The Library in the Life of the User: Engaging with People Where They Live and Learn – Compiled and co-authored by Lynn Silipigni Connaway

“This compilation provides a sequential overview of some of our user behavior research findings that articulate the need for the design of future library services to be all about the user.  Highlights:

• People associate the library with books and do not consider the library in relation to online resources or reference services.
• People may not think of using libraries to get their information because they do not know that the services exist and some of the existing services are not familiar or do not fit into their workflows.
• The context and situation of the information need often dictates how people behave and engage with technology.
• Engagement and relationship building in both the online and physical environments is important for the development of successful and effective services.”