This dissertation investigates how increased tuition fees in the UK have impacted the attitudes and roles of academic library staff. Interviews were conducted with library managers from 4 universities and 2 focus groups with library assistants. While most staff felt students now have higher expectations as consumers, views on this term varied. Managers have made changes like improving the student experience to attract more enrollments. Library assistants reported more confrontational situations with students. Overall, library roles have remained similar although digital transitions have influenced training needs more than tuition fees.

1. An investigation into the effect of
increased tuition fees on the attitudes and
opinions of UK academic library staff
towards their customers and their roles.
Marion Harris
Goldsmiths College, University of London
A dissertation submitted as part of Aberystwyth
University’s MSc(Econ) Information and Library
studies programme, supervised by Dr. Judith
Broady-Preston and Prof. David Ellis.

2. REASONS FOR THE DISSERTATION TOPIC
 Worked in academic libraries since 2011.
 £9K tuition fees – common topic.
 National Student Survey – increasingly important.
 Decided to take library staff angle.

3. RESEARCH AIMS
1 – How do library staff feel about students being
considered consumers?
2 – Have Library Managers made changes to their services
as a result of the increased fees?
3 – Do library staff feel their roles /working lives have
been influenced by the increased fees?
4 – Have Library Managers responded to any impact the
increased tuition fees have had on their staff?

4. METHODOLOGY
 Qualitative mixed-methods approach.
 4 x interviews with Library Managers.
 2 x focus groups with Library Assistants (5 and 6
participants).
 Semi-structured questioning.
 Short demographic questionnaire.

5. SAMPLE
Name Age Size Research
University A 1900s 9,000 Interview only
University B 1920s 17,000 Interview and focus group
University C 1960s 11,000 Interview and focus group
University D 1990s 12,000 Interview only

6. DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66+
Library
Assistants
Library
Managers
Age of participants

7. DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE
0
1
2
3
4
5
<1 year. 1-5 years. 6-10
years.
11-15
years.
16-20
years.
21 years+
Library Assistants
Library Managers
Participants' lengths of experience in the academic
library sector

8. DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
None
GCSE
Alevel
Bachelors
degree
Masters
degree
PhD
Other.
Library
Assistants
Library
Managers
Participants' highest level of qualification

9. HOW DO LIBRARY STAFF FEEL ABOUT
STUDENTS BEING CONSIDERED CONSUMERS?
 Majority of participants felt students have higher
expectations.
 Reluctance around added costs.
 Demands themselves are not new but students are more
confident in campaigning.
 Concerns about “entitlement”.

10. HOW TO LIBRARY STAFF FEEL ABOUT
STUDENTS BEING CONSIDERED CONSUMERS?
 Varied opinions about the term “customer”
 General feeling that the role of the library is educational,
not transactional.
 Sympathy towards the financial difficulties facing
today’s students
 Students appear to be more motivated since the fees
increase.

11. HAVE LIBRARY MANAGERS MADE CHANGES
AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASED FEES?
 Increased competition to attract students.
 “Student experience” mantra.
 Increased focus on NSS results - useful for funding bids
e.g. 24-hour opening (LMs).
 All 4 libraries had/about to have major investment.
 Other factors: changing pedagogical styles, growth of
e-resources.

12. DO LIBRARY STAFF FEEL THEIR ROLES
/WORKING LIVES HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED?
 Increase in complaints/confrontational situations (LAs).
 Essential elements of library work fairly constant.
 Changes to working life more often due to other factors.

13. HAVE LIBRARY MANAGERS RESPONDED TO
ANY IMPACT ON THEIR STAFF?
 LMs placed great importance on staff training – but more
due to digital transition that increased fees.
 At one university LAs felt that since the fees increase
their university had cut back training for support staff to
focus on teaching and learning.

14. LIMITATIONS
 Limited to London and the South-East.
 Research was conducted during autumn term –
many libraries were too busy to take part.
 Only small/medium sized, 20th century universities
included.
 One focus group participant was lost due to a
work-related problem.

15. QUESTIONS?
marion.harris@gold.ac.uk
@M_InTheLibrary