Library and Information Studies student Molly Lubby presented her research at the Annual Conference of the Librarians’ Association at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (LAUNC-CH) on March 13. The theme of this year’s conference was “Human-Centered Libraries: Crafting Value and Relevance.” Molly’s presentation was entitled “Stand in their Shoes: Applying UX & Design Thinking to Community Initiatives.” Based on her work at Chapel Hill Public Library, Molly, and co-presenter Meeghan Rosen, discussed how:

“As librarians, our instincts are to jump in and help where help is needed–whether that help is in the realm of early literacy, under-served populations, workforce education, or small business development. However, that help is amplified if we can more deeply understand the groups we want to serve and what their lives are like, what challenges they face, and what they aspire to do. In the first half of this session, participants will learn how UX (User Experience) mindset and design thinking can add value to large and small scale efforts around community improvement. In the second half, participants will get an inside look at how the Chapel Hill Public Library used UX and design thinking in collaboration with residents from the local homeless shelter.”

Molly will be presenting a version of this work again on May 22 at the annual meeting of NC Live in Raleigh. NC Live is the State of North Carolina’s digital library.