userslib.com

From http://www.usabilitypost.com/2010/03/24/value-of-good-design/

Good design speaks. Good design tells your visitors that you care about your product. Good design at the front-end suggests that everything is in order at the back-end, whether or not that is the case. Good design is what separates the best from the “good-enough”.

I’m happy to announce that the University of Michigan Library is in the process of creating a new User Experience (UX) Department. I will be transitioning from my current position as Interface & User Testing Specialist for the Digital Library Department to the head of this new department. This new department will focus on interface design, mobile design and development, usability testing, user research, web use statistics, and accessibility. I have a million ideas for projects for this new department but right now I’m focused on hiring 2 really awesome people to join our team.

User Experience Specialist
We are looking for someone with a passion for user research, the ability to create engaging designs, and an investment in improving the library users’ web experience. The UX Specialist will help drive interface development through an iterative usability and design process.

User Experience Mobile Developer
(job id= 38884)
We are looking for someone with experience developing mobile interfaces, knowledge of related mobile design principles, techniques, and platforms.

Fantastic, must read article from Craig Mod about the future of print and digital books.

http://craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/

This is a follow-up to my last post.

From the Ann Arbor.com news article:

Next stop for the majority of the card catalogs is U-M Property Disposition on North Campus, where the university will attempt to sell the old catalogs one by one. Courant said he isn’t quite sure who is in the market for these pieces of library nostalgia. But, he added, “if I had the room in my house, I’d buy one.”

I’d also love to have one but I don’t have any room in my tiny little house. I don’t think they’ll have any trouble selling these lovely card catalogs, library chic is all the rage these days – as evidenced by Etsy’s Circulate and Renew Spotlight post and the quantity of Apartment Therapy card catalog posts.

Here’s my favorite:

The University of Michigan’s card catalogs are scheduled to be removed from the library stacks tomorrow. We desperately need the space but I’m still a little sad to see them go. Even though I’m firmly stationed in the digital realm, I still love the analog world – especially artifacts that have such a lovely tactile quality that can even produce a visceral response. So, here’s my attempt to capture a little of that feeling.

See also:my full set of photos | dfulmers card catalog flickr set (includes some interesting history) | Ann Arbor News article