A New Library — Grace Herndon

A New Library: Imagining the Local Library as a Digital Social Space

Graduate Thesis | Fall 2019 - Spring 2020 | Read the full document ︎︎︎

How might the design of a digital library afford the community benefits traditionally provided by physical libraries?

Sub-Questions

How can a digital conversation tool visualize diversity to provide social inclusion?
How can a digital annotation system visualize content traffic to provide a sense of belonging?
How can a digital search tool provide open-ended browsing for serendipitous discovery?
How can the digital library platform synthesize search, discussion, and annotation tools facilitate community benefits?

Abstract
Local public libraries exist as an essential part of a community’s social infrastructure. Libraries supply access to resources, space for leisure and social encounters, and opportunities for education. Libraries facilitate community wellbeing through a diverse environment, increased awareness of community activity, and provide opportunities for serendipitous discovery. However, these benefits are often unmatched by libraries’ online counterparts, digital libraries. At present, digital libraries act as databases of media resources, functioning effectively as online warehouses. Faced with the fact that libraries are sought out as social spaces, as well as the reality that communities increasingly congregate online, the design of digital libraries should take into consideration the social component of information seeking. Focusing specifically on search, discussion, and annotation tools, this study investigates how the design of a digital library can afford the community benefits provided by a physical public library. The outcomes of this investigation suggest the effectiveness of motion as an indicator of presence, the opportunity for meaningful online experiences through purposeful limitation of technology, and increased engagement aided by user autonomy

Conceptual Framework

Etienne Wenger’s nine community orientations (2009).

Markovich’s domains for community wellbeing (2018).

A conceptual framework synthesizing Wenger and Markovich’s frameworks to form the foundation of this exploration.

Sub-Question 1 | Chat
How can a digital conversation tool visualize diversity to provide social inclusion?

This exploration is situated within one of Wenger’s community orientations, open-ended conversation, as well as one of Markovich’s domains for community wellbeing, socialization. Wenger’s framework suggests that for an online community to exist, there must be an opportunity for open-ended conversation. Conversation online has the advantage of being asynchronous and anonymous. These inherent affordances should be carefully considered. Markovich’s community wellbeing domains propose that one of the markers of a successful community is socialization. While there are many ways that socialization can occur, this study focuses on the community members’ access to diverse spaces. The combination of Wenger and Markovich’s frameworks prompt the question of how a digital conversation tool might visualize diversity.

Exploration 1.1
An exploration into discussion structure which prompted the question of whether or not users should be represented in a concrete way, and whether or not form could be determined by traits.

Exploration 1.2
Visualizing what book discussion might look like as an object

Exploration 1.3
Variations of motion gradients. The colors might represent the amount of people in a given discussion while the movement implies the activity level of the discussion. What might it look like to represent a community as a moving abstraction? Spatial visualizations could invite users to think of the platform as an active place rather than an interface.

Exploration 1.4
What if diversity levels of race and income we visually displayed in a discussion forum?

Sub-Question 2 | Tag
How can a digital annotation system visualize content traffic to provide a sense of belonging?

The second study is predicated on an interest in translating the experience of finding notes in the margins of a library book. The exploration centers around the idea that notes in the margins of a library book denote two things: that the book itself is a shared resource, something that connects a community together; and that notes serve as a visual indication that the content has been accessed and used. This study examines how a digital annotation feature might afford the same sense of belonging that a note in the margin of a physical library book does.

Exploration 2.1
What if annotation activity in a book could be visually represented?

Exploration 2.2
What might community annotations look like on a digital book?

Sub-Question 3 | Search
How can a digital search tool provide open-ended browsing for serendipitous discovery?

Exploration 3.1
The digital library as an infinite canvas; Incorporating visualizations from previous explorations.

Sub-Question 4 | Meet
How can the digital library platform synthesize search, discussion, and annotation tools facilitate community benefits?

The fourth sub-question differs from the rest; It’s purpose is to weave together all of the explored features within a sigular scenario:

Jessica is in search of a new book to read over her upcoming weekend vacation at the beach. She is particularly interested in reading something that other people in her community are also reading as she loves to be in the know and have conversations about what she is reading. She doesn’t like to waste her time reading books she doesn’t like and typically does plenty of research on a book before she commits. After logging onto her local digital library, Jessica begins her journey to find a book, using the search feature. Although she is tempted by the glowing book that passes by, she also notices one that has a rippling movement to it and is intrigued. She finds that the book is available for annotation only for a limited time, meaning that she and other members of the same local digital library all have access to a copy of the book that they are able to comment and take notes on. Scrolling through the first chapter of the book, Jessica likes the annotations that she sees and the selection she reads. However, she decides to look further into discussion around the book by switching into discussion mode. Here Jessica sees the most recent comments on the book larger and opaque, while older comments fade into the background. Jessica recognized that many themes that she is fond of in literature seem to be present in the comments and she decides to commit to the book after both confirming that it caters to her interests and that many others are currently reading the same book.

Read the full document:

A New Library: Imagining the Local Library as a Digital Social Space

How might the design of a digital library afford the community benefits traditionally provided by physical libraries?

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