5 Factors for User Centered Services

So, you may be sitting in a planning meeting and an idea comes up to add or change a service at your library. One of my key points in planning for technology, and one I think applies to all types of services in libraries is to make sure you are being user-centered. For example, use this checklist to tell if you are proceeding down the wrong path:

Does it place a barrier between the user and the service?

Is it librarian-centered or user-centered in conception, i.e. is it born from complaints from librarians about users?

Does it add more rules to your bulging book of library rules, procedures and guidelines? The more rules you make the more quickly library users will turn you off.

Does it make more work for the user or the librarian?

Does it involve having to damage control before you even begin the service? If so, you might want to rethink!