Posted by Scott W. H. Young on 2025-10-16
New issue of Weave published today
The latest issue of Weave is now available to read on our website: https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/weaveux/issue/426/info/
Our Fall 2025 issue features 2 articles:
Designing Content for Impact: A Content Strategy Approach for Libraries and Beyond
https://doi.org/10.3998/weaveux.6954
By Amy Hannah Deschenes, Meg McMahon, and Claire DeMarco (Harvard University)
In libraries, content creation is a critical component of communication and service delivery. We introduce a five-step content strategy framework that makes the content creation process more effective and user-focused. We use practical examples from library work to outline how audience identification, goal setting, value proposition development, content validation, and measurement form this strategy. By presenting this framework through real-world library scenarios, we demonstrate how it enhances the quality and consistency of all content, from web pages to newsletters. We discuss how we have iterated on the design of this framework to ensure library staff can adapt it to various library content. This framework offers library professionals a structured approach to creating clear, concise content that is aligned with user needs.
Lessons from Starting a User Testing Program
https://doi.org/10.3998/weaveux.5372
By Elizabeth Borges (Boise State University), Zia Davidian (San Francisco State University), and Hesper Wilson (San Francisco State University)
If you’ve never conducted user testing before, it can seem like you need to wait until all the pieces fall into place before you begin. While you do need to have a well-developed plan, the truth is that anyone can conduct valuable user testing without having everything figured out. In 2023, three research and instruction librarians at San Francisco State University—Lizzy, Hesper, and Zia—implemented a user testing program based on the User Experience (UX) Café model to troubleshoot and improve the J. Paul Leonard Library’s new website.
Wishing you every UX success.
— The Weave editorial team