ACRL/NY User Experience Discussion Group

April 25, 2013

“Assessment”

Attendees: Jean Amaral (QCC, CUNY), Sue Hunter (Pace Univ.), Elaine Provenzano (Manhattanville), Lisa Chow (Brooklyn Public Library), Haroko Yamauchi (MLIS grad Queens College), Albert Tablante (ASA college), Robin Davis (JJ, CUNY), Stephanie Gross (Yeshiva Univ.), Mark Aaron Polger (CSI,CUNY), Karen Erani (consultant), Tina Weiss (HUC)

What is assessed?

• Carpet
• Furniture
• Web Site
• Study Space
• Chairs
• Entrance

IRB process

Methods

• Card sorting
• Ethnographic studies
• Ask students to tell us what they know in 90 seconds
• Suggestion box
• Focus groups
• Fly on the wall (user observation)
• Liaison survey
• Eye scan
• Turnstiles
• Video cameras
• Facebook comments/Twitter comments

Current Issues Worth Assessing

• Food in the library
• Noise
• Cell phones
• Should we allow food and coffee so it promotes a non punitive environment
• Quiet vs. collaborative place

Obtaining data from our users

• Student government
• Student ambassadors
• Library Advisory Group (with students and faculty)
• Text a complaint
• Analyse Facebook / Twitter /Instagram comments
• Feedback from blog
• Student experience survey
• Faculty survey

Reflections on how to assess reference services

• Try to understand students’ information seeking behaviour
• LibAnswers- analyse reference desk transactions
• Does signage reduce reference questions?
• Perpetual beta- always test services & resources
• Analyse online chat reference transactions (Question Point, etc)

Meeting adjourned at 6:30pm, Thursday April 25, 2013, minutes by M.A. Polger, ACRL/NY UX Co-Chair