“Beyond the Shelves”
— A UX Research Story for a Smarter Library Management System
Journey Mapping
I built a Current State Journey Map outlining:
Contextual Inquiries
I observed 8 students try to find and reserve a book in real time using the system.
Findings:
Confused by technical labels (e.g., “Call number” vs. “Book location”)
“Is it available?” often unclear
Search results didn’t match expectations (too literal, not fuzzy)
One user typed “Harry Potter” and got zero results because they misspelled it “Hari Potter.” No spellcheck, no suggestion.
Every time I try to renew a book, I get stuck halfway—it’s too complicated.
— Student
I only use it when absolutely necessary—it’s not user-friendly at all.
— Student
Half the time, we’re tech support instead of librarians.
—Librarian
I often have to manually send students direct links to readings they should’ve been able to find themselves.
— Professor
Usage Data Review
I dove into system analytics:
85% of searches ended in no result.
Only 12% of students ever used the reservation feature.
40% of book renewals were done in person—not online.
Understand the current user experience across all user groups (students, library staff, administrators).
Identify pain points, inefficiencies, and unmet user needs.
Translate insights into actionable requirements for system redesign.
Support recommendations with data and stakeholder feedback.
Chapter 1: The Project Begins
It started with a question:
“Why do so many students still avoid using the library’s digital system when it’s supposed to make their lives easier?”
I was brought into a university project to research and improve a Library Management System—one that had great intentions but very little usage. On paper, it was useful. But in practice? Most users ignored it completely. My role as the UX Researcher was to uncover the “why.”
My Role
UX Researcher & Analyst
Duration: 4 months
Tools Used: Surveys, Interviews, Focus Groups, MS Visio, Figma, Excel, Canva
Problem Statement
Despite being central to academic research and learning, the LMS faced issues with usability, outdated processes, and disconnected features. Users struggled with navigation, delayed resource access, and limited visibility into book availability and interlibrary loans. Administrative staff reported inefficiencies in tracking materials and inventory.
Research Goals
Chapter 2: Listening, Not Guessing (Discovery Phase)
Stakeholder & User Identification
I began by mapping all potential users:
Stakeholder Interviews
I spoke with:
Librarians
Students
System Administrators
Professors
User Surveys (n=100)
🎯 Purpose:
To gather broad quantitative data about user satisfaction, pain points, and usage patterns from a large group of library patrons and staff.
Tools Used:
Google Forms / Microsoft Forms
Excel for initial analysis
📌 Process:
Designed structured surveys with multiple-choice, Likert-scale, and open-ended questions.
Distributed to library staff, regular patrons, and university students.
💡 Insights Gained:
60% of users found it difficult to locate interlibrary loan services.
45% felt the system’s interface was outdated and confusing.
Staff reported frequent issues with manual inventory updates.
I ran a survey across students & staff focused on usability, frequency of use, satisfaction, and feature awareness. Some key responses:
While I wasn’t leading UI work directly, I collaborated with the design team and shared actionable insights:
Chapter 3: Informing Design
Chapter 4: Final Outcome
I compiled all findings, diagrams, and recommendations into a comprehensive report and delivered a stakeholder presentation showcasing:
Research & Key Research insights
Proposed system changes
Implementation roadmap
The project was greenlit for the next development phase.
Chapter 5: Reflections
This project reminded me of one core truth:
If a system works only on paper but not for people, it doesn’t work.
By stepping into users’ shoes, we uncovered more than just usability bugs — we exposed emotional friction: the fear of failure, the reluctance to engage, and the loss of trust in digital tools.
As a UX researcher, my job wasn’t to fix the system. It was to understand the people who avoid it, and bring their voices into the heart of the design.
Maitri Bariya
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