In the specific context, a wide range of methods can be used for a plan to gather
information from the university’s librarians. One method is the use of interviews so that the
librarian can be asked relevant questions. Another method to collect data involves the use
of a questionnaire. It can contain insightful questions that can help to capture relevant
details from the librarians. The final method that can be used is documentation reviews. It
can provide anin-depth insight into the current activities and the expectations that the
librarians have from the new automated system (Overview and information gathering tools:
Literacy basics, 2021).Outof the viable methods, the two most feasible and effective
methods are personal interview and questionnaire. The personal interview is suitable since
it can helpto engage with the librarians and get a thorough idea of what they want the new
automated system to simplify for them. The use of a questionnaire can give anobjective
insight into their input. It can help to devise a concrete blue print on which the new
automated system will be based upon. These methods can simplify the data-garnering
process and influence the quality of the automated system that can be introduced in the
library, which contains 1000 books on diverse subjects. At a university’s library, the
circulation desk is where patrons come for assistance, so three methods I would use to
gather the information would include:
• Requesting information from librarians for background knowledge of the services
provided by the circulation desk. This information will allow me to do an analysis
of how the tasks are being delegated or handled, as well as the procedures settings at
the circulation desk.
• Observing the activities of patrons and librarian at the circulation desks. Using
observation, I can gather the volume and frequency of tasks/ activities at the
circulation desk. This will be helpful to categorize / prioritize the interface /GUI
design.
• Interviewing librarians and patrons for the needs of automation tasks. Each patron
that comes to the library might have different needs – from checkout, return, pickup
holds, pay fines, etc. so the services provided by the librarians are vary for each
patron. There are activities that can be completely automated (i.e., self-checkout,
extend loan time, pay fines), some activities can be partially automated (pickup
holds or request inter-library holds). So, interviewing both librarians and patrons
will help collect users’ expectations and design of the automation system.
The two methods I think would be best to record the information in this case would be
voice recording (for interview) and a list notes using spreadsheets to categorize and
prioritize information. If I were to schedule a meeting with librarians to discuss the
functioning, I would consider an interview process, observations, and questionnaires. For
the interviews, this would be a one-on-one with the employees and librarians that can
answer my questions and get a better understanding of the functionality of the library.
Observations are when I would just monitor the overall day-to-day activity in the library to
make notes for myself of my observations, then I would go over them with the head of the
facility. Lastly, questionnaires, surveys, and checklists are another way to gather
information without the stress of having one-on-one. Most of the time, this can shed some
light of the excellent practices being performed. Also, this can also allow individuals to not
be targeted if they highlight critical errors. For the two methods to record information, there
really isn’t a wrong answer. It depends on the person taking record of the different methods
above. Most individuals use notes and then consolidate them into a report on either a word
document or spreadsheet. Just to eliminate any confusion of what was actually said, I would
use a recording device just to simply document the words to be later transcribed at a later
time. The way I would approach the project is by:
• Methods to gather information
1. First – I would conduct interviews. For theinterview I would prepare and use both
open and closed ended information. Thefirst interviews would be with mangers and
higher level leaders. From this Iwould get a high level understanding of what the
goal of the job is and the tasksneeded to be completed. I would also ask what the
goal of the new program indetail. Next I would conduct interviews with the
librarians and supervisors tounderstand how the tasks are completed in detail
2. Second – I would do observations of the tasks beingperformed to see first hand what
is being completed.
3. Third – I would look and review all thedocumentation I could find on the current
systems
4. Forth – I would completed follow up interviewswith selected people with very
specific closed questions on gaps in the processof information I collected.
• Methods used to record the information gathered
1. The first method I would use is taking notes
2. Second I would record the interviews and observations.That way I could go back
later to review in case I am missing notes.
The three different methods that I would use to gather information from the librarians are,
one, using questionnaires. I would have the library team and users fill out questionnaires
geared towards gathering input about what they think can be improved about the system.
Second, I would use interviews to dig deeper and get a more individualized introspective
about the current system and what the would like to see improved on. The third approach
would be documentation review. I would review previous and current documentation about
the operations of the library to see how they operate and try to incorporate as much of what
works as possible so that integration can be smooth. I would definitely use voice recorders
during interviews, to easily reference accurate information. I would also take good old
fashioned written notes during the process and organize my note taking at the end of each
day of research for easy reference.
The following are some of the finest approaches to get information from librarians in order
to properly create an application for the university library's automation requirements.
Interviewing You are welcome to ask the librarians questions about the systems they
presently use and any areas they would want to see improved. By conducting group,
individual, or combination interviews, you may discover firsthand what works and what
doesn't. You may also discover how the new program can increase librarian productivity
and make their work easier.
User research. By putting up side-by-side comparisons, you may understand firsthand how
the system is now used and operated. This allows you to comprehend the actions taken by
the librarians, as well as any prospective efficiencies or faster methods that would allow
them to automate their current approach. It also allows you to assess whether or not they
have upgraded from an obsolete legacy system to a more current type of storage, such as
Microsoft Azure or AWS for cloud storage, for maintenance and updates.
Documents being examined. Document analysis may be used if there are any anomalies in
the way the librarians are currently recording their work and the volumes. This allows your
program to consider the documentation component while developing it and allows for
changes in how to keep track of the books and what is owed, among other things. I would
input the information in two places: a Microsoft Word document and an Excel spreadsheet.
Notes may be added and prioritized in the word document by utilizing categories. The
spreadsheet will contain the number of volumes the library has on hand, classifications,
usage graphs, late returns, and so on.
In this type of scenario, the methods I would use to gather requirements would be
interviews, observation, and interface analysis (assuming that there are interfaces).
Interviews would be helpful to gather various opinions and facts since each user brings a
unique perspective to the table. I would make sure to interview users from all permission
levels and all job assignments to get the fullest understanding of the requirements of each
person and position. I would also observe the users since it is valuable to see how they
currently do their job tasks and where efficiency can be improved Finally, I would do an
interface analysis. I would find out which programs need to be able to access and exchange
information with the new system. In some cases, the information may be merely converted
to the new system, but there are times this is not possible. Through all three of these
methods, user expectations should be considered and managed.
The two methods I would use to record the information would be to prioritize requirements
and confirm, confirm, confirm. The first method of prioritizing requirements is to attempt to
determine which requirements could potentially slow down or halt the project. Finding what
the users would consider deal breakers early in the process can help to mitigate or create
fixes early in the process. The second method I would use is the confirm, confirm, and
confirm the data. No matter how much I think I may understand the requirements,
confirming that I do is extremely important. I may have no in-depth knowledge of library
functioning and the library employees may not have in-depth knowledge of systems
development. To make sure that both sides are understanding the other, many conversations
must occur, and probing questions must be asked. Understanding the needs and
requirements is one of the most important pieces to a project like this. I would listen to the
librarians to learn what problem they are trying to solve with the automation and how they
envision it to work. Any features that they would like but you think is unnecessary,
question on what they think it’s needed. Then I would use the five W’s and one to help the
librarians answer who, what, when, where why and how. I would then study and interview
the librarians. Sometimes when asked direct questions, a user may not give the information
needed so watching their routine is important. I would then copy the existing system that
the librarians are doing manually. Automate as much of the manual process as possible.
Finally, I would brainstorm with the librarians to gather all their ideas and then sift through
each to see which of those ideas is worth pursuing further. Once the information gathering
is completed, I would use Unified Modeling Language which lets me show how parts of the
system should function. I would also use user stories as part of recording requirements.
This way I can show the librarians how the system will automate a certain activity.
