Useful, Usable, Desirable: Applying User Experience Design to Your Library

Rating: really liked it

This is not a book of new ideas, but it effectively brings together ideas of how to apply user experience to you library. There are very helpful check lists which could be used to investigate most areas of library service. For the library building section, in the Australian context, readers should also consider People places.

This is a useful book for people looking to improve the services provided in libraries.

Rating: really liked it

Well organized with do-able, action items to improve library services. I especially liked the star ratings for how difficult different change plans will be.

Rating: it was amazing

This is actually one of the best professional development books I have read in a while because it actually provides useful, practical suggestions rather than just floating above that with theory and reasoning as to why libraries need to improve.

The authors look at the various different aspects of library service, including physical space, service desks, policies & customer service, signage & wayfinding, online presence, and the collection. The focus is to look at how libraries can improve in each of these areas by trying to make them user or member centered. The idea is that we sometimes get caught in what we have always done, what we think is best for the patron, or even (sadly) what is easier for us. None of these create a service environment that is optimal for our patrons.

Not only do Schmidt and Etches provide general advice about improvements, but they highlight why such improvements are important and provide a key checklist in each area as to some things that could be done to make improvements. Most are things that could be done by just about any library.

One of the cool things, though, was that as I read, I realized that my library has been working on doing this in the time period since I started working at my library. We have had some staff changes from the director through many of the department heads that have actually had us looking at many of the changes highlighted in the book. It was very reinforcing in the concept that we are heading in the right direction.

I definitely recommend this book.

Rating: it was amazing

Whenever I started searching for information on applying holistic user experience design to libraries, all signs pointed to this book as the seminal work on this topic. I read it as part of an independent study that's also being influenced by management, customer service, and even web design materials, and I really appreciate how this book is a primer for tying those fields together in one neat volume. The greatest strength of Useful, Usable, Desirable: Applying User Experience Design to Your Library is clear writing and focused suggestions on improving UX with necessary evaluations, ranging from touchpoint mapping to website recommendations. Many of the evaluations come down to usability testing or surveys to garner feedback from users, and I love the idea that libraries can become more connected with their members in gathering and applying this information.

The most prominent lesson of this book comes on p. 141, "Libraries will provide better service if they think about member needs as problems to be solved. Libraries should help solve real problems in their communities." Etches and Schmidt discuss why that point is left to the end, but I wish that kind of message had been imparted at the beginning to show why investment in UX is worthwhile (some people need convincing up front). Overall, this book is invaluable for anyone in a leadership position at a library interested in targeted, specific improvements to UX.

Rating: really liked it

Commonsense ideas that need revisiting - get rid of clutter! Simplify the user experience with quality signage and usable technology. Rethink the website and repurpose it for what patrons use it for most. The book also touches on ongoing issues - why don't our catalog search tools work as well as Amazon or Google? Do you find yourself looking to Amazon for the correct title and author spelling before entering it into your wonky search engine? Yes, you do. Our profession needs to focus on user experience in the physical spaces and in the technology we offer and to make the changes needed in order to become useful, usable, and desirable.

Rating: liked it

A book I would love all librarians to read. It is a nice overview of UX and how it fits in to the needs of your patrons as well as how to accomplish the tasks. It is a well organized and clear book, but it is focused more on public libraries and librarians in service points.

Rating: it was amazing

This is a wonderfully put together book. Each chapter focuses on an aspect of the library, how to assess your library and then suggestions on how to make improvements. The content is practical and universally applicable. It is well thought out and presented. I highly recommend this book for all librarians interested in improving their library.

Rating: really liked it

This was a very good read. It is aimed at all libraries, but it felt oriented a bit more toward public libraries. It would have been more useful for me had it focused just on academic libraries, but it still had a lot of good ideas and food for thought.

Rating: really liked it

Really good rundown of how to take practical steps to improve the library user's experience.

Rating: really liked it

Very useful and easy to implement suggestions for creating a more user friendly library.

Rating: liked it

3.5

Predictable but useful.

Rating: it was amazing

Used this for an assignment, excellent guidelines on how to design a library to enhance the user experience. Will most definitely use this book for reference after I graduate.

Rating: liked it

It does have a few great ideas, namely the section of creating a style guide for every aspect of the library. But the scoring part feels tacked on. Sure that does make the library staff ask itself to honestly look at how they are serving the public but felt like filler. You can read it over a weekend as there are some sections that won't necessarily apply to your library. The short length plus the high price ($60 even at Amazon!) makes it difficult to recommend.

Rating: really liked it

Excellent practical and plain language guide that *SO* *MANY* libraries need. Background theory and explanations are covered but in the way that is just enough to show why it's important, not in an academic discussion sort of way. The self-test and difficulty ratings are a thoughtful addition to help guide both decision making and implementation. No design-shaming or condescension either, the authors of this book have hit just the right tone.

Rating: it was ok

I have some serious issues with a few of the suggestions in this book. I think secret shoppers, for example, show a huge lack of trust and are a waste of time and resources at best and inspire paranoia at worst. I want a LOT of evidence that something like that is not detrimental to library staff. IMHO we can be user-focused without throwing staff under the bus. There were some interesting ideas, though, and the chapters towards the end are pretty good.