Most of the resources I've come across for designing for libraries have to do with architectural design and space planning as well as interior design.
One website is http://www.slais.ubc.ca/RESOURCES/architecture/index.htm Contains links to documents in building and planning a library, companies that manufacture or create library furniture, and articles on building sustainable libraries and barrier-free libraries. The barrier-free page interests me the most if you think about seniors and their accessibility issues with libraries.
One of the organizations listed in that website above has its own website at http://www.librisdesign.org/index.html. They have documents for planning and constructing a library which is found at this page: http://www.librisdesign.org/docs/index.html
Near the bottom is a PDF document of designing wayfinding and signage sysytems for libraries. Maybe not too relevant to my project, but I thought it might of interest seeing as it may be the only graphic design source out of all the architectural design sources out there.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Survey T-shirt
Hahaha. This is similiar to one of my sketch ideas, which was writing down feedback on a T-shirt. Seriously, I didn't rip it off from here. It is similiar to the VPL's vision for the library in 2015, because of the post-its, mainly.
Survey Responses
Oh, yeah. During week 3, I conducted mini intervierws with some college students about their library usage. My email was like this:
I got a few responses back.
One was a 21-year old male who responded that he visits the library 3 times a month, depending how busy he is. As a student he uses the library for research. He isn't aware that the library has survey forms because if so, the forms are not clearly visible. Also, the library is a free service to him.
Another was a 29-year old female who uses the VPL library only 4-5 times a year. She uses the public library to borrow DVD movies or materials for school research. Mainly she uses her school library. Improvement is a probable, because there is not enough new material in the library. If there is, she doesn't know where they are. She doesn't use the survey forms because she isn't aware of them.
Finally, I talked to a 21-year old male student. He rarely uses the library, but definitely think the library could be improved if they carried more variety of books, expecially newer titles. He, again, isn't aware of survey forms or suggested purchase forms because he isn't aware of them.
Hi!
This is Cindy! I'm doing a project for my grad year at Emily Carr University. I am researching out answers for my subject: why the Vancouver Public Library isn't getting enough feedback from young adults. So here's my 4 questions:
1) How old are you?
2) Do you use the Vancouver Public Library?
3) If so, do you think the library could use some improvements?
4) Do you provide user feedback to the library?
5) If you haven't given user feedback, how come? (don't know where the forms are, not motivated, no time, etc.)
That's all! Long or short answers are fine.
I got a few responses back.
1. 202. I don't really use the Vancouver Public Library on a regular basis. If I do, it's just to use their facilities, but I usually don't borrow any books from them. I go there maybe around once a year... This is mainly because I use the UBC libraries.3. I don't go to the libraries often enough to suggest any huge improvements. In general, my experience there has been fine.4. I do not provide user feedback.5. I did not know that there was such thing as a user feedback for the Public Library and even if I did, I don't have any major complaints, so there is no reason for me to use it.
1) 23
2) No
3) ???
4) No
5) Cuz i never use the library... i use the internet!!!
1) 19
2) Yes, maybe 1-2 times a month.
3) Yes
4) No
5) I don't feel that I use the public library enough to feel the need to make suggestions. Also, since the public library is a free public service, I feel less comfortable giving them my ideas for what I think they could do better... kinda like the "beggars can't be choosers" mentality. =/
1) 21I personally talked to a few others.
2) yes
3) the navigation is confusing, and there are also books missing even in the online catalouge says that they're "in"
4) no
5) didn't know they have feeback forms, not very motivated to do it either
1) 24
2) yes i go to public library
3) no i do not think there needs improvement
4) i didnt fill out their survey b/c i didnt not find it necessary
5) i dont go to library often
One was a 21-year old male who responded that he visits the library 3 times a month, depending how busy he is. As a student he uses the library for research. He isn't aware that the library has survey forms because if so, the forms are not clearly visible. Also, the library is a free service to him.
Another was a 29-year old female who uses the VPL library only 4-5 times a year. She uses the public library to borrow DVD movies or materials for school research. Mainly she uses her school library. Improvement is a probable, because there is not enough new material in the library. If there is, she doesn't know where they are. She doesn't use the survey forms because she isn't aware of them.
Finally, I talked to a 21-year old male student. He rarely uses the library, but definitely think the library could be improved if they carried more variety of books, expecially newer titles. He, again, isn't aware of survey forms or suggested purchase forms because he isn't aware of them.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Week 3: Researching 18-20 year age group
That week was a tough one on me. After getting instructor feedback, I had to consider 2 things: 1) Is the library not getting enough feedback from their users as they would like to? Or 2) Are users having difficulty in providing feedback? (Assuming that users do want to provide feedback). So the first librarian I went to talk to was at my jolly local branch.
Sept 11
Kensington branch @ around 4:45-5:05pm:
Talked to the manager of Kensington branch, Yukiko Tosa. She's super nice (then again, so are all librarians). She's been working for the VPL for 30 years at least. When I asked whether or not the library was getting enough feedback from users, she told me that the library was indeed getting a good amount of feedback. Hmm, that contradicted with a few of the librarians I talked to. The library has specialists that do research on the needs of a community and they do surveys and programs to find out info. Even the Suggested Purchase form, she said, was getting enough hits at 40-80 per month. For a popular title, that is. Usually requests for more Dvd's than books. She did mention that some feedback would be nice regarding Kensington's relocation to a bigger building. I asked if there may be a specific demograph that the library hears the least feedback from. She said I could look into the 18-20somethings age group b/c they don't frequent the library as much. The library has programs for teens, kids, seniors, etc but not for 18-20somethings. That age group has gradutaed from high schooland are so busy with college life that there isn't enough feedback. Also they're relying on their school libraries, so their is a "competition" issue. Not until they get married and have kids, then they come back to the library just to introduce their children to reading. Yukiko was interested in knowing what college kids use the library for (studying? internet?).
Mount Pleasant branch @ around 7:50-8pm:
Revisted D'Arcy and told him about what Yukiko told me. When I asked for his opinion, he seemed unsure. I guess the 18-20somethings is not something he would know about. He told me that there are teen librarians who visit the Broadway Youth Centre to talk to teens there and get their input. A matter of knowing what the library could do to improve their services for those who don't use the library. I asked him who else I could talk to. He gave me the contact info of Annette, manager of teens and children's services.
Sept 12
Central branch @ around 2:30-2:51pm:
Popped into the children's department to see Annette, but she wasn't working that day. Instead, I got Randy who is a children's + teen's librarian. Again, I couldn't get much info from him because he was fairly new at working in the library. He told me teens and young adults don't use the library as much as kids and older adults do. Even then, they tend to lean towards internet than books. In general, the library is always looking for feedback from everyone. He showed me some possible online resources I could check out, like the article databases:
Sept 11
Kensington branch @ around 4:45-5:05pm:
Talked to the manager of Kensington branch, Yukiko Tosa. She's super nice (then again, so are all librarians). She's been working for the VPL for 30 years at least. When I asked whether or not the library was getting enough feedback from users, she told me that the library was indeed getting a good amount of feedback. Hmm, that contradicted with a few of the librarians I talked to. The library has specialists that do research on the needs of a community and they do surveys and programs to find out info. Even the Suggested Purchase form, she said, was getting enough hits at 40-80 per month. For a popular title, that is. Usually requests for more Dvd's than books. She did mention that some feedback would be nice regarding Kensington's relocation to a bigger building. I asked if there may be a specific demograph that the library hears the least feedback from. She said I could look into the 18-20somethings age group b/c they don't frequent the library as much. The library has programs for teens, kids, seniors, etc but not for 18-20somethings. That age group has gradutaed from high schooland are so busy with college life that there isn't enough feedback. Also they're relying on their school libraries, so their is a "competition" issue. Not until they get married and have kids, then they come back to the library just to introduce their children to reading. Yukiko was interested in knowing what college kids use the library for (studying? internet?).
Mount Pleasant branch @ around 7:50-8pm:
Revisted D'Arcy and told him about what Yukiko told me. When I asked for his opinion, he seemed unsure. I guess the 18-20somethings is not something he would know about. He told me that there are teen librarians who visit the Broadway Youth Centre to talk to teens there and get their input. A matter of knowing what the library could do to improve their services for those who don't use the library. I asked him who else I could talk to. He gave me the contact info of Annette, manager of teens and children's services.
Sept 12
Central branch @ around 2:30-2:51pm:
Popped into the children's department to see Annette, but she wasn't working that day. Instead, I got Randy who is a children's + teen's librarian. Again, I couldn't get much info from him because he was fairly new at working in the library. He told me teens and young adults don't use the library as much as kids and older adults do. Even then, they tend to lean towards internet than books. In general, the library is always looking for feedback from everyone. He showed me some possible online resources I could check out, like the article databases:
Library Literature and Information Science
Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts
Sorry, when you click on the links, you'll have to login, guys. It is a database of library articles, much like what ECUAD has. Anyway, Randy said I should check back on Monday to see Annette. I left him my contact info to give to Annette.
Sept 15
Central branch @ 4:30-5pm:
Phoning Annette didn't work. Only got her answering machine. Visited Central after school and found out Annette was not in, either. Was told she was a busy woman, running to meetings here and there. Saw Randy and again I left him my contact into for Annette. The lady at the children's library desk was helpful and tried to search through her contact of staff members. She phone the Marketing department and gave me the email address of the manager of the marketing department, Jean Kavanagh.
Sept 16
I emailed Jean the following day:
Jean replied back with this email:
"Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts" and "Library Literature and
Information Science" article databases. http://www.vpl.ca/electronic_databases/cat/C778
Canadian Library Association: www.cla.ca
Canadian Urban Libraries Council: www.culc.ca
American Library Association: www.ala.ca
ALA's subgroup for youth services: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/yalsa.cfm
A report on youth library usage in the USA: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/HarrisYouthPoll.pdf
I went to Central after class that day and saw Jean for a minute. She was busy but sent me an email the next day. Like Randy, she said the library doesn't release statistics but I could go to the professors in School of Library and Archival Studies at UBC. She had a note from the VPL director responsible for statistics:
Sorry, when you click on the links, you'll have to login, guys. It is a database of library articles, much like what ECUAD has. Anyway, Randy said I should check back on Monday to see Annette. I left him my contact info to give to Annette.
Sept 15
Central branch @ 4:30-5pm:
Phoning Annette didn't work. Only got her answering machine. Visited Central after school and found out Annette was not in, either. Was told she was a busy woman, running to meetings here and there. Saw Randy and again I left him my contact into for Annette. The lady at the children's library desk was helpful and tried to search through her contact of staff members. She phone the Marketing department and gave me the email address of the manager of the marketing department, Jean Kavanagh.
Sept 16
I emailed Jean the following day:
On Tue, 16 Sep 2008, cindywong@eciad.ca wrote:Sept 17
Hello!
Yesterday I talked with some of the children's librarians at Central Library for my school research project. They directed me to you for my questions. I am an design student at Emily Carr University. I would like to design a communication stategy for the library in order to get feedback from its users (eg. survey template, etc).
I spoke with Yukiko at the Kensington branch and she tells me that the population demograph that all libraries least hear from are the young adults. I would like to know if that is true or whether or not the VPL feels they are not getting enough user feedback from young adult patrons. Also, whether such feedback is a priority for the library. If possible, are there any statistics or data I can look into? Thank you for your time!
Jean replied back with this email:
Thank you for your interest in the library. I take it that your strategy is an assignment and not something you would be presenting to the library to circulate?I also got an email back from Randy the same day. He said the library cannot release statistics on youth library usage, but provided some resources that I could check out:
Regarding Yukiko's comments, I am sure they are accurate as they are likely based on her experience and professional activities that she participates in. I cannot really comment about whether we receive sufficient feedback. We act upon the feedback we receive if necessary and we try a number of ways to reach young adults for programs they might be interested in through mediums like Facebook and Twitter etc. I don't know if we have statistics that particularly look at the demographic you are interested in, but if what you want to know is how many young people use the library I can see if we have any information. The Library does not issue surveys regularly.
"Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts" and "Library Literature and
Information Science" article databases. http://www.vpl.ca/electronic_databases/cat/C778
Canadian Library Association: www.cla.ca
Canadian Urban Libraries Council: www.culc.ca
American Library Association: www.ala.ca
ALA's subgroup for youth services: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/yalsa.cfm
A report on youth library usage in the USA: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/HarrisYouthPoll.pdf
I went to Central after class that day and saw Jean for a minute. She was busy but sent me an email the next day. Like Randy, she said the library doesn't release statistics but I could go to the professors in School of Library and Archival Studies at UBC. She had a note from the VPL director responsible for statistics:
We do not require that people provide year of birth when registering for a card so we have no way of identifying who is in that age group. The student would have to hold focus groups to get at that answer. We haven't done any targeted young adult work in this area.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Week 2: Narrowing Topic Choices
Continuing on. The second week was tough because librarians were either too busy or didn't have the knowledge to answer my Q's. Basically, they shuffled me over to talk to librarian X except librarian X was off that day and I should come in another time.
So my 3 questions were this:
1. Would you like to see more user feedback on what books/material that patrons would like to see? Or is your feedback amount quite sufficient for now?
2. Do you think each library branch could feel more localized to the community they're located in? Eg: anything from material collection based on community needs to reflecting its community spirit. (really didn't know how to rephrase it)
3. Do you think the VPL website/catalogue could be improved?
Sept 4
Mount Pleasant branch @ 6:30-7pm:
Talked to another Children's Librarian, D'Arcy. He said the library has suggested purchase forms where users can suggest specific titles for the library to order but not a lot of users know about it. I noticed there were "How Did We Do Today?" survey forms at the checkout counter but were quite unnoticeable. D'Arcy said they only get 1 or 2 responses each day, usually complaints or suggestions. For community needs, there's an Outreach service, which tries to get inclusive people like disabled people, jail convicts, etc...people who don't usually visit the library at all to use the library. They visit food banks, shelters, hospitals, etc and design programs to fit their needs. D'Arcy said they're doing well in reaching out to the community but not so much in improving their material collection. VPL website was recently revamped to be more dynamic and serve user needs better and will continue to evolve. Library didn't have much choice in buying their catalogue system so I didn't get relevant info on how it can be improved. It seemed like a "take it or leave it" attitude.
Sept 9
South Hill branch @ 2:15-2:40pm:
Visiting Central branch was a flop on the 8th. I talked to Susan at South Hill next day who works at the info desk, too. Almost got turned away with the suggestion to come back when the manager was in, but she answered 2 of my Q's. She couldn't say about user feedback. As for community, she said the library is already trying to serve those needs. Each branch carries materials in languages reflecting the community its in. Eg: Hindu books in South Hill for the large Hindu population and French books in Fraserview branch for its French speakers. There are what's known as Area Branches that are bigger libraries like Oakridge branch. They support the smaller libraries like South Hill in material collection. Smaller libraries will have a general variety of material on a certain topic, but for a more varied specialized range, the bigger libraries will have it. Also, they have a "floating" program. A user borrows a book from one branch and returns it at another branch, but the book stays at that branch so people living near that branch can have a chance to read something not usually offered at their local branch. Not much comment on improving online resources though. She couldn't comment on the website/catalogue because she's an employee. She said the same stuff that D'Arcy said but said the interface appearance could be aesthetically improved.
Fraserview branch @ 5:50-6pm:
Short interview, short answers, short time. Talked to Gail working at the Info desk. She said the library doesn't get enough feedback but is always looking for more responses. They do localized their branches by improving their material collection. The website recieved a recent makeover to be user-friendly and will be developing a children's book section on it.
Sept 10
Firehall branch @ 5-5:15pm:
Talked to Alison at the Info desk. They get a lot of feedbackthrough their suggested purchase forms, only a few each day. Huh. Other librarians say they don't get enough. Okay. They also have "centralized ordering" which is ordering materials for a specific community depending on their interests, ethnicity, family situation, etc. The library in general does have an institutional feel rather than a local look because that's what the library is: a government institution. Recently it is getting away from that feel a little. She couldn't comment on the website/catalogue though because she's an employee.
From all that, I decided on my topic of helping the library gather feedback from its users. Because there wasn't much comment on the library's online resources and the community branding issue seemed too complex. Not to mention that most of the info I got were related to developing material collection.
So my 3 questions were this:
1. Would you like to see more user feedback on what books/material that patrons would like to see? Or is your feedback amount quite sufficient for now?
2. Do you think each library branch could feel more localized to the community they're located in? Eg: anything from material collection based on community needs to reflecting its community spirit. (really didn't know how to rephrase it)
3. Do you think the VPL website/catalogue could be improved?
Sept 4
Mount Pleasant branch @ 6:30-7pm:
Talked to another Children's Librarian, D'Arcy. He said the library has suggested purchase forms where users can suggest specific titles for the library to order but not a lot of users know about it. I noticed there were "How Did We Do Today?" survey forms at the checkout counter but were quite unnoticeable. D'Arcy said they only get 1 or 2 responses each day, usually complaints or suggestions. For community needs, there's an Outreach service, which tries to get inclusive people like disabled people, jail convicts, etc...people who don't usually visit the library at all to use the library. They visit food banks, shelters, hospitals, etc and design programs to fit their needs. D'Arcy said they're doing well in reaching out to the community but not so much in improving their material collection. VPL website was recently revamped to be more dynamic and serve user needs better and will continue to evolve. Library didn't have much choice in buying their catalogue system so I didn't get relevant info on how it can be improved. It seemed like a "take it or leave it" attitude.
Sept 9
South Hill branch @ 2:15-2:40pm:
Visiting Central branch was a flop on the 8th. I talked to Susan at South Hill next day who works at the info desk, too. Almost got turned away with the suggestion to come back when the manager was in, but she answered 2 of my Q's. She couldn't say about user feedback. As for community, she said the library is already trying to serve those needs. Each branch carries materials in languages reflecting the community its in. Eg: Hindu books in South Hill for the large Hindu population and French books in Fraserview branch for its French speakers. There are what's known as Area Branches that are bigger libraries like Oakridge branch. They support the smaller libraries like South Hill in material collection. Smaller libraries will have a general variety of material on a certain topic, but for a more varied specialized range, the bigger libraries will have it. Also, they have a "floating" program. A user borrows a book from one branch and returns it at another branch, but the book stays at that branch so people living near that branch can have a chance to read something not usually offered at their local branch. Not much comment on improving online resources though. She couldn't comment on the website/catalogue because she's an employee. She said the same stuff that D'Arcy said but said the interface appearance could be aesthetically improved.
Fraserview branch @ 5:50-6pm:
Short interview, short answers, short time. Talked to Gail working at the Info desk. She said the library doesn't get enough feedback but is always looking for more responses. They do localized their branches by improving their material collection. The website recieved a recent makeover to be user-friendly and will be developing a children's book section on it.
Sept 10
Firehall branch @ 5-5:15pm:
Talked to Alison at the Info desk. They get a lot of feedbackthrough their suggested purchase forms, only a few each day. Huh. Other librarians say they don't get enough. Okay. They also have "centralized ordering" which is ordering materials for a specific community depending on their interests, ethnicity, family situation, etc. The library in general does have an institutional feel rather than a local look because that's what the library is: a government institution. Recently it is getting away from that feel a little. She couldn't comment on the website/catalogue though because she's an employee.
From all that, I decided on my topic of helping the library gather feedback from its users. Because there wasn't much comment on the library's online resources and the community branding issue seemed too complex. Not to mention that most of the info I got were related to developing material collection.
Week 1: Deciding the Topic
Hi!
I was wondering how to brief in on the work I've been doing for the past few weeks since day 1. Mainly, I have been doing interviews with librarians. At first I thought of showing my process by posting up each inteview I've done, but since I recorded those interviews through writing notes down (and it is fairly messy writing), I thought it would be too much work. Who would want to read through each word of these interviews? So I'll be brief instead (unless otherwise requested for a longer version) and catch up to speed here.
Week 1: Sept 3
Britannia branch library @ 10:40-10:55am :
Talked to Mary Duffy, a librarian working at the information service desk. Since I wasn't sure at that time yet on what my topic for the library will be yet, I asked her a few questions. Things like "What is the most frequent question/problem do patrons ask you for? Are there any ways you would like the libray to improve on? Do patrons ever find the library confusing to use? Do they know how to navigate it?" Answer: patrons ask for help on various little things, like finding things on the internet or filling out forms. More physical space for books and holding events would be nice. Patrons are self sufficient so they are able to use the library, especially b/c Britannia branch is in a school zone the teachers teach the kids on using the library. Then asked if she found kids were using the internet more than the library resources. I had briefly considered this topic the night before after reading an article about it. This she agreed on definitely. They encourage kids to utilize the library resources more b/c the internet ain't that reliable. Even if kids have to use the internet for research, the library has online article databases, catalogue, etc. So long as the kids are using reliable sources from the public library, she didn't mind that kids didn't have to step foot into the library.
Kensington branch library @ around 4:30 pm:
Talked to Marilyn MacPherson at my local branch. She's a Children's Librarian and just started working at Kensington. I asked her the same set of Q's I did with Mary. She would like to see improved communications between the community and library. To know what the community wants out of the library and how the library can serve its needs better. Also communication from library staff on what they think the library could be improved upon. On library use, people are self-sufficient in finding what they want generally. In a small library, its easier but a big branch like Central may be confusing because it's got more area. Not much relevant answers regarding teen use on libraries or FAQ from patrons, though. She talked long about issues like library administration and management and how I have to take that into consideration, community needs, and types of materials for those communities.
So I pooled down possible topic ideas and came up with:
- students rely on internet access more than computers
-wayfinding and signage system
-improve communications between community + library to find community needs
-improve website. perhaps an individual webpage/website for each branch library
-brand identity of all branches to reflect an friendlier face and community spirit
-brand identity for Kensington's new branch
Narrowed the ideas to 3 possibilities:
-identity system for library
-interface improvement of the website + catalogue
-getting user feedback about the VPL's material collection
Since I still couldn't decide between the 3 topics, the next part of my research was interviewing librarians regarding those 3 topics...
I was wondering how to brief in on the work I've been doing for the past few weeks since day 1. Mainly, I have been doing interviews with librarians. At first I thought of showing my process by posting up each inteview I've done, but since I recorded those interviews through writing notes down (and it is fairly messy writing), I thought it would be too much work. Who would want to read through each word of these interviews? So I'll be brief instead (unless otherwise requested for a longer version) and catch up to speed here.
Week 1: Sept 3
Britannia branch library @ 10:40-10:55am :
Talked to Mary Duffy, a librarian working at the information service desk. Since I wasn't sure at that time yet on what my topic for the library will be yet, I asked her a few questions. Things like "What is the most frequent question/problem do patrons ask you for? Are there any ways you would like the libray to improve on? Do patrons ever find the library confusing to use? Do they know how to navigate it?" Answer: patrons ask for help on various little things, like finding things on the internet or filling out forms. More physical space for books and holding events would be nice. Patrons are self sufficient so they are able to use the library, especially b/c Britannia branch is in a school zone the teachers teach the kids on using the library. Then asked if she found kids were using the internet more than the library resources. I had briefly considered this topic the night before after reading an article about it. This she agreed on definitely. They encourage kids to utilize the library resources more b/c the internet ain't that reliable. Even if kids have to use the internet for research, the library has online article databases, catalogue, etc. So long as the kids are using reliable sources from the public library, she didn't mind that kids didn't have to step foot into the library.
Kensington branch library @ around 4:30 pm:
Talked to Marilyn MacPherson at my local branch. She's a Children's Librarian and just started working at Kensington. I asked her the same set of Q's I did with Mary. She would like to see improved communications between the community and library. To know what the community wants out of the library and how the library can serve its needs better. Also communication from library staff on what they think the library could be improved upon. On library use, people are self-sufficient in finding what they want generally. In a small library, its easier but a big branch like Central may be confusing because it's got more area. Not much relevant answers regarding teen use on libraries or FAQ from patrons, though. She talked long about issues like library administration and management and how I have to take that into consideration, community needs, and types of materials for those communities.
So I pooled down possible topic ideas and came up with:
- students rely on internet access more than computers
-wayfinding and signage system
-improve communications between community + library to find community needs
-improve website. perhaps an individual webpage/website for each branch library
-brand identity of all branches to reflect an friendlier face and community spirit
-brand identity for Kensington's new branch
Narrowed the ideas to 3 possibilities:
-identity system for library
-interface improvement of the website + catalogue
-getting user feedback about the VPL's material collection
Since I still couldn't decide between the 3 topics, the next part of my research was interviewing librarians regarding those 3 topics...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Design Proposal (tentative)
Here is my design proposal for this senior year project. Keep in mind that it is not set in stone:
Senior Design Proposal
Topic:
I have always been interested in books, reading, writing, and the like. Therefore, I would like to design for that subject area. Specifically, I would like to choose the Vancouver Public library as my site of focus.
Thesis:
The Library is always eager to hear what types of materials their patrons are interested in. However, there is a lack of user feedback from these patrons. There are implementations such as “Suggested Purchase” forms which patrons can suggest their desired materials, but these forms remain largely obscure to the public. Therefore, I would like to design a communication strategy between the library and the communities they serve.
Audience:
The communities of the public are my audience. In general, library patrons include parents with children, seniors, middle-aged adults, and students. Many come to the library as a recreational site, while others use it for their school studies. The library concerns the population of Vancouver, which has a diverse ethnic range and would be interested in seeing materials fitting their own languages.
Objective:
To build a communication tool between the Library and their patrons so that the library will know what their patrons’ interests are and be able to expand and cater their library material collection based on those needs.
Criteria:
I would like to work with using interactive media and perhaps supporting print media. The library’s computers are a popular tool for patrons to obtain information, whether through the Internet, catalogue, or online databases. It is even referred to as their “23rd branch.”
Research:
Primary Research - Interviews and observations.
Alison - Firehall branch
D’Arcy Stainton, Children’s Librarian - Mount Pleasant branch
Gail - Fraserview branch
Mary Duffy, Britannia branch
Marilyn Mac Pherson, Children’s Librarian - Kensington branch
Susan - South Hill branch
Secondary Research - Online articles, websites, and print materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library
http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i12/12a03501.htm
http://www.vpl.ca
Learning Goals:
I would like to be an interactive designer. For this semester, I want to deepen my technical skills in interactivity such as Flash and website building as well as learn more about the career opportunities in this field.
Senior Design Proposal
Topic:
I have always been interested in books, reading, writing, and the like. Therefore, I would like to design for that subject area. Specifically, I would like to choose the Vancouver Public library as my site of focus.
Thesis:
The Library is always eager to hear what types of materials their patrons are interested in. However, there is a lack of user feedback from these patrons. There are implementations such as “Suggested Purchase” forms which patrons can suggest their desired materials, but these forms remain largely obscure to the public. Therefore, I would like to design a communication strategy between the library and the communities they serve.
Audience:
The communities of the public are my audience. In general, library patrons include parents with children, seniors, middle-aged adults, and students. Many come to the library as a recreational site, while others use it for their school studies. The library concerns the population of Vancouver, which has a diverse ethnic range and would be interested in seeing materials fitting their own languages.
Objective:
To build a communication tool between the Library and their patrons so that the library will know what their patrons’ interests are and be able to expand and cater their library material collection based on those needs.
Criteria:
I would like to work with using interactive media and perhaps supporting print media. The library’s computers are a popular tool for patrons to obtain information, whether through the Internet, catalogue, or online databases. It is even referred to as their “23rd branch.”
Research:
Primary Research - Interviews and observations.
Alison - Firehall branch
D’Arcy Stainton, Children’s Librarian - Mount Pleasant branch
Gail - Fraserview branch
Mary Duffy, Britannia branch
Marilyn Mac Pherson, Children’s Librarian - Kensington branch
Susan - South Hill branch
Secondary Research - Online articles, websites, and print materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library
http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i12/12a03501.htm
http://www.vpl.ca
Learning Goals:
I would like to be an interactive designer. For this semester, I want to deepen my technical skills in interactivity such as Flash and website building as well as learn more about the career opportunities in this field.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Hello!
Hi!
This is my first post on this blog. Actually, this is my first blog, for that matter.
This space will be used for my 4th year Grad project for the Communication Design program at Emily Carr University. I will keep this thingy updated about the progress of my grad project. Look forward to it!
My project is to devise a communication strategy between the Vancouver Public Library and its patron users. My research so far has included interviews with librarians, observations, and information based on the print material I gathered.
I submitted my proposal in today, but I have some polishing up to do. Firstly, I have to find out whether my problem lies in: a) librarians just not getting enough feedback as they would like from their patrons or b) users finding difficulty in finding opportunities to express what they want to see in their library's material collection.
This is my first post on this blog. Actually, this is my first blog, for that matter.
This space will be used for my 4th year Grad project for the Communication Design program at Emily Carr University. I will keep this thingy updated about the progress of my grad project. Look forward to it!
My project is to devise a communication strategy between the Vancouver Public Library and its patron users. My research so far has included interviews with librarians, observations, and information based on the print material I gathered.
I submitted my proposal in today, but I have some polishing up to do. Firstly, I have to find out whether my problem lies in: a) librarians just not getting enough feedback as they would like from their patrons or b) users finding difficulty in finding opportunities to express what they want to see in their library's material collection.
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