Events


Internet Librarian International


Interactive library ‘maker- spaces’, library orientation apps, and a penguin named Pablo. Jodie Bell reports


Pablo the penguin was spotted at several sessions


A packed schedule covering two days at London Olympia offered insights into several key themes including data collection, technology, and understanding user behaviour, encompassing a wide range of fascinating sessions. We were in attendance with Helen


Young, from Loughborough University Library, to share details of our jointly- run project investigating researcher user behaviour. The project was set up to investigate the research habits of a sample of early career researchers, and is overseen by representatives from both Loughborough and Taylor & Francis. Over nine months, 10 students were


asked to complete a monthly diary of their research habits, uncovering how they approached research and managed information, and whether those approaches varied over time. By approaching the project


collaboratively, each organisation could offer its own knowledge and expertise to achieve the same end-goals – improving the user experience (UX) for researchers. Loughborough would facilitate the


group meeting of researchers and offer mentors to guide the students through the data collection process, while Taylor & Francis would set up data collection tools, monitor and analyse results; both organisations will use the results to develop UX. Throughout the project we have sought to engage with the wider community of librarians and researchers in the conversation and the issues it raises. Presenting our experience and findings at Internet Librarian International has been a key part of that and we welcomed the interest from delegates in engaging with our approach to UX. While the process of data analysis is


www.researchinformation.info | @researchinfo


now under way, we were able to share a few of the key findings at ILI. Some may come as no surprise – but as useful confirmation, nonetheless: that the online library proves more popular than the physical; that Google Scholar is a common starting point for research; and incomplete or inaccurate search results were a recurring frustration for students. An early look at the data has uncovered some issues that may warrant further


“Throughout the project we have sought to engage with the wider community of librarians and researchers”


study. The library is still seen as a primary source of support on multiple areas, including offering advice on open access. While visits to the online library far


outweighed use of the physical building, it was reassuring to see that library support is still valuable for researchers. There was a sporadic approach to managing references, with a number of online tools mentioned and handwritten notes still very popular. Social media as a search tool was highlighted, with the opportunities for networking also mentioned by students. The overall message is of our positive


experience in approaching the project collaboratively. Both organisations have been keenly


appreciative of the expertise the other has lent, and both parties have been


delighted by the engagement shown from the students who have offered their time, opinions and input. We greatly enjoyed the opportunity to look in on some of the other sessions during our time at the conference, and were particularly struck by the innovative use of technology apparent across many different institutions in their approach to user engagement. The success of the recent ‘Pokemon Go’ game was applied to library orientation at Singapore Management University, with a mobile app that supports on-demand orientation for new users. The app sends alerts and suggested content to users as they approach specific areas of the library, and initial feedback looks very positive. Elsewhere, the Randers Public Library in Denmark and University of Sussex offered a glimpse into future-tech with their different uses of WiFi to detect wireless signatures and gain understanding of their library building’s use. Honourable mention must also be made of the increasingly famous Pablo the Penguin, sighted at several sessions throughout the conference. Representatives from the University of Portsmouth explained the unique informal voice Pablo offers for their library, and the success they’ve experienced in using Pablo as an effective communication tool with library users. They’ve experienced growth in all areas of engagement for their social media account – and they seem to be setting a trend, with other libraries now introducing their own mascots too.


Jodie Bell is communications manager at Taylor & Francis Group


December 2016/January 2017 Research Information 25


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32