Library usability in higher education: How user experience can form library policy

Abstract

The university library is a large socio-technical system with a vital part to play in university life. It has been described as “the social and intellectual heart of campus”, with users now able to make use of both the digital and physical aspects of their library. Based on case studies in UK university libraries, this study aims to find out how and to what extent user experience forms part of university library policy, and how it can effectively be incorporated into it. Staff interviews and researcher-administered questionnaires with library users on campus will show the areas where usability issues occur and the gap between users’ experiences and expectations of using libraries. These together with analysis of library policies will aim to suggest the factors that a user experience policy should cover.