The first organizational meeting of the ACRL/NY User Experience Discussion Group, led by discussion chair Carrie Netzer Wajda, was held on Friday, September 11th at Mercy College. The topic brought 14 attendees from diverse backgrounds and academic institutions. After a brief networking and meeting period from 9-9:30, the meeting opened at 9:30 with an introduction to the User Experience Discussion Group by ACRL/NY board members. This was followed by a roundtable discussion of attendees’ knowledge of and interest in usabilty issues.
During a lively discussion, participants expressed curiosity and concerns about how to do usabilty research using surveys, interviews, and web analytic software. Generally, the discussion focused on the idea that making libraries more usable for our patrons shouldn’t be difficult – indeed, the best way to achieve better usability is to make the research process less burdensome on librarians.
Based upon participant feedback, it was proposed that the group meet twice or three times per year, perhaps with an event component. The next meeting’s discussion, to be held in early December, will consider survey design, administration, and working with institutional research boards. The December meeting’s location and date t.b.d. Meeting minutes are posted on the discussion group website at http://acrlnyux.wordpress.com/.
The group can also be found online on Facebook Groups.
