Resource Guides: Elements of UX: A Librarian's Guide to User Experience Design: Bonus tracks

Books

Useful, Usable, Desirable by Aaron Schmidt; Amanda Etches
There's a reason why we keep bringing this up! It's an easily digestible, quick read that explains the value of UX in the library world, encouraging librarians to begin designing spaces and services with their patrons and communities always kept in mind. The book is organized in a series of checklists and recommendations for improving specific checkpoints in your library - everything from your website to your building signage.
Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
(For websites.) Usability guru Steve Krug's guide to understanding the principles of intuitive information design. Witty, practical, and filled with common sense.
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
A powerful primer on why some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them. (Cover photo: a "teakettle for masochists," featuring a spout right above the handle.)

Workshops & toolkits

Design Thinking for Libraries
Design thinking is an approach to improving services and products through creative problem solving. This free toolkit from IDEO.org will guide you through user research and brainstorming so you can rapidly prototype a new program, service, or setup at your library.
Human Centered Design Courses from NovoEd
NovoEd offers free online courses for people who want to try their hand at human centered design (a.k.a. "design thinking"). If you time it right, you might be able to jump into "Design Kit: The Course for Human-Centered Design" - it's offered a few times a year.
User experience basics from usability.gov
Usability.gov is a resource for user experience (UX) best practices and guidelines, maintained by the DHHS.
We Are All UX Librarians (Deep Dive at ALA Midwinter 2016)
Tweets and presentation slides from an ALA session about user research methods and UX philosophy in libraries. Intended for participants new to the concept of user testing (and with limited budgets).

Blogs, podcasts, and more

Design Thinking mindset videos
A series of very short (1-2 minute) videos from IDEO, explaining core ideas related to UX and Design Thinking.
LibUX (Website & Podcast)
LibUX hosts a podcast with guest interviews featuring UX professionals and thinkers from the library community and beyond. Their new bonus Q&A podcast series aims to answer fundamental questions about UX for library folks who are new to the topic.
UX Thought of the Day
Not-quite-daily UX thoughts to inspire you to do something differently in your design work.
Weave: Journal of Library User Experience
Open-access, peer-reviewed journal for library UX professionals.

Articles

Libraries: A Canvas for Creating Meaningful User Experience
Now more than ever before, public libraries are in a unique position to offer tailored, meaningful experiences to their users.
Meet Them in the Moment: Engaging Public Library Patrons When It Matters Most
With a solid understanding of their patrons and the way a person's relationship with the library evolves over time, librarians can tailor outreach, marketing and programming efforts to captivate different audiences.
Libraries of the Future
Recap of a panel of librarians, architects, and innovators discussing the future of library buildings and services.
The Library in the Life of the User
An OCLC report about shifting patron priorities and behaviors in public libraries, and how we can leverage awareness that relationships with libraries evolve throughout the course of a person's life.

Emerging UX tech, in libraries and beyond

MobileCirc from SirsiDynix
Product info for MobileCirc, enabling portable scanning and library card registration through Bluetooth and mobile device cameras.
“Beacon” Technology Deployed by Two Library App Makers
More about customizing library experiences with Bluetooth beacons.
EnvisionWare's 24-Hour Library
A fully automated mixture of bookmobile, small branch, and vending machine.
Measure the Future
Using cheap sensors to create "a Google-Analytics-style dashboard for your library building: number of visits, what patrons browsed, what parts of the library were busy during which parts of the day, and more."
The end of apps is here. Long live chat bots
An overview of how big tech companies are using chat bots... and what that might mean for the rest of us.
Virtual reality: soon to become mainstream in libraries? (access for MA residents)
Thoughts on how, when, and why libraries might get on the VR bandwagon. (This link will only work for geolocated Massachusetts residents - sorry!)
The Rise and Fall and Rise of Virtual Reality
An excellent primer on VR's long history and why it's finally just beginning to wend its way to the hands (and eyes) of the common consumer.
Choose Your Reality: Virtual, Augmented or Mixed
With all this new terminology, it's time for a reality check.

Other tools

Countdown timer
Xtensio - Web Strategy Tools
Includes a free "persona generator" (that's how we made Henriettah) to help you delve deeper into the minds and hearts of your users.

Want to talk about UX? So do we!

We'd love to hear about how you're applying UX design at your library, or to help you start. Feel free to get in touch.

Lauren Stara, Library Building Specialist
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
lauren.stara@state.ma.us

Callan Bignoli, Web Coordinator
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
callan.bignoli@state.ma.us