The Library Assessment Team recently conducted a Journey Mapping exercise. This project — based on the work of librarians at University of Montana — was designed to enhance the student experience of using the library by assessing our services from their point of view. Journey Mapping is a methodology that analyzes the point at which a student comes into contact with a library service to understand how the services are being used and if they are benefitting students.
Journey mapping and service blueprinting have been used in medicine and business for many years as a model for analyzing customer pathways to identify difficulties in service provision, and the model is making its way into higher education. This report serves as a basis for a new way of looking at the academic experience; one that reimagines educational offerings and services from the student’s point of view. Further, it partners with students to learn about and eliminate student pain points.
Journey mapping plots a process or service to produce a visual representation of a library transaction — from the point at which the student accesses a service to its final resolution. Service scenarios are identified, and maps are produced that reflect the journey from the student’s point of view. The map is then used to develop an “ideal” journey and to explore changes that would improve the service experience.
Follow the links to read our full report, and view the twelve journeys we analyzed during this pilot project. We will continue to use this methodology to assess library services and improve the student experience of using the Consortium Library.