UXLibs VI took place on the 7th and 8th of June 2022 in Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon Tyne.
This was the first UXLibs conference since 2019 on account of the Covid-19 pandemic and there were 150 delegates from 18 different countries. Norma Smurfit Library was represented by Dan English, Virtual Online Library Support.
The venue was a very good one in that 90% of the talks took place in the same lecture hall on the ground floor which meant very little moving around or searching for different rooms. Breakfast and lunch was provided along with tea and coffee throughout the day. There was a Gala dinner in the Biscuit Factory on the evening of Day 1.
There was a very warm and friendly atmosphere and it was quite hands-on in terms of getting delegates involved, particularly on Day 1 when the afternoon was spent carrying out various team tasks related to brainstorming possible UX projects. The rest of the conference was a mix between presentations and workshops, many of these can be found here http://uxlib.org/2022/06/16/uxlibsvi-presentations/
Overall, I thought the conference was enjoyable and a worthwhile experience, it is good to meet other librarian and UX designers and there was a lot of content within the two days. The delegate presentations would probably be of most use as they offer practical examples and experiences from within different libraries.
Possible takeaways: With the enforced changes that came about as a result of Covid and as we prepare for it to get busier (hopefully) in September now could be a good opportunity to evaluate old practices and see what should be reinstated and what could possibly be scrapped for the sake of making the library more user friendly and encourage more use.
