User Experience Standing Group (UXSG)

Background

The User Experience Standing Group (UXSG) was established to provide resources and training focused on supporting users and their interactions with libraries. The UXSG is composed of staff from Alliance member libraries with interest and varying levels of experience with user experience.

The UXSG advocates for digital and physical user experience of libraries by incorporating user research, service design, and assessment. Areas of focus include development and application of platforms, tools, and other resources, along with services and spaces.

Charge

Proceeding from the statements above, the UXSG:

  • Develops and recommends best practices for user experience research, including usability and user testing.
  • Collaborates and coordinates with individuals and groups engaged in supporting user experience.
  • Coordinates with Alliance groups and staff, along with vendors, regarding development of discovery platforms and related tools, as well as other resources and services.
  • Provides training and documentation for Alliance member staff focused on user experience and related topics.

Goals & Deliverables

The UXSG will work toward the following goals and deliverables in FY25 (October 2024 – June 2025):

  • Collaborate with the Accessibility Standing Group (ASG) to identify topics and projects of high interest and need based on responses from the ASG-UXSG community needs assessment.
  • Identify and organize opportunities for user experience training and community engagement, with a focus on research methods and techniques.
  • Perform ongoing maintenance and improvement of the User Testing Toolkit and User Experience in Physical Spaces project.

Projects & Activities

  • User Experience in Physical Spaces: This project focuses on ways to support library workers in our efforts to improve the user experience of our physical spaces.
  • User Testing Toolkit: Initially created by the User Testing Toolkit Project Group in April 2018 to provide Alliance libraries with resources to perform user testing at their institution.

Members

Hendeke Araya

University of Washington

Term: October 2024 – June 2025

Leah Cover

Chair, DUX User Experience Group (UXSG) FY25

The Evergreen State College

Term: Sept 2023 – June 2025

Tom Dodson

Southern Oregon University

Term: Sept 2023 – June 2025

Darla Garcia

Linfield University

Term: October 2024 – June 2025

Emily Pearson

Whitman College

Term: Sept 2023 – June 2025

Amanda Pirog

University of Washington

Term: Sept 2023 – June 2025

Christy Scott

Walla Walla University

Term: October 2024 – June 2025

Kathleen Veldhuisen

Chemeketa Community College

Term: Sept 2023 – June 2025

Staff

Photo of Amy Coughenour

Amy Coughenour

Program Manager, Diversity & User Experience, and Consortial Training Coordinator

Orbis Cascade Alliance

Work Phone: (541) 203-0166

Pronouns: she/her/hers