Graduate thesis · NC State MGXD

Connecting Collections

A touch-table kiosk that helps library visitors discover hidden collections, and a companion app that keeps them discovering after they leave.

Role

Research, UX & interface design

Timeline

Spring 2024

Deliverables

Kiosk prototypes, companion app, thesis document

Libraries need to identify new ways to encourage visitors to engage with information and collections.

Libraries provide more than access to physical books. The vast resources available are often hidden, taking the form of technology, events, people, and special collections.

ACRL (2015), King (2018)

There are certain skills and competencies that classrooms are not prepared to offer. Libraries can often help fill this gap by supporting learners in more informal ways.

ACRL (2015), Beene et al. (2022), Calvert (2020)

Informal learning settings require visitors to engage with information at varying levels of depth. Novel technologies encourage engagement, which can lead to successful learning.

Falk & Dierking (2004), Folkestad (2006), Shaby et al. (2017), Tišliar (2017)

Overall research question

How can the design of a touch-table kiosk within a library facilitate discovery of and engagement with resources to better serve visitors’ needs?

02 · Research & framework

Three parts: discovery, personalization, and engagement.

My conceptual framework connects each part to theories of visitor engagement, information literacy, informal learning, and learning contexts. Users move between the parts as their engagement deepens, and the design supports each step.

Research methods used across the project.

Conceptual framework: discovery, personalization and engagement.

03 · Visual language

Digital table inspired by physical artifacts.

The interface draws on physical record-keeping, like loan cards and folders, and merges it with the familiar desktop metaphor. Cards layer like real ones but expand and respond to touch.

04 · Investigations

Four questions, four prototypes.

Visual explorations that branch off of my original research question. Each one is centered around a portion of the conceptual framework.

SQ1Discovery SQ2Personalization SQ3Engagement SQ4Multimodality

How can the design of the workspace encourage users to make connections between library resources and lead to discovery?

Getting startedLogging into the kiosk for the first time and being greeted as a new user.

Placing a Collection TileInitiating discovery by placing a Collection Tile on the table.

Learning interactionsTeaching new users the main interaction: dragging cards.

Checking outWrapping up a session of discovery and checking out.

What I learned

Showing the connections between items on Collection Tiles and other library resources points users to resources they might not have known about, and leads to further inquiry.

How can the system’s resources evolve to meet the user’s changing needs and provide a personalized search experience?

Personalized homepageReturning to the kiosk and receiving a personalized homepage.

‘For You’ cardsPersonalizing results based on Collection Tiles and user attributes.

Contact formsReaching an expert for help directly from the kiosk.

What I learned

Personalized content adapts to users’ needs and interests, giving them ownership over their content and adding value to the information the system provides.

How can the system use existing resources to engage users in activities that help them dive deeper into topics and collections?

‘Discover’ promptReturning to the kiosk after a period away from library resources.

Subject promptingChoosing a subject for the activity and resource discovery.

Questionnaire resultsSuggesting topics based on the user’s questionnaire answers.

Activity contentLearning more about a chosen subject through an activity.

Activity resourcesConnecting each activity back to library resources.

What I learned

Activities that broaden users’ interests reveal what library resources can do, encouraging them to create their own content and investigate with intention.

How can the system share information with users remotely and encourage continued discovery outside the library?

Mobile discoveryLogging into the Collections Kiosk companion app.

Loans, messages & savesManaging loans, checking messages and browsing saved content — with new suggestions after extending a loan.

What I learned

Remote access to kiosk information lets users revisit saved content and manage loans, so discovery and engagement continue outside the library.

Next project Language Analysis Interface