library as place: what performing arts students value most joe clark kent state university music...
TRANSCRIPT
Library as Place: What Performing
Arts Students Value Most
Joe Clark
Kent State University
Music Library Association’s 83rd Annual Meeting
Atlanta, GA Feb. 28, 2014
Comprehensive Study of Spaces & Services
Why:
shrinking resources
forthcoming minor renovations
To better serve student needs
Questions: Why do students come to the library?
What services/resources do they most value?
What spaces are most important to students?
Three-pronged approach: Observational data collected from the last year Survey Focus Groups
Background
Kent State is a public research university located in NE Ohio, with 28,000+ students
The Performing Arts Library (formerly the Music Library) is a branch library. 2nd busiest of the 13 university libraries
In addition to students from the Schools of Music and Theatre and Dance, many speech pathology and nutrition students use the facilities
Library Layout
Five major areas, providing a variety of spaces
Two computer labs not run by the library
A lobby area that doubles as a circulation area
A reading room, with non-circulating collections, technology, and a variety of patron areas
Two group rooms
Collection room, with compact shelving, four study carrels, and open study space
Observational DataEvery hour on the half hour
students sweep the library, noting where patrons are within the libraryLimitations: not noting what
patrons are doing, just where they are going.
Today’s data are from the entirety of the fall 2013 semester
Over 11,000 “counts” last semester
TakeawaysStudents were as likely to be at the booth in the
circulation room as in either group study room (Circulation room=477, both group rooms=444)
Ninety-one percent of students went to an “open” space; group rooms accounted for 4% while carrels comprised 5% of student usage
Study carrels get more use than group rooms
One-third is for computer lab use
Survey Two-pager on one sheet
IRB approved
Completion time approximately 7 minutes
Incentivized with five $50 amazon giftcards
Administered over a two-week period
105 valid surveys
On to the results…
Survey – Personal Computing
Laptop Desktop Tablet0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
“Library space & technology is more important than library services & collections”
Stro
ngly A
gree
Agre
e
Neutra
l
Disag
ree
Stro
ngly d
isag
ree
0
10
20
30
40
50
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
“Expert help with library resources is important for my success as a student”
Strongly Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree0
10
20
30
40
50
60
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
“A strong library collection is important to my success as a student”
Strongly Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree0
10
20
30
40
50
60
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
“I come to and use the library alone”
Stro
ngly A
gree
Agre
e
Neutra
l
Disag
ree
Stro
ngly d
isag
ree
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
“I come to and use the library with others”
Stro
ngly A
gree
Agre
e
Neutra
l
Disag
ree
Stro
ngly d
isag
ree
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Study Spaces in Rank Order
Quiet Study Area
Group Study Space in
Open Area
Group Study Rooms
Study Carrels0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Technology in Rank Order
Compu
ters
Prin
ters
Copie
r
Scan
ners
Flas
hcar
d
AV P
layb
ack
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Importance of Quiet Study Space
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Group Study Enclosed
Very
Imp
Som
ewha
t
Nuetra
l
Not Im
p NA05
101520253035404550
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Group Study Space in an Open Area
Very
Imp
Som
ewha
t
Nuetra
l
Not Im
p NA05
101520253035404550
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Soft Furniture
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Large Tables
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Computer Availability
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Scanning, Printing, and Copying
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Staff Help
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Student Help
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Library Events
Very
Imp
Som
ewha
t
Nuetra
l
Not Im
p NA05
101520253035404550
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
What Do They Do in the library?
Surfi
ng
Writ
ing
Pape
rs
Wat
chin
g Cla
ss M
ater
ial
Stud
ying
Alo
ne
Group
Stu
dy
Relax
ing
Eatin
g
Social
izai
ton
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
AllMusicTheatre
For All Majors, in Rank Order:
Writ
ing
Pape
rs
Stud
ying
Alo
ne
Wat
chin
g Cla
ss M
ater
ials
Web
Sur
fing
Relax
ing
Group
Stu
dy
Social
izat
ion
Eatin
g0
2
4
6
ConclusionsVery important items include:
Quiet study spaceOpen space (over rooms or study carrels)Strong library collectionExpert help from librariansAccess
• Most students have laptops, and we should support them (chargers and wireless printing), but computers and printers are still KING
• Most come to the library along
Spaces
• Variety of spaces is important, but strong preferences exist for a quiet environment with avaibility of large tables and soft furniture
• Group rooms and study carrels are important pieces of our library’s space puzzle, but clearly are not preferred by most students
Next Steps
Two focus groups with performing arts students
Continue to analyze the data by age, class standings, gender, and other variables
Conduct a survey/focus group study of branch libraries and their importance to students; compare and contrast results with this (and previous) studies