{"id":8484938,"date":"2023-02-08T08:35:39","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T08:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.openathens.net\/?p=8484938"},"modified":"2024-03-19T10:18:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T10:18:00","slug":"in-the-dark-about-library-user-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.openathens.net\/blog\/in-the-dark-about-library-user-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"In the dark about library user experience?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How can researchers do their best work when utility outages mean they\u2019re sitting in the dark or unable to get online? How can a student get good grades when they can\u2019t find or access high-quality resources?<\/strong>\u00a0How can you improve library user experience?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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When we commissioned worldwide research into users\u2019 experiences of their academic libraries we heard about some fantastic support being provided by librarians. But we also learned of some difficult \u2013 and occasionally heart-breaking \u2013 experiences. No one could be unmoved by a researcher in Nigeria<\/a> who spent years on a project only to discover the same work had already been done years earlier. Unable to access journals and research papers online, they had no way of knowing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Every day, problems accessing trusted, high-quality and up to date digital resources have impacts \u2013 sometimes large, sometimes small \u2013 on students and researchers everywhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Time for action <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
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We recently published our findings in our library user experience report<\/a>. It highlights library users\u2019 most pressing difficulties and suggests actions that libraries, resource providers, network providers, utility companies and governments could take to improve access to quality resources and support students and researchers better. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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It shows how people in different regions of the world experience various problems more, or less, acutely. And it is eye-opening to learn that basic things like reliable access to internet connectivity can\u2019t be taken for granted, even in some of the world\u2019s wealthier nations. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Common themes <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Clearly, some of the difficulties are outside the remit of the library community. But there are others that librarians can do something about quite easily. For example, students and researchers alike said they have problems with: <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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