UX Symposium First Announcement and Call for Abstracts

The application of user experience (UX) in libraries has become an established practice over the last few years, as librarians worldwide have recognized the importance of putting users at the centre of the design and improvement of library spaces, products, and services.

The Department of Library Services at the University of Pretoria is pleased to announce its 2nd Symposium, the International Symposium on User Experience, following the successful International Symposium on Robotics. This symposium is focused on the theme of building human-centered libraries, and it will take place at the Groenkloof Campus in Pretoria from 19 to 21 September 2023.

The symposium will examine the application of user experience (UX) in libraries, an area of growing importance in libraries worldwide. While libraries in the global North have been active in the field of UX, African libraries are still under-presented. Therefore, this symposium aims to provide a platform for learning, knowledge exchange, and interactive discussions to address this gap.

We invite libraries, researchers, scholars, and professionals from around the world to Pretoria, South Africa, to come and share their research and the best practices. The symposium will feature various networking opportunities and participants are encouraged to submit abstracts for papers and proposals for workshops. The focus will be on celebrating UX work in libraries across the globe, and the following themes have been conceived to inspire thought, although they are not exhaustive:

• Design thinking and libraries
• UX and Emerging Technologies
• Interaction and Visual Design
• Usability studies of physical and virtual library spaces
• User research and design
• Leading UX projects within libraries
• UX in public and/ or school libraries
• UX in academic libraries

The organizing committee of the International Symposium on User Experience encourages library and information professionals, practitioners, researchers, and scholars from around the world to submit abstracts for presentations and proposals for workshops.

Abstracts should be 250 - 300 words, including names of proposed speakers/facilitators, and submitted through our online submission system by 30 June 2023. All submissions will be reviewed by our expert panel and acceptance notifications will be sent out by 30 July 2023.

We look forward to your submissions and your participation in the International Symposium on User Experience in September, which promises to be an enriching and engaging event.

Abstract submission guidelines

Please ensure that your abstract includes the following information:

• Title of the paper or workshop proposal
• Names, affiliations, and email addresses of all presenters
• A clear and concise abstract of the presentation or workshop proposal
• The relevance of the presentation or workshop proposal to the theme of the symposium
• A brief overview of the activities, outcomes, or learning objectives (for workshops)

Closing date for abstract submissions is 30 June 2023

For further information, please visit https://www.up.ac.za/cf-ux-2023