department dedicated to analyzing and improving the User Experience. Assessment is a major
component of the User Experience department’s role, but other activities also include: facilitating an active student
library advisory board, conducting outreach with users outside the library, collaborating with innovative campus
partners, facilitating focus groups, monitoring and engaging with users on social media feeds, and performing both
systematic and ad hoc surveys with students in library spaces.
Our most recent strategic plan includes the goal of improving the user experience.
Our user experience activities are “Actions” tied to the goals and objectives of our strategic plan. The measure of the
success of the “Action” is an assessment activity.
