Community Service Library Volunteers

The Community Service Library Volunteers project is aimed at providing library volunteers with the necessary skills to support their community better. Through engaging story-driven scenarios, volunteers can better understand the library environment and acquire the abilities required to assist patrons effectively. The project adopts an active learning approach, allowing volunteers to learn by doing.


Audience: Volunteer training at Rhywhit Community Library.

  • Responsibilities: 

    • Analysis 

    • Design

    • Development

    • Implementation

  • Tools Used: which tools and software did you use?

    • Articulate Storyline

    • Adobe Photoshop

    • Adobe Illustrator

    • Adobe XD

    • Google Doc’s

    • SnagIt!

The Problem

This training program is designed specifically for volunteer training at Rhywhit Community Library. The primary goal is to address the issue of poor interactions between staff and patrons, mainly when dealing with sensitive materials. The library board is concerned about its reputation in the community and seeks a positive solution to enhance the library's growth.


The Solution

Conducting a thorough analysis of the situation, I delved into identifying viable solutions to address the pressing issues at hand. Two distinct yet complementary solutions emerged from this comprehensive examination.

The first solution involved the creation of a visually appealing and informative poster. This poster would serve as a valuable resource for patrons seeking materials on sensitive topics. By listing the associated Dewey Decimal Numbers for these topics, the poster empowered patrons to locate the materials they needed without feeling the need to approach staff directly. This subtle yet effective approach enhanced patrons' privacy and promoted a sense of independence and empowerment within the library space.

Recognizing the importance of proactive staff training, the second solution focused on equipping the library's personnel with the necessary skills and best practices for handling interactions with patrons researching sensitive topics. I opted for a more innovative and engaging approach because traditional training methods might not be sufficient to engage and immerse the staff. Enter the scenario-based, story-driven e-learning project meticulously crafted to educate staff members on the intricacies of dealing with sensitive research topics. This interactive and immersive training allowed the staff to be exposed to real-life situations, encouraging them to make informed decisions and apply their knowledge effectively.


By combining these two solutions, the library aimed to create a harmonious and respectful environment for both patrons and staff. The poster's presence would ensure that patrons felt comfortable conducting their research privately, while the staff's newly acquired skills and insights from the e-learning project would enable them to navigate sensitive interactions with empathy and understanding. Together, these solutions paved the way for a more inclusive and welcoming library experience, fostering positive growth and strengthening the library's reputation within the community.

My Process

Action Map

The process involved various stages, starting with an action map. I engaged with community service librarians to understand the interactions between staff and patrons, which helped me develop the action map. Based on this, I crafted the scenario and outlined the critical elements of the storyline.

Visual Mockups

I next developed a mood board, style guide, and high-fidelity visual mockups. 

I started with a mood board where I chose the look and feel of the project. I decided to utilize an animation style for the project because I would have more control over how the characters were presented. This decision informed my choice of background, font, and background.

I then created original backgrounds in Adobe Illustrator. To do this, I started with stock images and then modified and adapted them. I also modified and edited stock characters to reflect the events in the storyboard. I used Snagit and then Adobe Photoshop to capture and edit the image of a generic library catalog. I based the review portion of the storyboard on standard review websites and made visual adjustments to reflect the story's consequences better.

Next, I created high-fidelity mockups in AdobeXD. These mockups incorporated the backgrounds I had developed in Adobe Illustrator as well as the characters, questions, and buttons I was going to use in the final project. 

Text-based Storyboard

Next, I created a storyboard for this scenario. This storyboard is intended to be the project blueprint and was written to be entertaining and engaging. Based on the action map and the discussions with the community service librarians, I decided on the scenario’s final interactions, responses, and consequences. I utilized my knowledge of storytelling elements to fill out the interactions, creating three different branching storylines that lead the learner through many possible outcomes. This scenario included three exchanges between the patron and the audience, each having  multiple ways to branch into different outcomes. To stay organized in Storyline, I split the project into four scenes, one per question and the introduction.

Interactive Prototype

Moving forward, I began developing the interactive prototype using Articulate Storyline. This stage demanded careful programming of interactivity, timing, and animations to create a seamless and immersive learning experience. The prototype was then shared with users for usability, clarity, and ease of use. The feedback received was invaluable, as it provided essential insights into areas of improvement and allowed me to address any potential confusion that users might face.

Full Development

Following the feedback phase, I refined the project, making necessary adjustments and incorporating a job aid section to provide users with helpful resources at critical points in the scenario. Animating the conclusion and each question scene added a layer of polish to the project, enhancing its overall quality and coherence.


Results 

I designed this project to improve interactions between library volunteers and patrons. By taking an active learning approach to the training, the goal is to ensure volunteers have the skills and knowledge to succeed in their roles. Unfortunately, there is no way to measure success. Success would be evaluated using patron counters and circulation statistics in a real-world setting.

Takeaways

The process of creating this project has given me several key takeaways.

  1. Visual/Graphic Design - I was able to freely choose the visual design of this project and then create backgrounds and characters that matched that design. I immensely enjoyed this process, creating several different versions of the backgrounds and characters before deciding on a final set. 

  2. Storytelling/Scenario-Based Learning - My experience as a media specialist means I have plenty of storytelling experience. However, I needed to adjust how I told stories online as the implied and covert aspects of face-to-face storytelling did not translate. 

  3. Software - I learned or relearned a lot of new software for this project. Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, SnagIt, and Articulate 360 Storyline.