Library Adviser
Between 2022 and 2024, I worked as a Libraries Adviser at the University of Nottingham — a role that turned out to be more about communications and brand than library science. The work that mattered most was positioning: how do you make a service feel relevant, welcoming, and worth using to an audience that has more immediate demands on their attention? That question shaped everything I did here, and it's one I've been asking ever since.
The library's digital presence had grown organically over years and showed it - navigation that reflected internal structure rather than user behaviour, and a visual hierarchy that made finding core services harder than it needed to be.
I led the consultation process for a homepage redesign: mapping user journeys, identifying friction points, and translating that insight into specific UX and content recommendations. The outcome was a cleaner, more navigable experience that centred what students actually came to find.
Homepage Redesign & UX
Gen Z Content &
Brand Repositioning
The library had a perception problem with younger students, it read as functional and completely institutional, when the reality of the space and service was much more warm and dynamic.
I created a content repositioning strategy built around how Gen Z and millennial students actually use library spaces: for focused study, group work, creative projects, and campus community as much as books. The resulting content shifted the tone from information delivery to genuine invitation and it's the type of communications problem I find genuinely interesting.
I delivered training for library staff on inclusive communication and student engagement best practices, covering tone, accessibility, and how to communicate consistently across a team whose audience spans a huge range of backgrounds and needs. Grounded in my psychology background, I aimed at bridging the gap between teams’ internal objectives and student audience wanting to engage and be part of the library community. As a result, the games corner with extra library resources, themed bookcases for recognition and awareness months books, and drop-in sessions were created, increasing the self-reported satisfaction with library experience term-to-term.
I also championed EDIB and staff wellbeing campaigns within the team, and represented Libraries at open days and offer-holder events where first impressions matter most.