User Experience at the UP Library

Abstract

The Department of Library Services at the University of Pretoria established a User Experience (UX) unit in 2020. Since its inception, the UX unit has conducted several user-centered studies. I will be focusing on four of these studies. The first study in collaboration with the library Marketing office, focused on assessing the adequacy of our library's online services for users during the pandemic. To gather user data, we adopted a dual approach, employing both a survey and an observation study. During the observation study, we selected five users from three distinct user groups and tasked them with completing predefined activities while under observation. This enabled us to gain valuable insights into how our users interacted with our online services and identified areas for improvement. In the second study, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Informatics, we evaluated our library website in the UX Lab using eye-tracking technology. Users were asked to navigate the library the website's usability. The third study was an observation study conducted during the lockdown period to analyse how user behaviours evolved in the new library environment. In conclusion, I will highlight the wealth of valuable information gathered throughout our focus group sessions.