What can adults do to make a fun new program for kids? KidsTeam E-Textiles brought kids to the design table and asked them how to make a successful library program for other kids their age. Our multi-generational team worked on exploring e-textiles in the public library setting, through hands on engagement with technology. Kids, teen support volunteers, and the local librarian gave us feedback on pacing, instruction, and tools that would make the program run smoothly. We used all of this to create a website for SPL’s Digital Media Learning Program that has resources, design feedback, and our session plans.

KCSO owns a record management system which generates large quantities of normalized data around law enforcement activities spanning 14 jurisdictions throughout King County. Our goal is to use this to identify trends and provide recommendations to KCSO. For example, weekends recorded nearly 25% less crime than weekdays. Crimes also peaked during afternoon hours, indicating a link between time of the day and crime rates. We used PowerBI to build dashboards to cover the KCSO region and highlight areas that needed extra patrolling. We hope that the insights we provide help King County in better resource allocation and making data-driven decisions.

This project was conducted to evaluate the availability of library programming and services for LGBTQ+ teenagers, children, and their families. Using a Google survey, we collected 106 responses from across the US and Canada. While most libraries did not offer LGBTQ+ programming, among the ones that did we found a diverse range of offerings. Many libraries partnered with local organizations to facilitate events. This project was undertaken in partnership with KCLS to help shape the library's ongoing role in creating an inclusive community

Aurora Picture Show is a media arts center in Houston, TX. Since its founding in 1998, they’ve presented a variety of noncommercial film and performance art, as well as various educational initiatives. Their documentation have been a mess for years, making it difficult for staff to find information about past presentations. After determining what would best meet Aurora’s needs while staying within budget, we created an updated database. Not only does this database make it easier for staff to do their jobs, the use of subject keywords provides a broad overview of the many topics that appear in Aurora’s presentations.

Likewise’s goal is to help current and incoming students at the University of Washington find a safe space to express thoughts, feelings and concerns with their peers. Students can create posts, search for advice, and read past experiences from other students who have gone through the same or similar experiences. This allows them to get a glimpse of their perspectives and seek guidance from others. Through Likewise, students can connect with their peers and build a sense of community by sharing stories and advice.

Literary Labyrinth addresses the need among beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduates in English for an introduction to conducting research in language and literature. The website gathers many of the most invaluable resources available to researchers in these disciplines and presents example research questions illustrating when and how to use such materials. While traditional library guides simply collect, organize, and display resources used in a discipline, Literary Labyrinth offers tutorials emphasizing strategy and process. The guide demonstrates how scholars can thoughtfully approach research by first deconstructing their query and then surveying the bibliographic landscape to chart a path toward answers.

The Long Shadows of Seattle podcast, also called the Seattle Civil Rights Podcast Project, was an endeavor to take some lesser known figures in the history of Seattle that have collections at the University of Washington and give them a platform. There are a great many historical figures that lived in Seattle that simply do not get the attention that they should, with many of the figures I covered having very little if anything written about them at all. Through this podcast I hope to allow a wider audience to explore some of the undiscovered Black historical figures of Seattle.

Items representing lowbrow art are underutilized within the Special Collections library at University of Washington. By creating an exhibit showcasing the unique and varied items that represent this art style, we strive to promote these valuable and timely materials to be better recognized by patrons of Special Collections as well as to highlight underrepresented artistic communities. Along with the traditional viewing of held materials, patron participation is encouraged through a Spotify playlist, DIY workshops, animation slideshow, and online catalogue. Additionally, a specialized Lowbrow Collection Development Policy allows for the possibility to acquire contemporary materials for collections in the future.

Every non-profit organization deserves to have an accurate, efficient, eco-friendly and user-friendly donation process. Through a seamless integration of donation data, Mary’s Place employees are able to focus their efforts on maintaining shelters and increasing donations. Our digital in-kind donation form reduces human errors made in the current laborious donation input process. Additionally, our solution eliminates the need for paper forms and is a personalized interface for Mary’s Place. With our solution, an 8 hour data entry process becomes a 3 minute task.

Microsoft Learn was designed to be a student-facing platform to help develop technical skills but the experience was targeted towards professionals. Our team collaborated with university students to re-architect the site and build a platform that was more enticing to their skill level. By customizing the platform to better fit their needs, our solution, Microsoft Encounter, alleviates the major pain points of the Learn platform and delivers all the key features students look for in a technical learning site. In turn, this will lead to brand loyalty and turn the students of today into their customers of tomorrow.