Staying True to the Core: Designing the Future Academic Library Experience

Abstract

In 2014, the practice of user experience design in academic libraries continues to evolve. It is typically applied in the context of interactions with digital interfaces. Some academic librarians are applying user experience approaches more broadly to design both environments and services with human-centered strategies. As the competition for the time and attention of students and faculty increases, along with expanding options for acquiring scholarly content that more frequently circumvent traditional libraries, academic librarians will seek new methods to understand and engage with the members of their community. This article envisions a future where user experience design moves from the periphery to the core of academic library operations. While it is a future shaped by advanced technology that radically changes user expectations, the author imagines an experience that is futuristic but rooted in the core values of contemporary academic library practice.