Digital Humanities Center User Needs Assessment

Columbia University LibrariesManagement Committee

April 9, 2009

Information Needs1. What are our users needs for collaborative work space? 2. What about collaborative work with technology?3. What media do people need to use? What should we be sure to offer

from the get-go?4. What do users expect for the setting of a consultation?5. Should we include group film-viewing rooms? How?6. What needs do our users have that we have not anticipated?7. What do our users need to accomplish – how can we provide

technologies to support those needs?8. Which technologies do our users use most often?9. Do we need practice presentation spaces?

Target Population

• English & Comparative Literature• History• Humanities

– Art History, Classics, Music, Philosophy, Religion

• Languages– Italian, MEALAC, EALAC, Spanish & Portuguese, French, Germanic

Languages

• School of the Arts– Film

Survey Distribution

• Online survey to graduate & PhD students in history and humanities departments

• Paper surveys in ETS (5 months)• Paper surveys in lobby of Butler (one week)

*Undergraduate email distribution: technical failure

Response

We can state with 95% confidence that we understand the research and technology needs of humanities students, as addressed in this survey.

Library Use: time of day

Library Use: frequency

Coursework & Research

Group Study

Group Study

Group Study

Group Study

Collaboration

Media/Technology Use

Presentations

Library Resources

E-Resources Print Resources

Print Reference

Film & Audio

Services

Services

Services

Comment Themes

• Atmosphere: Food, noise, policy enforcement

• “Camping”• ETS• Hours• Customer Service• Circulation• Librarian/Reference

• “Grad vs. Undergrad”• Media Collection• Printing/Photocopying• Research & Resources• Study space• Technology• “More”

Conclusions• Scanning should be

ubiquitous.• More access hours needed for

study spaces and all types of technology.

• 50% of Butler Library/H&H students never work in a group.

• Over-crowding a serious problem, causing tension.

• Fundamental technology services (printing) need to be addressed.

• Strict separation of quiet and social study spaces is desired.

• Distinction between “late night” and “over night.”

• There is an expectation and need for the media collection to circulate.

• More group study space, eg. space that allows talking, are needed. These spaces do not need to be “high-tech.”

• Practice presentation spaces and group film-viewing spaces are not in high-demand.

Humanities & Social Sciences

• Groups tend to be smaller in Humanities.• Social Science students give far more group

presentations.

Next Steps

• Continued analysis of data• Apply the data to the project plan• Make interim changes to Butler study spaces

and policies• Focus groups, further user research• Faculty interviews• Exploratory research