Digital technologies are a big opportunity to connect people with media and each other, but many public libraries still lack a long-term digital strategy. This project shows up possible solutions through means of technology and human-centered design.

The Library Compass upgrade set consists of an navigation-assisting app and Smart iBeacon-enabled bookshelves. It will allow to link traditional books with e-books and other media seamlessly. It makes navigating libraries a better experience, by addressing user's and spatial contexts.

By knowing where users and books are located it will expand library services to better searching finding and connecting media in space.

We‘re in a time where we‘re used to have all information at our hands at an instance.

Contextual questions were:
1. How do we navigate and experience library knowledge in a digital age?
2. How can library service offerings build on new technologies?
3. How will a public library have to change to stay relevant?


Challenges were:
1. User groups are losing touch. What can be done to connect between users and library?
2. Digital: the meaning of the library is changing. interactions and expectations from users and staff is decreasing because of convenient internet services.
3. Organizational: The book categorization system is confusing to users, but cannot be changed because it is part of a nationwide system.
4. Spatial: Library building are often difficult to navigate when searching for book locations.
5. Media: More and more e-books are used in libraries, however you can't put ebooks in a book shelf and vice versa. A seamless connection of all media across the library was goal of the design.

It also became clear that bridging the gap between digital and traditional media is important. Books will not die, but they should have similar functionalities like e-books (comments, automatic recommendations, etc).

Often, these problems get solved by building could a new library. But this is often too expensive. Instead, the focus was on incrementally changing the way users experience a library and its services. A service strategy was designed how this can be solved through means of technology by building a modular system that could be established in 4 stages over a time frame of five years.

1. A mobile app that helps to search, find and connect media and users in the library.
2. A first set of Smart iBeacon book shelves that enable indoor navigation.
3. Implementation of more iBeacon book shelves that will enable contextual connection, book tracking and usage analysis through heat maps.
4. A future outlook of usage of augmented reality technologies in libraries.

Research conducted during the process included: 77 surveys with users (age 14-72), 13 expert and user interviews, field observations (4+ weeks), 3 co-design-workshops, 5 prototype tests as well as interactive mock-ups.

After identifying possible opportunities through observation and interviews with users and librarians, 5 concepts were tested in field to validate potential service improvements. Users reacted most positively to a take-away map with bookshelf numbers, but it also became clear that many had problems reading maps. Several codesign sessions resulted in a mockup of a mobile wayfinding system. This was constantly improved during role-play testing with different user groups to refine the concept for as many usage profiles as possible.

The research showed that people need help with navigating the library. The Library Compass App does exactly that. The app will be built on the identified needs:

1. Mobile search should be as easy as on google. People like ratings and user comments to orient themselves. Users should also get personal recommendations by librarians.
2. Finding is the biggest obstacle. With indoor navigation, guided tours and recommendations based on location this will be changed.
3. Libraries are about personal connections: Every user will have a personal librarian, notifications and a peer-group based on interests.

The app will act as a door opener and platform for more digitally-enabled services. RFID book tags are now standard in most libraries and give each book a digital fingerprint. The logical next step after mobile apps is iBeacon, a new Bluetooth Low Energy technology that is mostly used in airports or shopping malls for connecting space, users and metadata in context. iBeacon allows indoor navigation and mobile push-notification for smartphones. Both technologies combined in ‚smart book dividers‘ can ‚translate‘ RFID tags to mobile devices.

1. These will expand library services to better finding media in space by knowing where users and books are located.
2. It will also allow to link traditional books with e-books and other media seamlessly.
3. The Library Compass allows librarians to curate building guided tours in specific interest topics for users to follow. It also allows to curate a Scavenger Treasure Hunt for kids, using gamification principles.

The hardware design of the book dividers started with cardboard mockups at a workshop with librarians. It was designed for cheap mass production with recycled thermoformed fiber, a waste from cardboard manufacturing processes. Simplicity was key to the design. Every public library should be able to afford, install and use smart bookshelves. Price of the case will be under 5€, electronics will be 10€ but are rapidly becoming cheaper, batteries are standard and need to be exchanged after 1-2 years.

Using these modular components a 5 year strategy for a service system was designed that allows stepwise implementation of digitally enhanced services. Because of the modularity of the system, this could ramp up slowly over time, gaining more functionalities. A business model canvas shed light on ways to help libraries to finance this investment through in-app donations or affiliate shopping functionalities.

To see the product use case video go to:
https://vimeo.com/89515345

Value to public libraries:
- The Library Compass system makes the library more attractive to users through better services.
- It enables new revenue streams through affiliate marketing.
- By addressing the paradigm shift of digital change, the compass creates seamless connection of contents and creates a contemporary platform of knowledge.

Value to librarians:
- The app helps to get direct contact to users. They can proactively recommend and curate content to those who want it.
- They can spend more time on curating content for users instead of searching for lost books or showing them the way.

Value to users:
- With the navigation, users should spend less time on running between computer terminals, librarian‘s desks and bookshelves, in search for the right book location.
- Kids can experience books in a cool way, exploring the library, unlock interactive videos and find out about new stuff.
- The Library Compass connects users with peers librarians and other users through a matching system.
- It facilitates exchange on topics and meetings between interest groups that wouldn‘t otherwise know each others.

User groups found at the library have different approaches to digital media and public libraries.

Accordingly, challenges and opportunities for the personas found at the library would be:
- to motivate young&urban to use the library more often by using
- to connect hobbyists proactively with interesting content or users
- to make books cool for digital natives
- to give more time to single parents
- relieve librarians from unqualified work (showing the way) and give more time for curating

During research it turned out that services are not reaching all potential user groups. Librarians are professionals trained for curating information, but have to waste time on searching for requested or lost books. Through a user journey assessment it became clear that key problems to address were how to search, find and connect within the library.

Above all the Library Compass aims to create dialogue between users or user groups through means of technology. By addressing these service opportunities, the Library Compass aims to draw more users to public libraries.

To see the research & prototyping documentation video go to:
https://vimeo.com/89515346

A hypothesis-driven process was behind the service design. Users and experts were interviewed and observed over the course of several weeks. An online survey helped to quantify improvement potentials.

After identifying possible opportunities through observation and interviews with users and librarians, 4 concepts were tested in field to validate potential service improvements. Impact was assessed through individual interactions with the prototype that was put in the library. These included:
1. User recommendations: Could users share their experiences with others?
Sharing recommendations and ideas about books through paper sheets (3 impressions/day)
2. Cross-media links: Could we start a conversation about people‘s interests?
Scannable QR Codes on books that would link to a discussion page online where people could exchange ideas. (5 impressions/day)
3. Playful interactions: Could we link traditional and digital media? Using a iPad mockup that would play a Pippi Longstockings video when children held a Pippi Longstockings book into the camera. (6 impressions/day)
4. Navigation: Could we make finding books a better experience? Providing a library floor plan with numbers of the book shelves? (13 impressions/ 4hours)

Users reacted most positively to a take-away map with bookshelf numbers, but it also became clear that many had problems reading maps. It was observed that many people either used pen and paper or a smartphone to note down book numbers. A new question emerged: Could we use phones to help people navigate and meet other people?

Several co-design sessions resulted in a mockup of a mobile way finding system. UI paper prototypes of a compass for finding media revealed full the potential: All people understood the navigation system immediately and reacted very positively. This was constantly improved during role-play testing with different user groups to refine the concept for as many usage profiles as possible.

From these learnings, a user experience was designed that will enable libraries to adapt to demands of the digital age.