Perspectives on EBSCO User Group: Product Management

Key Takeaways

• Customer feedback directly shapes product development.
• In-person conversations provide insights you can’t always replicate virtually.
• The event energizes both customers and EBSCO teams to build better solutions.

In this final installment of our Perspectives on EBSCO User Group series, we hear from Bonnie Leavitt, VP of Product Management at EBSCO, as she shares her experiences speaking face-to-face with customers and connecting with teammates during the EBSCO User Group conference. Bonnie’s perspective highlights how the product team takes tangible feedback from attendees’ real-world application of tools and uses it to refine products and processes moving forward.

One of the highlights of the EBSCO User Group each year is the opportunity to connect with customers face-to-face. While we regularly engage with users through Teams and email, there’s something uniquely valuable about in-person conversations. Hearing firsthand how customers are using our products — and seeing their innovative approaches and creative implementations — always sparks new ideas and helps shape future enhancements. I also appreciate the chance to attend customer-led presentations, which often highlight use cases we might not have anticipated. These sessions give us direct insight into what’s working, what could be improved, and where we can go next.

As a manager of a remote team, the User Group is also a meaningful time to connect with my colleagues in person. It’s a rare opportunity to gather as a team, share ideas, and return to our day-to-day work energized and inspired. Without fail, we leave the event motivated to deliver updates and features that truly matter to our users and customers. 

Engaging directly with users at the User Group is incredibly valuable for the product team. These in-depth, face-to-face conversations give us a much clearer picture of how our products are being used in real-world settings. They also allow us to ask follow-up questions, explore specific workflows, and truly understand the context behind a user’s needs.  

One of the most impactful moments is when a customer can walk us through their experience with a live demo or example. That kind of insight is hard to capture through enhancement requests or secondhand feedback from Sales. These conversations help us dig deeper, uncover pain points or opportunities we may not have anticipated, and gather the level of detail we need to make informed product decisions.

For Product Managers, that direct connection with users is not just helpful — it’s essential to building better, more user-centered solutions.

When selecting topics to highlight at the User Group, customer feedback is our top priority. If we consistently hear questions or suggestions about a particular feature or product, that’s a clear signal that it deserves attention on the agenda.  

We also aim to focus on topics that have the broadest relevance. Rather than diving deep into niche products that only a subset of attendees may use, we prioritize platform-wide updates or enhancements to widely adopted products. This approach ensures that most attendees walk away with insights they can apply immediately. 

That said, we still want to support users of more specialized tools. For those, we often offer breakout sessions or have Product Managers available for one-on-one conversations and demos. Lastly, the User Group is a great opportunity to unveil and preview new products. It gives us a chance to gather real-time feedback, gauge initial reactions, and make sure customers are well-informed about what’s on the horizon.

The EBSCO User Group is a unique, three-day event designed to give attendees meaningful, hands-on engagement with both EBSCO staff and fellow library professionals. It’s a focused environment where you can explore how other libraries are using our products, share your own experiences, and connect directly with Product Managers, Library Service Engineers, and Implementation Teams. 

From interactive workshops that dive deep into specific tools, to presentations that showcase practical use cases and new enhancements, the event offers learning opportunities you just can’t replicate in a virtual setting. Whether you're looking to get more out of the products you already use, discover new solutions, or have specific questions answered, the User Group is the place to do it.  

Plus, with breakout sessions and an on-site Help Desk, you’ll have access to personalized, consultative support — making it easy to address challenges, explore new features and leave with actionable insights.

One thing I wish more users knew is just how much thought, collaboration and customer input goes into our Product Management process. At EBSCO, we follow an Agile development methodology, which allows us to continually prioritize and deliver meaningful updates — even if we can't address every enhancement request immediately. 

Our team collects feedback from a wide range of sources: enhancement requests, user research, sales insights and hundreds of conversations with customers — including the valuable discussions that happen at the User Group. All of this helps us better understand user needs and identify the most impactful improvements.  

What makes our team even more effective is the fact that many of our Product Managers are former librarians. Their firsthand experience brings a deep understanding of library workflows and helps ensure we’re building tools that align with how libraries actually operate.

Considering we serve over 30,000 customers across more than 400 products, I’m constantly impressed by how our team balances input, prioritizes features and delivers updates that truly make a difference.