How do you collaborate on a piece of software with a community of users and developers distributed around the world? Lanie and Saira from the British Library’s Universal Viewer team share their recent experience with a ‘community sprint’... 

Back in July, digital agency Cogapp tested the current version of the Universal Viewer (UV) against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 and came up with a list of suggestions to enhance compliance.  

As accessibility is a top priority, the UV Steering Group decided to host a community sprint - an event focused on tackling these suggestions while boosting engagement and fostering collaboration. Sprints are typically internal, but the community sprint was open to anyone from the broader open-source community.

18 participants from 6 organisations teamed up to make the Universal Viewer more accessible - true collaboration in action!

The sprint took place for two weeks in October. Everyone brought unique skills and perspectives, making it a true community effort.

Software engineers worked on development tasks, such as improving screen reader compatibility, fixing keyboard navigation problems, and enhancing element visibility. Testing engineers ensured functionality, and non-technical participants assisted with planning, translations and management.

The group had different levels of experience, which made it important to provide a supportive environment for learning and collaboration.  

The project board at the end of the Sprint - not every issue was finished, but the sprint was still a success with over 30 issues completed in two weeks.

Some of those involved shared their thoughts on the sprint: 

Bruce Herman - Development Team Lead, British Library: 'It was a great opportunity to collaborate with other development teams in the BL and the UV Community.'

Demian Katz - Director of Library Technology, Villanova University: 'As a long-time member of the Universal Viewer community, it was really exciting to see so many new people working together effectively to improve the project.'

Sara Weale - Head of Web Design & Development, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru - National Library of Wales: 'Taking part in this accessibility sprint was an exciting and rewarding experience. As Scrum Master, I had the privilege of facilitating the inception, daily stand-ups, and retrospective sessions, helping to keep the team focused and collaborative throughout. It was fantastic to see web developers from the National Library of Wales working alongside the British Library, Falvey Library (Villanova University), and other members of the Universal Viewer Steering Group.

This sprint marked the first time an international, cross-community team came together in this way, and the sense of shared purpose and camaraderie was truly inspiring. Some of the key lessons I took away from the sprint was the need for more precise task estimation, as well as the value of longer sprints to allow for deeper problem-solving. Despite these challenges, the fortnight was defined by excellent communication and a strong collective commitment to addressing accessibility issues.

Seeing the team come together so quickly and effectively highlighted the power of collaboration to drive meaningful progress, ultimately enhancing the Universal Viewer for a more inclusive future.'

BL Test Engineers: 

Damian Burke: 'Having worked on UV for a number of years, this was my first community sprint. What stood out for me was the level of collaboration and goodwill from everyone on the team. How quickly we formed into a working agile team was impressive. From a UV tester's perspective, I learned a lot from using new tools like Vercel and exploring GitHub's advanced functionality.'

Alex Rostron: 'It was nice to collaborate and work with skilled people from all around the world to get a good number of tickets over the line.'

Danny Taylor: 'I think what I liked most was how organised the sprints were. It was great to be involved in my first BL retrospective.'

 

A Miro board was used for Sprint planning and the retrospective – a review meeting after the Sprint where we determined what went well and what we would improve for next time.

Experience from the sprint helped us to organise a further sprint within the UV Steering Group for admin-related work, aimed at improving documentation to ensure clearer processes and better support for contributors. Looking ahead, we're planning to release UV 4.1.0 in the new year, incorporating the enhancements we've made - we’ll share another update when the release candidate is ready for review.

Building on the success of the community sprint, we're excited to make these collaborative efforts a key part of our strategic roadmap. Join us and help shape the future of UV!