Author: Marisa

In addition to our keynote, plenary and workshop speakers we are delighted to announce our talented paper presenters, who were selected via a blind review process way back in February 2020. Find out who they are and what they will be presenting on below…

NADIA MARKS
London School of Economics (LSE), UK
Paper: Winning them over one by one: four years of trial and error in embedding UX culture at an academic library
Abstract: This paper explores the work-in-progress of spreading a UX mindset at an academic library so that the recommendations of research are put into action and a UX design approach becomes routine. Success so far has required winning colleagues over one by one in different ways. Navigating personalities and politics, it has variously involved being opportunistic, accommodating, adaptable, cunning, wily, emphatic, and determined. The paper will describe the different strategies employed and the ups and downs of the process with practical examples. It will be ‘warts and all’, with plenty of fails and false starts as well as unexpected successes.

LARISSA TIJSTERMAN
University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Paper: Standing alone together; your secret UX buddies might be hiding in other departments
Abstract: Implementing UX can be a daunting task especially when you alone. The best way to learn is by doing but how do you get things done when the hierarchy is strong, you are starting at the bottom and everyone is spread out over several locations throughout the city? Well, not start at the library at all! I first worked together with other departments which not only empowered me but connected like-minded people across the university and got the sceptics on board. You do not have to start your journey alone your buddies might just be hiding in another department.

NAOMI BAGULEY & HARRI ENDERSBY-MARSH
University of Cambridge / Durham University, UK
Paper: A fresh perspective: the impact of interns on research and culture
Abstract: We were hired in September 2019 as interns at Durham University Library, with the joint purpose of integrating UX into our Library, after our colleagues were inspired by Claire Browne’s presentation on the UX research of an intern at UXLibs V. Our presentation will show how internships can be utilised to break down barriers within the Library and provide fresh perspective, and how we as interns integrated UX into a culture of unawareness. We’ll also be giving insight into the new ethnographic technique that we developed that can be adapted for use in other libraries.

ÅSA FORSBERG
Lund University, Sweden
Paper: The photo challenge: a national collaboration among university libraries
Abstract: In 2019-2020 librarians at twelve Swedish academic libraries collaborated to do UX research about students with reading disabilities. The objectives were (1) to better understand the study situation for this student group and (2) for the participating librarians to learn how to do UX research and design.
The data collected in the study was analyzed together in an affinity mapping workshop, to address the first objective. To evaluate if we had fulfilled the second objective we asked the librarians about their experience of conducting a UX study. In Spring 2022 we conducted a follow-up survey, and the data collected will be included in the study.

NICK RUSSELL
Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Paper: ‘Ask the Experts’: student support interventions designed and delivered by students
Abstract: Do you want to put students at the fore in designing and delivering interventions for their peers? ‘Ask the Experts’ involves training pairs of students who have been through a particular experience or transition such as starting university or going on placement, to deliver one-off workshops to students going through – or preparing for – the same experience.
The model was devised for the purpose described but we believe it can be used to facilitate an extended programme of co-production with students and become iterative with each new phase with students recommending changes and developing the model itself.

NATHALIE CLOT & MAXIME SZCZEPANSKI
University of Angers, France
Paper: Training outsiders to grow insiders through active library staff visits
Abstract: “Truly I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.” (Luke 4:24)
#BUApro is a project of professional visits from external library staff to our library to train ourselves, our own staff and our visitors in UX tools and techniques, thereby inspiring and advocating for a UX mindset and culture both in our own and other libraries. We will talk about how to organise and practice a workshop with complete beginners on both sides and reflect on how to, as a senior manager, you can encourage a UX team culture in middle management.

NATACHA LECLERCQ VARLAN
University of Lille, France
Paper: Step by step: how to involve staff in UX projects on a long-term basis (case study at the University Libraries of Lille)
Abstract: A coordinator for UX and Patron Studies was appointed at the University Libraries of Lille in 2017. The refurbishing of the Law Library “Culture Zone” was a first shot to involve colleagues in a user-centered approach and to show the necessity of this coordination, in newly merged University Libraries. Three years after this experiment, many new projects emerged. Keeping a cross-functional view of Libraries activities, testing methods on projects with different scales and being flexible enough to follow the organization’s priorities were key elements to disseminate UX to a larger scale, from frontline staff to senior management.

CARRIE DONOVAN
University of Pittsburgh, USA
Paper: Trust the process: re-envisioning library organizations through user-centered practice
Abstract: Professional identities and organizational cultures carry with them a sense of power that, once developed, is resistant to change; however, academic librarians can apply what we know about user experience in order to transform ourselves and our organizations. The critical reflection and flexible mindsets that are central to user-centered practice are also helpful for reframing our professional roles and workplace cultures. This presentation will explore opportunities for re-envisioning the foundational elements of libraries, as well as approaches for building trust among ourselves and with our communities in a user-centered context.

SARAH HALLIDAY & PETER HANNA
University of Hertfordshire, UK
Paper: Ripples of UX: sharing techniques and practice with students and staff
Abstract: At Hertfordshire we are creating ripples of UX by taking what we’ve learned from our library-focused UX projects and encouraging others across the University to adopt our approach. In this session we show how we’ve shared our thinking and how it is being put into practise across the university, most particularly with our Students’ Union. Attendees will learn about the tools and techniques we’ve developed to help others adopt a UX approach, understand how we’ve gone about sharing these with both students and colleagues (from inside and outside the library service), and see outcomes achieved in different areas.

PAUL HARDING & NED POTTER
University of York, UK
Paper: Ask not what your organisation can do for UX, ask what UX can do you for your organisation
Abstract: tl;dr: Let’s sell by doing.
Longer version: You can’t change a culture by talking about it; you have to change a culture through actions. Rather than focusing on the features of UX to advocate its use in our organisations, we should showcase and celebrate its benefits through truly user-driven change.
Using a UX-led catalogue improvement project as a case study, this session will illustrate how to overcome resistance to change by reframing the internal conversation to not being about UX so much, overcoming cynicism through the sheer quality of the work, and asking for neither permission nor forgiveness.

ASHLEY BREWER
Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
Paper: The Web User Experience Working Group: one academic library’s grassroots and outside-the-org-structure effort to build an inclusive culture of UX
Abstract: In the absence of a UX department or anyone with UX in their title, how can a library scale and resource UX research for informed web and service design decisions? This paper will share one library’s attempt to build a culture of UX outside the organizational structure lines through the creation of a diverse, cross-divisional working group, convened by the Web Systems Librarian (now the Senior Web and User Experience Librarian) and charged with shared learning about UX methods and best practices and with helping the Libraries’ web team conduct UX research. Now in its fourth year, we’re examining the group’s successes and struggles — and the actual sustainability of such a model.

JARMO SCHRADER & NINON FRANK
University of Hildesheim, Germany
Paper: “Did you already post that in our library channel?”: Instant messaging as a tool to improve staff engagement in discussing user-related issues
Abstract: The COVID-induced shift to remote working prompted Hildesheim University Library to introduce the instant messenger ‘Rocket.Chat’ as a means to improve communication within and between teams of the library. A major goal was to increase participation in discussions around user- and service-related issues.
We will use structured interviews with all members of staff as well as analyses of individual discussion threads to assess how the introduction of Rocket.Chat affected daily communication among library staff and whether using an instant messaging tool can encourage a more open and equitable communication style.

LEONIE KAMMINGA
Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
Paper: Using student experience sessions to improve information literacy education
Abstract: The Education Experience team at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) was established to help to improve information and services for and communication with students and teachers. Using Customer Journeys, Design Thinking (DT), and Mind Mapping sessions, the user needs and experiences are mapped. For WUR-Library a DT session was conducted to assess the desires, wishes, and expectations of students involved in information literacy education. During my presentation I will elaborate on the organization, outcomes, and perspectives of this DT session and on how the Education Experience team in embedded within WUR.

JULIE WILLEMS
University of Luxembourg
Paper: How UX methods helped the transition of the library team into a new library building
Abstract: A year and a half before the opening of the new University library building, how do you prepare three small teams from different campuses to merge into their new work environment, the Luxembourg Learning Centre? How do you empower the staff to take ownership of the new infrastructure and to adopt a new service culture?
The presentation will outline how UX methods used internally can help improve the quality of service and develop a user-centered organisational culture and how important it is to consider the library staff as a user and to consciously conceive and design services for both library users and its library staff.