library as place: what performing arts students value most
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Library as Place: What Performing Arts Students Value Most. Joe Clark Kent State University Music Library Association’s 83 rd Annual Meeting Atlanta, GA Feb. 28, 2014 . Comprehensive Study of Spaces & Services. Why: shrinking resources forthcoming minor renovations - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Library as Place: What Performing
Arts Students Value Most
Joe ClarkKent State University
Music Library Association’s 83rd Annual MeetingAtlanta, GA Feb. 28, 2014
Comprehensive Study of Spaces & Services
Why: shrinking resources forthcoming minor renovationsTo 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
BackgroundKent State is a public research university
located in NE Ohio, with 28,000+ studentsThe 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 LayoutFive major areas, providing a variety of spacesTwo computer labs not run by the libraryA lobby area that doubles as a circulation areaA reading room, with non-circulating collections,
technology, and a variety of patron areasTwo group roomsCollection room, with compact shelving, four study
carrels, and open study space
Circulation Area – Entering Library
Circulation Area – Booth View
Circulation Area – Desk View
PC Lab
PC Lab
Mac Lab
More Mac Lab
Reading Room
More Reading Room
More Reading Room
Reading Room cont…
The Reading Room’s BIG Tables
Soft Seating in the Reading Room
Group Rooms
Group Rooms
Collection Room – Open Space
Collection Room – Study Carrels
Collection Room - Collections
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
Where They Go:
Computer Labs
Reading Room
Computers
Seating
Group Study Rooms
Study Carrels
Computer Usage – Where They Go
PC Lab Takes the Gold Medal
Reading Room - Silver Medal
Mac Lab gets the Bronze
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 roomsOne-third is for computer lab use
Circulation Area
Survey Two-pager on one sheetIRB approvedCompletion time approximately 7 minutesIncentivized with five $50 amazon giftcardsAdministered over a two-week period105 valid surveys
On to the results…
Survey DemographicsFreshman/Sophomore
19%
Junior/Senior56%
Graduate Student
25%
18-2580%
26-3513%
36-503%
50+4%
Music61%
Nutrition4%
Speech Pathology
7%
Theatre12%
Dance1%
Other15%
Male45%
Female55%
Survey Results: Mac vs PC
Mac PC Both0
10203040506070
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Survey – Personal Computing
Laptop Desktop Tablet0
102030405060708090
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Preferred Library Space
Quiet Group Both0
102030405060708090
100
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
“Library space & technology is more important than library services & collections”
Stron
gly Ag
reeAg
ree
Neutra
l
Disagre
e
Stron
gly di
sagree
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”
Stron
gly Ag
reeAg
ree
Neutra
l
Disagre
e
Stron
gly di
sagree
010203040506070
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
“I come to and use the library with others”
Stron
gly Ag
reeAg
ree
Neutra
l
Disagre
e
Stron
gly di
sagree
0102030405060
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Study Spaces in Rank Order
Quiet Study Area
Group Study Space in
Open Area
Group Study Rooms
Study Carrels0
0.51
1.52
2.53
3.5
Technology in Rank Order
Compu
ters
Printe
rsCop
ier
Scann
ers
Flashc
ard
AV Pl
ayba
ck0123456
Services in Rank Order
Help_Staff Circulation OfficeSupplies Help_Students0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Importance of Quiet Study Space
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
102030405060708090
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Group Study Enclosed
Very
Imp
Somew
hat
Nuetra
l
Not Im
p NA05
101520253035404550
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Group Study Space in an Open Area
Very
Imp
Somew
hat
Nuetra
l
Not Im
p NA05
101520253035404550
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Soft Furniture
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp05
101520253035404550
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
102030405060708090
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Scanning, Printing, and Copying
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
102030405060708090
100
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
Importance of Staff Help
Very Imp Somewhat Nuetral Not Imp0
102030405060708090
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
Somew
hat
Nuetra
l
Not Im
p NA05
101520253035404550
MusicTheatre/DanceOther
What Do They Do in the library?
Surfin
g
Writing
Pape
rs
Watchin
g Clas
s Mate
rial
Study
ing Al
one
Group S
tudy
Relaxin
gEa
ting
Socia
lizaito
n01234567
AllMusicTheatre
For All Majors, in Rank Order:
Writing
Pape
rs
Study
ing Al
one
Watchin
g Clas
s Mate
rials
Web Su
rfing
Relaxin
g
Group S
tudy
Socia
lizatio
nEa
ting
0
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 StepsTwo focus groups with performing arts studentsContinue to analyze the data by age, class
standings, gender, and other variablesConduct a survey/focus group study of branch
libraries and their importance to students; compare and contrast results with this (and previous) studies
