Purpose & Goals

In the fall of 2023, Cornell University Library implemented a one-year self-checkout pilot program using Meescan. Giving our patrons the option of downloading an app for mobile check-out or using library kiosks, this flexible service became yet another way of empowering our patrons to explore the library collections. After the first semester, the self-checkout planning team reached out to the library’s Usability Working Group (UWG) for assistance with assessing the pilot program to determine whether we should recommend renewing our subscription with Meescan and formalizing the service. We were eager to look beyond usage statistics, which we suspected would be low but were not overly concerned about. We also knew we wanted to not only gauge our users’ satisfaction with the service but also wanted to understand their experience using it. We consulted with UWG and decided on a mixed-methods approach, including a survey of existing users, a real actions witnessed (RAW) test with first-time users, and targeted interviews with specific user groups. In particular, we were interested in speaking with patrons who self-identify as disabled or neurodivergent in an attempt to better understand whether this checkout option was one that made the library experience more accessible for them. Many of our campus libraries have busy service points, which in some cases are a combination of circulation, reference, and technology support service desks. This can be an overstimulating and/or overwhelming situation for some users, so having an alternative option for checkout seemed to be a more inclusive approach. The plan is to launch the multi-prong assessment in the spring of 2024 and make the final recommendation regarding the future of self-checkout before the end of FY24.

Design & Methodology

We will include a link to a user survey that will appear in the self-checkout email receipt. We will also have several real actions witnessed (RAW) tests set up at different libraries to observe first-time users and ask them follow-up questions about their experience. We will also be recruiting users who self-identify as disabled and/or neurodivergent to be interviewed about their experiences using the service and solicit any suggestions they have for making the service more accessible.

Action & Impact

We will use the results of these assessments, coupled with usage data, to determine: 1. If we will recommend renewing our institutional Meescan subscription and making this pilot program a permanent service 2. If we continue with the self-checkout program, do we need to ask for any changes to the app user interface or need to make any hardware adjustments for our kiosk stations to improve usability/accessibility 3. What kinds of marketing and outreach efforts might be effective for the service--specific users we can target, perceived benefits that we can highlight, etc.

Practical Implications & Value

We hope that our work with the Usability Working Group on this mixed-methods assessment will help our colleagues recognize the value in assessing access services beyond gathering usage statistics. Too often, our services are evaluated in a very narrow way (are patrons using this service?) and we want to expand the tools we use to assess the user experience of our various checkout services. Understanding the experience from the user’s perspective will help us (and hopefully others) make much needed improvements, retire services that are no longer meeting the needs of our patrons, and design more accessible, inclusive services for our diverse user communities.

View Poster (PDF)