BOOKS

User Experience in Libraries: Yearbook 2023
Edited by Andy Priestner, 243pp. Published: 30 Jan 2023.
ISBN-13: 979–8374878417 (paperback)
Available from:  Amazon.co.uk; Amazon.com; Amazon.de and most other local Amazon sites. Price: £35 / $45 / €40 (plus VAT if applicable).
An ebook version (downloadable PDF for single user) is available from Payhip.com. Price: £30 (plus VAT if applicable). Institutional access option also available – email us for details.

The Yearbook of the long-awaited 2022 UXLibsVI conference! See the full contents pages here.

Back cover text:
User Experience in Libraries (popularly known as UXLibs) is a global community of practice committed to exploring, sharing and advocating for UX Research & Design methods in library and learning services in the academic and public sectors. Our long-awaited sixth annual conference took place at Northumbria University in Newcastle with delegates from all around the world. This yearbook serves as a conference proceedings ‘plus’, collating all the stories, processes and methods we shared at that event. Among this year’s contributors are: Andy Priestner, who argues that while culture might eat strategy for breakfast, UX can eat culture for dinner; Rebecca Blakiston, who shares her thoughts on how we might leverage organisational pain points and practice radical empathy; and Daniel Forsman, who calls for institutional alignment on the aspiration and value of UX work and a change in how senior staff operate.
If you are just starting out in user experience work, or already employing UX techniques and seeking to embed a user-centred process in your library, then this is the publication for you.


A Handbook of User Experience Research & Design in Libraries
by Andy Priestner, 572pp. Published: 1 Feb 2021.
Price: £70 (or equivalent price in local currency).
ISBN-13: 979–8596805925 (paperback)
Available from:  Amazon.co.uk; Amazon.com and other local Amazon sites.
Need multiple copies? Contact admin@uxlib.org for a quote.
An ebook version (downloadable PDF for single user) is available from Payhip.com. Price: £60 (plus VAT if applicable). Institutional access option also available from Payhip for a one-off payment of £180 (cost of 3 copies) – email us for further details if required.
The PDF is also available via ebook vendors Kortext (plus institutional access options) and Odilo (perpetual licence, pay-per-use or simultaneous access options).

Description:
Andy Priestner shares his expertise and adventures in User Experience Research & Design in this eminently readable and practical handbook intended for library staff at all levels. He demonstrates how UX methods and techniques uncover deeper and richer insights than traditional methods and have the potential to actively transform library services by placing users at the centre of all research and design endeavours. Divided into the 4 phases of the Design Council’s Double Diamond model, a wealth of UX research, ideation and design techniques are detailed, alongside numerous case studies from academic and public libraries around the world, chronicling fieldwork successes and failures. The issues facing those seeking to manage, embed and break down barriers to UX are also explored in depth, enhanced by the input of leading international library UX practitioners. This is the perfect toolkit for anyone interested in refocusing a library service around its users.

Reviews:
The ultimate UX textbook for all library staff. The only thing better is having Andy consult with you and your team!’ (Sadie-Jane Nunis – Head Librarian, Singapore Institute of Management; Vice-President, Library Association of Singapore)

Like getting an in-depth consultation with a seasoned UX practitioner. It’s easy to understand, fun to read, and packed with tips and examples to inspire you to put the book down, go learn about your users, and start making your library a better place.’ (Rebecca Blakiston – User Experience Librarian and Strategist, University of Arizona Libraries; Editor-in-chief, Weave: Journal of Library User Experience)

Priestner delivers a pitch perfect process – purposeful, pithy, perceptive, probing, piercing, pointed and positive. I would recommend it to all working in libraries and beyond.’ (Kaye Sullivan – Director, Excellence and Engagement, Monash University Library, Melbourne, Australia)

An easily navigated and well-structured journey through the UX Process. Read it and, better still, use it!’ (Linda Vidlund – Library Director, SLU, Sweden)

Links:
Download the promotional flyer
> Interview with Andy about writing the book


User Experience in Libraries: Yearbook 2019
Edited by Andy Priestner, 256pp. Published: 4 Feb 2020.
ISBN-13: 979–8609163653 (paperback)
Available from:  Amazon.co.uk; Amazon.com; Amazon.de. Price: £35 / $45 / €40 (plus VAT if applicable). Also available from other local Amazon sites.
An ebook version (downloadable PDF for single user) is available from Payhip.com. Price: £30 (plus VAT if applicable).
The book is also available as a PDF via ebook vendors Kortext (institutional access options also available) and Odilo (perpetual licence, pay-per-use or simultaneous access options).

The third UXLibs Yearbook! See the full contents pages here.

Back cover text:
User Experience in Libraries (popularly known as UXLibs) is a global community of practice committed to exploring, sharing and advocating for UX research and design methods in library and learning services in the academic and public sectors. Our fifth annual conference took place at Royal Holloway, University of London with delegates from all around the world. Once again, this yearbook serves as a conference proceedings plus, bursting at the seams with stories about employing user experience methodologies to research and design more user-centred services. There are contributions from Anneli Friberg who explores the relationship between leadership and UX, Andy Priestner with a hard-hitting take on the institutional barriers to conducting UX design, Victor Alfson exploring the untapped value of using virtual reality as a research tool, and Helen Murphy forging links between UX and information literacy. Never before has our yearbook been more diverse in content and approach.
If you are actively employing user experience techniques, seeking to embed UX as a strategic priority at your institution, or new to the whole idea of focusing on your users when developing and designing library services, this volume is full of approaches and insights to help you on your journey.


User Experience in Libraries: Yearbook 2018
Edited by Andy Priestner, 288pp. Published: 14 Dec 2018.
ISBN-13: 978–1790914746 (paperback)
Available from:  Amazon.co.uk; Amazon.com; Amazon.de. Price: £35 / $45 / €40 (plus VAT if applicable). Also available from other local Amazon sites.
An ebook version (downloadable PDF for single user) is available from Payhip.com. Price: £30 (plus VAT if applicable).
The book is available as a PDF via ebook vendors Kortext (institutional access options also available) and Odilo (perpetual licence, pay-per-use or simultaneous access options).

The return of the UXLibs Yearbook! See the full contents pages here.

Back cover text:
UX in Libraries (UXLibs) is a global community of practice committed to exploring, sharing and advocating for UX research and design methods in library and learning services in the academic and public sectors. 2018 saw our fourth annual international conference, held in Sheffield, which once again brought together delegates from all over the world and this year focused on inclusivity. This volume collects together contributions from our conference speakers including Sara Lerén, Christian Lauersen, Janine Bradbury and Kit Heyam, all of whom wowed attendees with their insights and perspectives. Fascinating workshop content, delegate papers and material presented under our research in progress banner (‘UXLabs’) are also collected here.
If you are already applying user experience research and design or are just dipping your toe in the water, and want to find out what all the fuss is about, this second UXLibs Yearbook is the resource for you.


User Experience in Libraries: Yearbook 2017
Edited by Andy Priestner, 220pp. Published: 12 Dec 2017.
ISBN-13: 978–1981635573, ISBN-10: 1981635572 (paperback)
Print:  Amazon.co.uk; Amazon.com; Amazon.de. Price: £30 / $40 / €35 (plus VAT).  Other online retailers to follow.
An ebook version (downloadable PDF for single user) is available from Payhip.com. Price: £21 (plus VAT if applicable)
The PDF is also available via ebook vendors Kortext (institutional access options also available) and Odilo (perpetual licence, pay-per-use or simultaneous access options).

This exciting new tome collects together all the many presentations from the 2017 UX in Libraries conference in Glasgow and offers a fascinating, informative and truly international collection of stories, case studies, insights and reflections on the practice of UX in both academic and public libraries. If you are already conducting user experience research or are just starting on that journey the comprehensive UXLibs Yearbook should prove to be an invaluable companion to your endeavours.

Yearbook editor Andy Priestner reflects upon and reviews the content and idea of the volume on his blog.

 Table of Contents:
  1. Approaching maturity? UX adoption in libraries – Andy Priestner
  2. Ethical UX – Matthew Reidsma
  3. How white is your UX practice?: inclusion and diversity in critical UX research – Karine Larose and Simon Barron
  4. Maximising impact: scaling-up UX activities (and how to manage all that data!) – Vanya Gallimore 
  5. Space use data: success, failure, and defining impact – Kristin Meyer and Shelley Gullikson
  6. Impact in the Institute: conducting UX research in the Institute of Historical Research Library – Siobhan Morris
  7. Public library user – between personal development and sense of community – Rafał Rukat
  8. UX as part of the process: rebooting the Charles Booth online archive – Eva Jirjahlke
  9. The beginning of a beautiful friendship? Student engagement and UX at the University of Essex – Emma Wisher
  10. UXLibs, politics and the simple repeatable message – Andy Priestner
  11. No fear social responsibility and community archiving – Meredith Evans
  12. Unmasking the authentic user experience: How video evidence can make the case for improving virtual space – Amy Kimura and Heather Dalal
  13. Learning UX in user-centered reading groups – John Jung and Kathy Zadrozny
  14. User eXperience… our experience at Maynooth University Library – Lorna Dodd
  15. Shifting focus: UX to foster interdisciplinary scholarly community – Lauren Ray and Madeline Mundt
  16. UX research with distance learners – Keren Stiles
  17. Basing arguments on evidence: the unexpected outcome of a cultural probe – Åsa Forsberg
  18. UX your desk! – Carl Barrow
  19. Just getting started: impacting organizational culture with UX – Michelle Boisvenue-Fox
  20. Think less, do more: how ‘design doing’ can impact organizational structure and help create a user-centered culture – Yael Schwartz and Andrea Davis
  21. The University of Lanarkshire: Revealed – Ned Potter
  22. My experience of UXLibs and the Team Challenge – Gillian Siddall
  23. Location, Location, Emotion – Janet Corcoran
  24. Tales of the unexpected: UX and its wider impact – Kirstie Preest and Samantha Percival
  25. UX research at the University of Huddersfield – Alison Sharman
  26. How do you library? – Matt Borg
  27. Experience mapping (or the experience of delivering workshops at UXLibs3) – Anneli Friberg and Anna Kågedal
  28. Co-design – Vernon Fowler
  29. UX adoption and implementation: a summary of UX progress and projects from around the world
Back cover text:
‘UX research offers unparalleled access to the world of our users and is fast becoming a core activity of today’s libraries. UX in Libraries is a global community of practice committed to exploring, sharing, and advocating for, UX research methods in library and learning services. Each year since 2015 an annual international conference has taken place in the UK. Last year’s third iteration took place in Glasgow. This volume collects together the proceedings of that conference, incorporating the keynotes, workshops, the team challenge and the many papers presented by delegates working in both academic and public libraries, together with images from the event.’

UX-RoutledgeUser Experience in Libraries (Published by Routledge, 2016)

Edited by Andy Priestner and Matt Borg (203 pages)
ISBN: 9781472484727 (paperback), 9781472451002 (hardback)
Purchase from Routledge / Purchase from Amazon
Some chapters are available online as free ebooks

Published in 2016 this book brings together current thinking and expertise on User Experience research in libraries. It sets out a broader definition of UX that moves beyond digital and also explores use of library spaces and services. In this groundbreaking book, library practitioners, anthropologists, and design experts combine to advocate a new focus on User Experience (or ‘UX’) research methods. Through a combination of theoretical discussion and applied case studies, they argue that this ethnographic and human-centred design approach enables library professionals to gather rich evidence-based insights into what is really going on in their libraries, allowing them to look beyond what library users say they do to what they actually do. Edited by the team behind the international UX in Libraries conference, User Experience in Libraries will ignite new interest in a rapidly emerging and game-changing area of research. Clearly written and passionately argued, it is essential reading for all library professionals and students of Library and Information Science. It will also be welcomed by anthropologists and design professionals working in related fields.

‘User Experience in Libraries is an engaging combination of library UX theory and practice. Both those new to the subject and those with more experience will learn from it’ Aaron Schmidt, Principal, Influx Library User Experience

Table of Contents:

  1. Uncovering Complexity and Detail: The UX Proposition – Andy Priestner and Matt Borg
  2. Using Ethnographic Methods to Study Library Use – Bryony Ramsden
  3. Embracing an Ethnographic Agenda: Context, Collaboration and Complexity – Donna M. Lanclos
  4. Holistic UX: Harness Your Library’s Data Fetish to Solve the Right Problems – Matt Borg and Matthew Reidsma
  5. Applying Human-Centred Design to the Library Experience – Paul-Jervis Heath
  6. The Why, What and How of Using Ethnography for Designing User Experience in Libraries – Leah Emary
  7. Identifying the Barriers: Taskscapes and the Social Contexts of Library UX – Andrew D. Asher
  8. Illuminating Study Spaces at Cambridge University with Spacefinder: a Case Study – Andy Priestner
  9. WhoHas?: A Pilot Study Exploring the Value of a Peer-to-Peer Sub-Lending Service – Helen Murphy
  10. User Experience Beyond Ramps: The Invisible Problem and the Special Case – Penny Andrews
  11. Changing the Dialogue: The story of the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons – Rosie Jones and Nicola Grayson
  12. Case Study: UX and a Small Academic Library – Margaret (Meg) Westbury
  13. Understanding Our Students and Ourselves: Transformative Library Instruction Through an Ethnographic Lens – Michael Courtney and Carrie Donovan
  14. What Makes An Informal Learning Space?: A Case Study from Sheffield Hallam University – Bea Turpin, Deborah Harrop, Edward Oyston, Maurice Teasdale, David Jenkin and John McNamara
  15. Spaces for Learning? Using Ethnographic Techniques: a Case Study from the University Library, Edge Hill University – Helen Jamieson
  16. Are You Sitting Comfortably …? – Elizabeth (Libby) Tilley
  17. UX in Libraries: Leaping the Chasm – Andy Priestner and Matt Borg