User Research
Libraries are impacted by the ways in which individuals engage with technology; how they seek, access, contribute, and use information; and how and why they demonstrate these behaviors and do what they do. We're collaborating with librarians to shape their services around a set of expectations that have been influenced by consumer technologies and modern research and learning environments. By providing the library community with behavioral evidence about individuals’ perceptions, habits, and requirements, we can ensure that the design of future library services is all about the user. Our efforts are amplified by strategic partnerships and focus in these two areas:
Presentations
"You Can Just Tell Whether a Website Looks Reliable or Not." People's Modes of Online Engagement
Bogota (Colombia)
Learn about the Digital Visitors and Residents project, how research supporting the project was completed, results focused on digital literacy, and recommendations for libraries.
Topics: User Research, Information Literacy
User-Centered Assessment: Leveraging What You Know and Filling in the Gaps (video)
Whether you’re trying to decide how to allocate your library’s resources or make the best use of your space, formal assessment tools can guide your decision-making. This webinar covers why formal assessments are more effective than anecdotal data, and will help you learn how to plan effective evaluations.
Topics: User Research, Assessment, WebJunction
Online Engagement and Information Literacy: The Many Faces of Digital Visitors & Residents
Milan (Italy)
Learn more about OCLC's Digital Visitors and Residents work, identifying how individuals are engaging with technology, acquiring information, and why they make their choices.
Topics: Digital Visitors and Residents, User Research, Information Literacy
Studying Information Behavior: The Many Faces of Digital Visitors and Residents
Ramat Gan (Israel)
Learn about the Digital Visitors and Residents project, which reveals the information behavior of students and faculty as they access information in the library.
Topics: Digital Visitors and Residents, User Research
Investing in Library Users and Potential Users: The Many Faces of Digital Visitors and Residents
Muscat (Oman)
Silipigni Connaway shares results from OCLC's Digital Visitors and Residents work, which identified how individuals are engaging with technology, acquiring information, why they make their choices, and how libraries can use this information to make decisions to reach users.
Topics: Digital Visitors and Residents, User Research
On Shapes and Sizes: Measuring Diversity of Technological Engagement Through Digital Visitors and Residents Maps
Washington, D.C. (USA)
User Studies researchers share findings from the Digital Visitors and Residents project, including how students and faculty engage with technology and library resources online and in person.
Topics: Digital Visitors and Residents, User Research
Digital Literacy in the Era of Fake News: Key Roles for Information Professionals
Washington, D.C. (USA)
In this presentation, Silipigni Connaway describes how people determine whether an online information source is credible and how libraries can play a role in ensuring patrons are accessing trustworthy sources.
Topics: Information Literacy, User Research
Capturing the Behaviors of the Elusive User: Strategies for Library Ethnography
Wrocław (Poland)
Lynn Silipigni Connaway covers ethnographic data collection tools and methods, drawing from the digital visitors and residents research she and her team have conducted.
Topics: User Research