Lybrary

A social app for making libraries cool again. A mobile-first platform transforming libraries into community-driven, socially engaging spaces for digital-native users.

Lybrary is a social library platform designed to increase engagement among younger, digitally native audiences.

Lybrary explores how libraries can evolve within a digitally dominant ecosystem. While libraries remain culturally significant, their engagement models have not kept pace with user expectations shaped by platforms like social media, streaming, and on-demand services.

The project investigates how digital augmentation + social interaction layers can reposition libraries as relevant, inclusive, and desirable third spaces. While libraries successfully operate as free, community-driven spaces for children and families, they fail to deliver equivalent value for adult users—resulting in under-engagement from a key demographic.

Role
Product Designer (End-to-End UX Research + Design)

Timeline
2 months

Team
Solo Project

Tools
Figma, FigJam

Interactive Prototype
Interactive Prototype

What I did…

  • Led end-to-end UX research and product design

  • Conducted mixed-method research (qual + observational + secondary)

  • Synthesized insights into personas, journeys, and opportunity spaces

  • Defined product strategy and feature set

  • Designed low → mid → high fidelity prototypes

  • Built a scalable design system

Problem Statement

Despite strong infrastructure and cultural relevance, modern libraries face:

  • Declining engagement among teen and adult users

  • Perception as outdated or functionally limited

  • Lack of integration between physical and digital experiences

  • Underutilization as social/community environments

Design Challenge

How might we reimagine libraries as digitally enhanced, socially engaging ecosystems that align with modern user behaviors and expectations?

Guiding Framework

To initiate the research process, I formulated four guiding questions to identify design opportunities.

Research Approach

A multi-layered research framework combining attitudinal + behavioral insights:

    • Analysis of Yelp, Google, App Store reviews

    • Review of QPL website and media coverage

    • Competitive benchmarking (Fable, Vinylly, Book of the Month)

    Goal: Understand perception gaps and digital experience benchmarks

    • Conducted in-situ at Queens Public Library, Hunter’s Point

    • Observed:

      • Space usage patterns

      • Navigation behaviors

      • Social vs functional usage

    Key Finding:
    Users often occupy the library for ambient presence (reading, relaxing, socializing) rather than structured tasks.

    • 15+ years experience, children’s section

    Key Pain Points Identified:

    • Spatial constraints vs high footfall

    • Accessibility gaps

    • Poor crowd segmentation

    • Limited infrastructure for group/social activity

  • Key behavioral insights:

    • Libraries used for:

      • Leisure

      • Printing/utilitarian tasks

      • Quiet downtime

    • App seen as functional but underdeveloped

    • Lack of work-friendly or flexible spaces for adults

Field Research

Queens Public Library, Hunter’s Point

QPL served as the foundation for our research, laying the groundwork for our project. We utilized various methods to analyze the experience at the Hunter's Point location given its trendy location and modern architecture built to attract younger generations.

Desk Research

For secondary research, I reviewed Yelp, Google, and App Store reviews, as well as various reports, articles, and analyzed the QPL website.

A library, while still a place to get and read books, is a community hub.

Competitive benchmarking

Conducted competitive analysis across direct, indirect, and adjacent ecosystems to understand how reading, community, and social discovery are currently facilitated—and where libraries are excluded from that landscape. This included platforms such as Fable, Book of the Month, BookTok, Bookstagram, and adjacent community-driven products like Vinylly.

Landscape Framing & Ecosystem Analysis

  • 1. Structured Reading Platforms (Utility + Community)

    Examples: Fable, Book of the Month

    - Provide curated discovery, book clubs, and asynchronous discussion

    - Enable lightweight community interaction, but primarily within a content-first experience

    - Social layer exists, but is secondary to consumption

    Gap Identified:
    These platforms successfully digitize reading communities but do not translate into real-world engagement or spatial interaction (e.g., libraries, meetups).

  • 2. Social Content Ecosystems (Discovery + Influence)

    Examples: BookTok, Bookstagram

    - Highly effective for:

    ‍ ‍ - Trend amplification

    ‍ ‍- Discovery and virality

    - Community is creator-led, not system-led

    - Engagement is:

    - High in visibility

    - Low in depth and reciprocity

    Refined Insight:
    While influencers drive large-scale engagement, interactions are often broadcast-based and parasocial, limiting meaningful peer-to-peer connection.

  • 3. Adjacent Interest-Based Social Platforms

    Examples: Vinylly (music-based matching), niche community apps

    - Focus on identity-based matching (taste, interests, culture)

    - Successfully create:

    - Conversation starters

    - Social entry points

    - Translate shared interests → real-world interaction

    Opportunity Signal:
    Reading lacks a strong equivalent of this interest-to-connection bridge despite being inherently identity-driven.Focus on identity-based matching (taste, interests, culture)

Behavioral Insights Across Ecosystem

  • Users engage with reading platforms primarily as solo, screen-based experiences, even when labeled as “community.”

    • Avid readers and researchers consistently value:

      • Quiet, distraction-free settings

      • Intimate book clubs

      • “Cozy” and controlled environments

      This does not contradict social needs—it reflects a preference for intentional, low-noise interaction over performative socialization.

    • Informal or independent reading groups often avoid libraries

    • Perception issues include:

      • Institutional rigidity

      • Lack of flexible/social infrastructure

      • Misalignment with modern community formats

  • Even in active communities:

    • Connection requires high individual effort and consistency

    • Interactions are:

      • Fragmented

      • Episodic

      • Platform-dependent

    Key Insight:
    Digital connection ≠ social belonging

    • Platforms like BookTok solve “what to read”

    • Platforms like Fable partially solve “who to read with”

    • No platform effectively solves:
      → “Where do I go to experience this together?”

Synthesis

The competitive landscape reveals a clear structural gap:

  • Content ecosystems → Drive discovery

  • Utility platforms → Enable reading

  • Social platforms → Enable connection

But no system integrates all three within a physical + digital hybrid environment

Strategic Opportunity

Position libraries as:

Lybrary occupies the white space between digital reading discovery and real-world community participation.

Most platforms solve for discovery or consumption in isolation. Lybrary bridges the gap by connecting digital reading behavior with real-world community experiences.

Lybrary leverages this gap by:

  • Translating online reading identity → offline interaction

  • Embedding social infrastructure into physical spaces

  • Converting libraries from passive venues → active community platforms

Observational Research

  • Conducted in-situ at Queens Public Library, Hunter’s Point

  • Observed:

    • Space usage patterns

    • Navigation behaviors

    • Social vs functional usage

Key Finding:
Users often occupy the library for ambient presence (reading, relaxing, socializing) rather than structured tasks.

“The building design creates accessibility challenges, which impacts inclusivity.”

— Mary Blieka, Librarian at QPL

SME Interview (Librarian)

Key Pain Points Identified:

  • Spatial constraints vs high footfall

  • Accessibility gaps

  • Poor crowd segmentation

  • Limited infrastructure for group/social activityHere, creativity meets opportunity.

Key Insight

Audience Imbalance in Library Usage

Libraries are already functioning as highly active community spaces—but primarily for children and families, not adults, young adults or teens. Libraries are not underutilized—they are unevenly utilized.

Design Implication:
Opportunity is not to “add community” but to rebalance and extend community infrastructure to adult users

Supporting Evidence (from SME + research):

  • High footfall concentrated in children’s sections

  • Peak usage during after-school hours and weekends

  • Parents report limited capacity for group activities

  • Adult usage is:

    • Functional (printing, research)

    • Passive (quiet reading)

    • Not community-driven

Interviews

  • “It feels like there’s more potential there than what’s actually happening.”


    Insight: Clear gap between infrastructure and experience

    Design Direction:
    Position library as a community platform, not just a resource center

  • “I don’t always go to the library to work. Sometimes I just go to sit, read, or spend time quietly.”


    Insight: Libraries function as third spaces, not just task-oriented environments

    Design Direction:
    Enable flexible usage modes → reading, socializing, events, passive presence

  • “The children’s section sees the most activity, especially after school and on weekends.”


    Insight: Libraries are already highly active community spaces—but primarily for kids and families

    Design Direction:
    Extend this community model to adults through events, programming, and social infrastructure

  • “I usually go there for printing or when I need something specific.”


    Insight: Adult usage is transactional, not engagement-driven

    Design Direction:
    Shift from utility-only → experience-driven usage through community and personalization

  • “There’s often not enough space for kids’ group activities.”


    Insight: Demand for community engagement already exists and exceeds capacity

    Design Direction:
    Introduce space visibility, booking, and scheduling systems

  • “The app helps me find books, but that’s about it.”


    Insight: Digital experience is limited and non-integrated

    Design Direction:
    Build a holistic ecosystem → events, tracking, personalization, interaction

  • “It’s not really a place I’d rely on for focused work.”


    Insight: Misalignment with adult productivity and lifestyle needs

    Design Direction:
    Introduce quiet zones, bookable workspaces, hybrid environments

  • “I wish I could check how busy it is or reserve something before I go.”


    Insight: Gap in pre-visit decision-making systems

    Design Direction:
    Add popular times, RSVP, calendar integration

  • “I never know if I’ll actually find a good spot when I get there.”


    Insight: High uncertainty in physical experience planning

    Design Direction:
    Real-time space availability, crowd data, and booking

  • “I like being around people there, even if I’m not interacting.”


    Insight: Users prefer low-pressure, ambient social environments

    Design Direction:
    Enable soft social features (events, communities, optional interaction—not forced)

Synthesis & Key Insights

  • Users perceive libraries as community hubs, not just book repositories.

    • Existing apps lack:

      • Real-time utility

      • Personalization

      • Booking systems

      • Event discovery

    • Limited quiet workspaces

    • Lack of collaborative environments

    • Operating hours misaligned with working professionals

  • Social + cultural programming is a primary driver of engagement.

    • Users expect:

      • Instant access

      • Predictive recommendations

      • Seamless booking and planning

Uses the library as a flexible third space for both leisure and productivity, seeking opportunities for community, self-growth, and focused work. She values time efficiency, meaningful social connection, accessible low-cost resources, and adaptable work environments. However, uncertainty around space availability and event access often disrupts her ability to plan and fully utilize the library.

User Persona

User Journey Map

Critical Friction Points

  • No RSVP capability

  • No real-time availability (space/events)

  • Poor wayfinding inside library

  • No support layer (chat/help)

Digital Layer

  • Real-time availability (spaces, books, events)

  • Calendar + RSVP integration

  • Personalized recommendations

Opportunity Area

Operational Layer

  • Space booking

  • Extended access visibility

  • Improved navigation + accessibility

Social Layer

  • Community events + networking

  • Interest-based discovery

  • Social matching (non-dating positioning refinement)

Solution: Lybrary

  • A mobile-first social + utility platform that connects:

    • People ↔ People

    • People ↔ Space

    • People ↔ Knowledge

Concept Testing

1. Real-Time Library Intelligence

  • Space availability (rooms, seating, tech)

  • Popular times + crowd density

  • Resource availability

4. Personalized Dashboard

  • Recommendations based on:

    • Reading history

    • Events attended

    • Interests

2. Event Ecosystem

  • Discover, RSVP, and save events

  • Calendar sync

  • Notifications

5. Book Discovery & Access

  • Smart search + availability

  • Future booking

  • Pickup navigation

3. Community Layer

  • Interest-based connections

  • Social discovery (book clubs, meetups, niche communities)

  • Messaging + interaction

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User Flows

Systems Map

Mid-Fi Prototyping

Low → Mid → High Fidelity

Tested key concepts:

  • Space booking flow

  • Community/event discovery

  • Personalization dashboard

  • Book checkout system

Iterated from a dating-centric concept → broader community model based on user feedback

Design System

Intentionally moved away from institutional library aesthetics to:

  • Vibrant, playful UI (retro inspiration)

  • High-contrast visuals

  • Social-first interaction patterns

This aligns with the goal of making libraries feel alive, accessible, and culturally relevant.

Hi-Fidelity & Features

Event Discovery & RSVP System

Browse events by:

  • Interest

  • Location

  • Time

RSVP directly within the app

Calendar sync + reminders

Why: Increase visibility and participation in library programming

Get to Know Local Library Goes Personally

Connect with users via:

  • Favorite genres

  • Reading habits

Early exploration of:

  • Social matching

  • Shared-interest interactions

Why: Test social engagement within a low-pressure environment

Personalized Dashboard

Tailored recommendations for:

  • Books

  • Events

  • Spaces

Based on user behavior and preferences

Why: Match modern expectations for personalization

Community Layer (Social Discovery)

Connect with users based on:

  • Reading interests

  • Activities

  • Events

Explore:

  • Book clubs

  • Meetups

  • Local communities

Why: Extend libraries from passive spaces to active social ecosystems

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Product Roadmap: Features to be Explored

    • Search and filter books

    • View real-time availability

    • Reserve or schedule pickup

    • Track reading lists and favorites

    Why: Improve existing app utility beyond basic catalog browsing

    • Directions to:

      • Book locations

      • Rooms

      • Sections inside the library

    • Pickup guidance

    Why: Bridge digital-to-physical experience gap

    • Live visibility into:

      • Seating availability

      • Quiet zones

      • Study rooms

      • Tech (computers, printers)

    • “Popular times” and crowd density indicators

    Why: Reduce uncertainty and enable pre-visit planning

    • Reserve:

      • Study spots

      • Rooms

      • Equipment

    • Time-slot based booking with confirmation

    • Add to calendar

    Why: Address lack of predictability in physical experience

Reflections

Impact (Conceptual / Expected Outcomes)

If implemented, Lybrary would:

  • Increase library footfall among young adults

  • Improve engagement with programs and events

  • Enable data-driven resource allocation

  • Strengthen libraries as third spaces (work + leisure + social)

Key UX Contributions

  • Reframed libraries as experience ecosystems

  • Identified behavior vs system mismatch

  • Introduced real-time + social UX layer

  • Balanced utility + delight

Challenges

  • Designing social interactions in a traditionally quiet environment

  • Limited research scope (single location bias)

  • Navigating concept direction (dating vs community)

Next Steps

  • Usability testing with live prototype

  • Validate feature prioritization (MVP vs V2)

  • Partner with public libraries for pilot testing

  • Expand research across multiple cities