Keynote presentation for the Michigan Academic Library Association Annual Conference. #mialaac19 Academic libraries are essential contributors to the higher education mission, supporting student success, faculty research productivity, and community engagement. And as the role of the academic library evolves, we are given countless opportunities to provide value through ever-transforming spaces, technology, collections, programs, and services that meet the needs and expectations of our students and faculty. Even with resource constraints, our options are unlimited, and our potential is huge. In this presentation, we’ll discuss ways the modern academic library is positioned to provide unique and significant value to our campus communities. Applying a user experience framework, let’s challenge ourselves to ask: how might we assess, iterate on, and build upon our value by focusing in on what really matters the most?

1. A Human-Centered
Strategy for Advancing
Library Value
Rebecca Blakiston
rebeccablakiston.info
@blakistonr
#MiALAAC19

2. ideas & knowledge
information technology
connections
exploration &
inquiry
academic library role #MiALAAC19

3. #MiALAAC19
The problem with*
libraries is we can do almost
anything.
* opportunity for

4. where to
focus?
#MiALAAC19

5. #MiALAAC19
understand create validate

6. understand
our users’ motivations, goals, and challenges
#MiALAAC19

7. “
Emotional empathy.
It’s reflexive. Emotional empathy is something that
happens to you.
- Indy Young, author of Practical Empathy
#MiALAAC19

8. “

9. “
Cognitive empathy.
It’s understanding how another person thinks. It’s
seeking out to understand their guiding principles. It’s
wanting to… understand them in terms of being able
to support them better.
- Indy Young, author of Practical Empathy
#MiALAAC19

10. “

11. says thinks
does feels

12. says thinks
does feels
“I’ve got this.” “I might be in
over my head.”
Studies at every
free moment
Overcommitted
and overwhelmed

13. § user interviews
§ empathy maps
§ immersion
§ observational studies
§ diary studies
#MiALAAC19

14. “
Cultural humility.
We will never be the experts of another’s experience,
only our own. We will all make mistakes, but that
doesn’t stop us form continually moving in the
direction of greater equity.
- Cole Eskridge, universal design consultant
#MiALAAC19

15. says thinks
does feels

16. how might we...
discover what matters most to the people we serve?
#MiALAAC19

17. create
solutions that address real human needs
#MiALAAC19

18. § visualize
§ prototype
§ experiment
§ iterate
§ build on ideas
#MiALAAC19

19. #MiALAAC19

20. teaching digital
literacies
library + university priorities
solving grand
challenges
engaging the
world
#MiALAAC19

21. user
needs
org
goals
focus
here

22. how might we...
design better solutions for the people we serve?
#MiALAAC19

23. validate
that our solutions are useful, sustainable, and impactful
#MiALAAC19

24. § concept testing
§ impression testing
§ preference surveys
§ A/B testing
§ usability testing
#MiALAAC19

25. 25

27. how might we...
have a long-lasting impact on the people we serve?
#MiALAAC19

28. #MiALAAC19
understand
create
validate
juggle
share
fail
rethink

29. success for
students
enrichment
for the
community
impact for
researchers
#MiALAAC19

30. How might we support…
Student success
inquiry and learning in a rapidly changing world?
Researcher productivity
creative endeavor, scholarly communication, and the global academic community?
Community enrichment
lifelong learning and social, cultural, and economic impact?
Wildideashere

31. 1.
Student Success
supporting inquiry and learning in a rapidly
changing world
#MiALAAC19

32. “I use library resources to find study materials
that help me prepare for upcoming tests and
projects.”
Kairat

33. future-oriented
self-conscious
stressed

34. says thinks
does feels

35. belonging
“am I welcome here?”
#MiALAAC19

36. “
Belonging.
Many thousands of students are capable of succeeding
in college but don’t because they don’t feel like they
belong, or don’t believe they can succeed.
- Gregory Walton, Stanford Psychologist
#MiALAAC19

37. #MiALAAC19
UNC Charlotte Atkins Library

38. health
“I worry about my mental and physical wellbeing”
#MiALAAC19

39. 3 out of 4
have experienced a stressful life event in the last year
70%
get insufficient sleep
50%
experience daytime sleepiness
#MiALAAC19
Depression & Anxiety, 2018
Nature & Science of Sleep, 2014

40. University of Arizona University of Maryland
Northwestern University University of Wisconsin

41. financial stability
“I wish college was more affordable”
#MiALAAC19

42. $30k
average student loan debt
69%
stressed about their finances in general
43%
worry about paying monthly expenses
#MiALAAC19
Study on Collegiate Financial Wellness, 2017

44. job preparation
“how can I get the skills I need for my career?”
#MiALAAC19

45. “
Fourth industrial revolution.
What should we be studying and learning if more than
65% of the jobs that will be available in 10 – 15 years
don’t exist today?
- Elatia Abate, entrepreneur
#MiALAAC19

46. North Carolina State Libraries

47. #MiALAAC19
Arizona Western College

48. how might we...
empower students with the tools, skills, and
mindset for a lifetime of success?
#MiALAAC19

49. wild idea space d

50. 2.
Researcher
Productivity
supporting creative endeavor, scholarly
communication, and the global academic community
#MiALAAC19

51. “My hopes and
dreams? To work less
than 100 hours per
week. Finding time to
work on my research
is a challenge.”
Sam

52. overwhelmed
passionate
driven

53. expertise
“How can I find experts and collaborators?”
#MiALAAC19

54. “
Interdisciplinary research.
Cross-disciplinary thinking is critical…to be able to
make a positive impact in our mission to change lives,
change organizations, and change the world.
- Anat Admati, Stanford Business Professor
#MiALAAC19

55. University of Arizona
#MiALAAC19

56. #MiALAAC19
MIT Libraries

57. research data
“How do I manage and preserve all my data?”
#MiALAAC19

58. “
Data explosion.
The past decade has given birth to a data explosion;
data are now captured and shared at unprecedented
levels.
- Patricia Mabry, National Institutes of Health
#MiALAAC19

59. Johns Hopkins Libraries

60. publishing
“How can I expand the impact of my research?”
#MiALAAC19

61. 2/3
favor an open access publication model
6/10
very interested in using OER
#MiALAAC19
Ithaka S+R US Faculty Survey, 2018

62. #MiALAAC19
SPARC.org

63. Indiana University
Bloominton Libraries

64. how might we...
support researchers in addressing the world’s grand challenges?
#MiALAAC19

65. wild idea space d

66. 3.
Community
Enrichment
supporting lifelong learning and social, cultural, and
economic impact
#MiALAAC19

67. “I would like to learn new things and
collaboratively play around.”
Esmeralda #MiALAAC19

68. community-oriented
open-minded
curious #MiALAAC19

69. lifelong learning
“I’m excited to learn something new”
#MiALAAC19

70. “
We must continue the relationship between the
academy and the community.
- Javier Duran, Confluence Center for Creative Inquiry
#MiALAAC19

71. Confluence Center Show & Tell
University of Arizona

72. preparing youth
“let’s ensure our children are set up for success”
#MiALAAC19

73. #MiALAAC19
Buford Middle School

74. local economy
“let’s improve quality of life in our community”
#MiALAAC19

75. TechTown, Detroit

76. local partnerships
“let’s pull our resources together”
#MiALAAC19

77. Women’s Hackathon,
University of Arizona

78. how might we...
sustain and strengthen our local communities?
#MiALAAC19

79. wild idea space d

80. how might we...
improve experiences for Kairat, Sam, and Esmeralda?

81. how might we...
advance library value, one decision at a time?

82. thank you
Stay in touch
@blakistonr
rebeccablakiston.info
blakisto@email.arizona.edu
Image and icon credits
• Pixabay
• Gender Spectrum Collection
• The Doodle Library