This week, through visits to a variety of libraries, as well as lectures and site visits—including a field trip to Chicago on Thursday and Friday—we deepened our understanding of cutting-edge library services and practices in related fields.
Siebel Center for Design (SCD) integrates human-centered design (HCD)
The Siebel Center for Design (SCD) integrates human-centered design (HCD) into all its educational and research activities. HCD is an approach that starts with understanding users’ experiences, needs, and values rather than with technology or functionality. This understanding is then used to solve problems and design products and services. Libraries collect data on space utilization, collection use, and database usage. It is important not to treat this data merely as numbers, but rather to view it as “stories” that help us understand user behavior and challenges, thereby leading to service improvements. To achieve this, we must prioritize empathy and understanding of users, in addition to data analysis.
Key characteristics of HCD include empathy for users, an iterative process of prototyping and refinement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and solving real-world problems. SCD uses a framework called the Human-Centered Design Taxonomy to organize the HCD process into five activity areas: “Understanding,” “Synthesizing,” “Ideating,” “Prototyping,” and “Implementing.” These areas are not carried out in a linear fashion, but rather iteratively, returning to previous stages as needed. We engaged in interview exercises with AI agents possessing predefined personas, which taught us the importance of considering users’ backgrounds and emotions when conducting conversations.
Civic and Government Literacy Education
I learned that libraries are not just places that provide information. They also play a vital role as learning and support hubs that help citizens understand, evaluate, and act on information related to society and government. I believe the following approaches are valuable perspectives that can be applied to civic and information literacy education and user support in libraries in general: understanding the characteristics and needs of the user community, starting with small-scale initiatives to lower the barriers to participation, focusing on developing information literacy skills rather than specific stances or opinions, and promoting collaboration with government agencies and local organizations.
Univerisity of Chicago visit
The Joseph Regenstein Library features the “Maroon Oasis,” a student wellness space where students can relax and socialize. During exam periods, the University of Illinois hosts “De-Stress Fest” to help alleviate stress. These initiatives highlight the evolving role of university libraries. In addition to supporting learning and research, libraries must create spaces that promote students’ physical and mental well-being.
The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library features a distinctive glass-domed reading room. Its basement houses an automated storage and retrieval system. The library utilizes a robotic material retrieval system based on technology commonly used in logistics warehouses to achieve high-density storage and rapid access to materials (in about five minutes!).
During the Q&A session, a program participant introduced “One Nation, One Subscription,” a national joint subscription system for academic e-journals launched by the Indian government in 2025. Through insights from the hosts and participants, I gained a deeper understanding of library conditions and the current state of academic information distribution in each country.
Chicago Piblic Library visit
The library was like a department store, offering a wide range of services to all types of users!
Puzzles were set up in the reading area to create an environment where users could freely participate also observed user-participatory activities using craft kits at the Urbana Free Library and the University of Illinois. This taught me that libraries do not have to lead every program. Rather, we can promote user-driven activities by simply providing tools and a space. At the Maker Lab, activities were not limited to those using cutting-edge equipment, such as 3D printers. During our visit, for example, an origami workshop was being held. According to public and university library staff, programs involving crafts and manual labor remain highly popular, as do activities that utilize digital technology.
Before the research data management session, I lost the files containing the daily reports I had written up to that point, though I managed to recover them. This experience really drove home the importance of backing up data. The university library even created stickers featuring a squirrel, a common sight on campus, to raise awareness about backing up data.
Backup your files in 3/2/1
Save 3 copies of important files
Using 2 different kinds if storage
And stash 1 copy far away
The phrase “think big, start small” came up in several sessions. Although I often feel that I can’t get started until everything is perfectly prepared, I learned the importance of making adjustments as I go and starting small. I realized that I need to incorporate this approach.