Ever since I left UX behind, I’ve been wondering how I could take my UX knowledge, pair it with my love for/experience with Web 2.0 concepts and technologies, and create a position that doesn’t yet exist within many library organizations. There are librarians who have made this leap already, and it seems that the profession is becoming conscious of of the advantages to having a dedicated, experienced UX person on staff, so there is precedent for this kind of position. My challenge is to sell my skills, to campaign for this position so that library hiring committees will wonder how they ever did without someone like me in their organization.
The job responsibilities/description(s) might look like the following:
User Experience Librarian:
- Charged with creating positive user experiences across the library’s virtual and physical properties and services;
- Take leadership for understanding library users, their tasks, and their information needs;
- Conduct remote and contextual observations of library customers as a foundation for enhancing/improving existing library services;
- Work with library management to develop library policies that adhere to customer-centered philosophy and practices;
- Experienced at gaining customer insights and translating them into recommendations;
Community Librarian/Community Manager
- Chief evangelist for the library in online social networks;
- Engage library patrons by responding to requests through blogging, instant messaging, social networking/social media, and mobile technologies;
- Promote library events and services through non-traditional media channels;
- Monitors community input for future ideas for library services;
- Trains librarians and library staff on integrating Web 2.0 and social media technologies across the library’s diverse properties
It is clear to me that these positions are ancillary; rather than converging, they seem to complement each other and may best be served by two (or more) people working together in a virtual services department, or as a division of a library’s marketing and communications department.