Transforming Library Spaces: a journey through User Experience and Impact (hosted online by ALN Groups)

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About this event

Date: Thursday 23rd January 2025
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm 
Closing date for bookings: Thursday 16th January 2025 (4pm)
Platform: Online via Teams

The ALN User Experience Community of Practice, Learning Spaces and Service Engagement & Impact Special Interest Groups are hosting this 1-day online event on designing or updating a new library space, the UX perspective and evaluating the impact of the changes.

The programme is now firmed up as follows:

10.00-10.15
Welcome (Co-Chairs of ALN User Experience Community of Practice, Learning Spaces and Service Engagement and Impact Special Interest Groups)
 

10.15-10.40
Designed with users in mind: how UX techniques and user feedback helped transform a library space. Our presentation looks at how we gathered data through a variety of ways to gain insight into user behaviour and preferences, which helped us make an informed decision to transform a study space from silent to collaborative. It also tells how following the change, we used the same techniques to evaluate how the space was being used, and what lessons we could take away for future space planning. (Susan Willcox/Rosie Smith – Newcastle University)

10.40-11.05
From Feedback to Functionality: Evolving 'The Snug' Through User Experience. Since lockdown we have continuously developed our wellbeing space, ‘The Snug’, to be a relaxing space that is aligned with user feedback gathered from our UX research. Through various methodologies, we have gathered insights that have allowed us to explore various elements of the area to ensure it meets the needs of our users. Due to other projects within the library, we will also talk about opportunities to review the space once more and develop it further for future use.
(Kate Williamson/Kirsty Barnfather – Durham University)

11.05-11.20 
Break

11.20-11.45
Study Place / Study Space - what 'walk & talk' interviews revealed about how Leeds Beckett Students use our library spaces. 
I have been working on a PhD since 2021 looking at the evolution of physical and digital academic library spaces since the pandemic.  My research in this time has also evolved - from considering how we might build some form of presence into digital library spaces, to more hybrid questions (both pragmatic and philosophical) regarding how students are now using our libraries (or other places) to study and how academic libraries can develop to support these changes in student study behaviours.  My presentation will focus on some of the data findings so far. 
(Debbie Morris - Leeds Beckett University)

11.45-12.30 
3 rounds of 5: the perfect UX methodology for improving spaces.
The Library at University of York have developed a specific method of conducting UX fieldwork in three rounds of five people: the generative stage, the prototype stage, and the evaluative stage. This presentation explores why this works and how to apply it to both digital and physical UX work. 
(Ned Potter - University of York)

12.30-13.15 
Lunch

13.15-13.20 
Welcome back

13.20-13.45
From football pitch to a moorland landscape - designing a new collaborative workspace. 
At the University of Bradford we have created a new calm, collaborative workspace using a wide range of UX techniques to inform the design and evaluate the use of the finished space.
(Kirsty Carver/Sophie North - University of Bradford)

13.45-14.00 
Networking session - Break out spaces – (discussion on what to ask the panel)

14.00-14.25
Creation of a family study space from a map area 
The journey from maps area to family study space. Managing UX and stakeholder consultation, from too little to too much. 
(Fiona Rhodes- Lancaster University)

14.25-14.40 
Break

14.40-15:05
Perfect spaces - UX project
Manchester Met Library is currently in a state of transition, having recently relocated whilst our new state-of-the-art library is being constructed. This has been the perfect opportunity to carry out UX work related to our study spaces, with our ‘Perfect Spaces’ UX project focusing on creatively utilising the available space to meet the diverse needs of our students and staff. Man Met Library is still in the early stages of this process, and the plan is to continue working on UX as we move towards our new library building, envisioning perfect spaces with and for our students.
 (Stella Breki/ Hope Abbott/Yasmine Mulholland -Manchester Metropolitan University)

15.05-15.50
Panel discussion (Kirsty Barnfather – Durham University, Debbie Morris, Ned Potter - University of York - Leeds Beckett University, Fiona Rhodes- Lancaster University) Troubleshooting panel to answer questions and share different methodologies/experiences on library space projects, UX and evaluating impact.

15.50-16:00 
Wrap up