Designing for WOW!: The Optimal Information Gateway Designing for WOW!: The Optimal Information Gateway

Abstract

Abstract Increasing reliance on electronic systems for access to resources and services is a fact of life in todays libraries. Users have grown to expect reliable, powerful and intuitive systems that do it all. The Web has raised library users expectations for simplicity of use. At the same time the emphasis on customer service in academia has produced an atmosphere in which it is essential to adapt quickly to the changing needs of faculty and students. In this fast-paced, technology and customerdriven environment, the library as a slow-moving, stable institution is a thing of the past. To continue to succeed, academic libraries must transform themselves into high-performance organizations committed to delighting their users. This can only be accomplished if we have an accurate understanding of what the users need and want. This paper presents the results of a focus group study that was conducted to find out just that. Introduction The title for this paper comes from business visionary Tom Peters The Pursuit of WOW!: Every Persons Guide to Topsy-Turvy Times. 1 Peters wrote the booka collection of sometimes-brash stories, interviews and observationsto help individuals and organizations stay on top of the chaos of the nineties. Peters urges us not to be timid in fending off staleness, and he claims that stepping out (individually) and standing out (organizationally) from the crowd is and will be crucial for surviving and thriving in a world of uncertainty and upheaval