LAUNC-CH CONFERENCE MARCH 2010

YVONNE BELANGER EMILY DALY LINDA DANIEL DIANE HARVEY SHAWN MILLER LAUNC-CH CONFERENCE MARCH 8, 2010 Know Thy User: Duke Libraries User Studies Initiative

How can we know our users?

Librarians doing research?
“ Practicing librarians face numerous obstacles to conducting research including funding, time, experience, support and access to research.”
Koufogiannakis
“ Since assessment work may be new, unfamiliar, and viewed as risky, time to learn and practice is essential. Risk taking and learning should be the norm in libraries.”
Phipps and Lakos

User Studies Initiative
GOALS
Build skills
Provide forum for discussion
Encourage collaboration
Create support structure & network
Launch at least one user study 2010-11
ACTIVITIES
Social science research overview
Monthly workshops
Special training events
Online toolkit
Data inventory

USER STUDY Cultural Anthropology

Goals of the study
Better understand key challenges
Improve library services and support

Study design
First steps
Interviews with faculty and graduate students
Online survey

Conducting the interviews
2 interviewers
Recording, note taking, transcribing
Intranet site

Benefits & outcomes
Success of response
Follow-up
Next steps

USER STUDY Honors Researchers

Goals of the study
Better understand how students conduct research
Publicize existing services
Improve library services and support

Study design
Pilot interviews
Discussion with Associate Dean
Discussions with faculty
Recruitment

Conducting the interviews
Interviews with 9 students at 3 points during research process
Recording, note taking, reflecting
Reporting

Benefits & outcomes
Publicity of existing services to faculty and students
Better understanding of students’ needs
Next steps

What is success?
Cohort of library staff who feel confident to do user studies
Studies underway
Studies planned
“ Without a well-structured learning and training environment, the library will not keep up with new information opportunities and will be less effective.” Phipps and Lakos

Thank you!
Thanks to Catherine Shreve for co-facilitating the
User Studies Initiative and for creating the toolkit
Questions?
[email_address]
[email_address]
[email_address]
[email_address]
[email_address]

Works Cited
Koufogiannakis, Denise, and Ellen Crumley. "Research in Librarianship: Issues to Consider." Library Hi Tech 24.3 (2006): 324. Web.
Lakos, A., and S. Phipps. "Creating a Culture of Assessment." portal: Libraries and the Academy 4.3 (2004): 345–61. Web.

LAUNC-CH CONFERENCE MARCH 2010

by Diane Harvey on Mar 10, 2010

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

1 Embed 3

Statistics

LAUNC-CH CONFERENCE MARCH 2010 — Presentation Transcript