Digital access to all sources of information continues to expand at an accelerating rate, and academic libraries are working to transform themselves in response to a generation of students entering the university having embraced online, mobile, anytime, anywhere access to information. In an academic community that increasingly values intellectual collaboration among faculty and students, and learning in and out of the classroom, the twenty-first century academic library must continually recreate itself as a place that fosters curiosity, engagement, collaboration, and lifelong learning. Typical twentieth-century capital investment cycles in academic libraries are characterized by large-scale once-a-generation investments. In the first decade of the twenty first century the drive to transform is greater than ever before, but there is less capital funding available, increasing the pressure on institutions to reduce capital investment cycle times in order to remain responsive to rapid changes in technology, pedagogy, scholarship, and user expectations. The end of any project is the start of evaluation and planning for the next. This presentation explores and discusses efforts in the Emory University Libraries to develop new ways to evaluate library spaces, services, and operations. It highlights initiatives intended to operationalize capital investment, shorten cycle times and provide incremental interventions, within a general framework of planning big and implementing small. Exit counts, occupancy rates, and peer comparisons are used to address user needs, program innovation, and facilities enhancement, with the aim of continually refreshing and renewing library spaces to enhance learning, inspire scholarship, and foster community. Presented at GaCOMO12 (as part of the GLA Academic Papers session) by Charles Forrest.

1. Post occupancy evaluation in an academic library
Using data to make the case for continuous improvement of facilities
Charles Forrest
Director, Library Facilities
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

2. Welcoming, flexible, & state-of-the-art
• Library users have choices
They vote with their feet
• Inputs and outputs support outcomes
Investment + activity = experience
• Once a generation capital investment?
Responsive libraries require shorter cycle times
• Plan big, implement small
Keep them coming with something new!

3. Continuous facilities improvement
• Measuring success
The customer experience
• Five Phases
The capital investment cycle
• The Emory experience
Exit count, group study use, hours of operation
• Continuous facilities improvement
Choices, investment, outcomes

4. Measuring Success
Inputs Budget, staff, volumes,
subscriptions
Outputs Circulation, questions
answered, classes taught
Outcomes Student learning, faculty
productivity, customer
satisfaction

5. The Experience Economy
If you focus on the activities you execute, then
you’re in the service business;
if you focus on the demonstrated outcome the
customer achieves, then and only then are
you in the transformation business.
B. Joseph Pine II, James H. Gilmore,
The Experience Economy: Work is Theatre & Every Business a Stage
(Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1999)

6. The Customer Experience
CUSTOMER LIBRARY
Measures
Mode Role Mode Role
Useful Investments
Transaction Patron Control Gatekeeper Inputs
Helpful Activities
Service Customer Connect Assistant Outputs
Memorable
What
Experience Guest Collaborate Partner Outcomes
difference
did it
make?

7. University outcome: Recruiting
Important facilities Extremely or very important facilities
to see during my visit in the selection decision
1. Facilities in my major 1. Facilities in my major
2. Residence halls 2. Library
3. Library 3. Sophisticated technology
4. Classrooms 4. Classrooms
5. Technology facilities 5. Residence halls
APPA Center for Facilities Research 2006

8. Continuous facilities improvement
• Measuring success
The customer experience
• Five Phases
The capital investment cycle
• The Emory experience
Exit count, group study use, hours of operation
• Continuous facilities improvement
Choices, investment, outcomes

9. Continuous facilities improvement
• Measuring success
The customer experience
• Five Phases
The capital investment cycle
• The Emory experience
Exit count, group study use, hours of operation
• Continuous facilities improvement
Choices, investment, outcomes

10. Five Phases
1. Vision
Concept, idea, problem
2. Plan
Assess needs, develop program, assess feasibility
3. Design
Schematic, Development, Construction Documents
4. Implement
Construct, renovate
5. Occupy
Move in, celebrate, evaluate (Post Occupancy)

11. Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE)
Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) involves systematic
evaluation of opinion about buildings in use, from the
perspective of the people who use them.
POE assesses how well buildings match users' needs,
and identifies ways to improve building design,
performance and fitness for purpose.
http://www.postoccupancyevaluation.com/default.shtml

12. Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE)
POE can be used for many purposes, including fine
tuning new buildings, developing new facilities and
managing 'problem' buildings.
Organizations also find POE valuable when establishing
maintenance, replacement, purchasing or supply
policies; preparing for refurbishment; or selecting
accommodation for purchase or rent.
http://www.postoccupancyevaluation.com/default.shtml

13. Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE)
POE differs significantly from conventional surveys and
market research.
POE uses the direct, unmediated experiences of
building users as the basis for evaluating how a building
works for its intended use.
http://www.postoccupancyevaluation.com/default.shtml

14. Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE)
'Building users' are all people with an interest in a
building:
– Staff
– Managers
– Customers or clients
– Visitors
– Owners
– Design and maintenance teams,
– Particular interest groups such as the disabled
http://www.postoccupancyevaluation.com/default.shtml

15. Five Phases
1. Vision 2 – 3 years
2. Plan 2 – 3 years
3. Design 1 – 2 years
4. Implement 1 – 2 years
5. Occupy 1 year (warranty, budget close)

16. Five phases can take ten years
1. Vision
2. Plan
3. Design
0 5 10
4. Implement
5. Occupy

17. Implement = 20% Occupy = 80%
1. Vision
2. Plan
3. Design
0 5 10
4. Implement
5. Occupy 5. Occupy

18. Major capital investment
once every thirty years
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Do something!
0 10 20 30
5. Occupy

19. Major capital investment
once every thirty years
1. Vision
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 2. Plan
3. Design
0 10 20 30
4. Implement
5. Occupy 5. Occupy

20. Implement = 7% Occupy = 93%
1. Vision
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 2. Plan
3. Design
0 10 20 30
4. Implement
5. Occupy 5. Occupy

21. Occupancy is evaluation
Plan Design
Learn
Vision Implement
Evaluate
Occupy
Measure

22. Continuous facilities improvement
• Measuring success
The customer experience
• Five Phases
The capital investment cycle
• The Emory experience
Exit count, group study use, hours of operation
• Continuous facilities improvement
Choices, investment, outcomes

23. Continuous facilities improvement
• Measuring success
The customer experience
• Five Phases
The capital investment cycle
• The Emory experience
Exit count, group study use, hours of operation
• Continuous facilities improvement
Choices, investment, outcomes

24. Emory University
• Established 1836
• Private university
• Enrollment 14,000
– 7,500 Undergraduate
– 6,500 Graduate and Professional
• Business, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Theology
• Emory Healthcare Hospital and Clinic
• Staff 23,000
– 12,000 University faculty and staff
– 11,000 Emory Healthcare

25. • 3.7M volumes
– Business
– Chemistry
– Health and Life Sciences
– Law
– Math and Science
– Music and Media
– Theology
• Main Library
– 1926 Candler Library
– 1955 Candler renovated
– 1969 Woodruff Library
– 1998 Woodruff renovated

26. Emory Main Library in the 20th century
1915 1969 1997
Emory University Robert W. Woodruff Library Robert W. Woodruff Library
chartered in Atlanta new main Library open addition and renovation
1900 1950 2000
1926 1955 2003
Asa G. Candler Library Asa G. Candler Library Asa G. Candler Library
first main library open renovated renovated

27. Emory Main Library in the 20th century
1915 1969 1997
Emory University Robert W. Woodruff Library Robert W. Woodruff Library
chartered in Atlanta new main Library open addition and renovation
1900 1950 2000
1926 1955 2003
Asa G. Candler Library Asa G. Candler Library Asa G. Candler Library
first main library open renovated renovated

28. Facility use: What does the data tell us?
• Facilities improvements
– Exit count
– Group study use
• Facilities operations
– Library schedule

29. 1,000,000
Exit Count
900,000
Woodruff Library
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

30. Woodruff Library exit count has increased in response to
facilities improvements over the last 20+ years
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

31. Woodruff Library
1969 opened
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
1969
1926
300,000 1955
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

32. Center for Library and Information Resources
1997 opened (80% increase)
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
1969
1997 1926
300,000 1955
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

33. Candler Library renovation
Renovated 2003 (exit count began to decline)
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
1969
1997 1926
300,000 2001 1955
2003
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

34. Jazzman’s on Level 1
2005 opened (exit count increased)
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

35. Beginning of Stack Tower floor-by-floor renovation
Level 4 (2004), Level 5 (2007)
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

36. Beginning of Stack Tower floor-by-floor renovation
Level 4 (2004), Level 5 (2007)
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

37. Group studies added to Stack Tower renovation
Level 6 (2008)
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

38. Group studies added to Stack Tower renovation
Level 7 (2009)
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

39. Library Service Desk on Level 2
Opens 2010
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

40. Business Library renovation, Research Commons opens
2011
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

41. Business Library renovation, Research Commons opens
2011
1,000,000
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

42. 1,000,000
Exit Count
900,000
Woodruff Library
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

43. Facility use: What does the data tell us?
• Facilities improvements
– Exit count
– Group study use
• Facilities operations
– Library schedule

44. Facility use: What does the data tell us?
• Facilities improvements
– Exit count
– Group study use
• Facilities operations
– Library schedule

45. Group studies

46. Room 656 offered a low-height table with cushions
Inspired by the University’s Cox Hall Computing Center
213
665
764
664
765
756
656
215
0 100 200 300 400

47. The unconventional furnishings were replaced
with a standard table and chairs
213
665
764
664
765
756
656
215
0 100 200 300 400

48. Use of the rooms increased
from spring 2011 to fall 2011
213
665
764
664
765
756
656
215
0 100 200 300 400

49. But there was a surprising decrease in 764 and especially 213
80
60
40
20
0
656 756 664 215 773 874 665 765 764 213
(20)
(40)
(60)
(80)
(100)

50. Remember that 213 was the most heavily used room;
764 was tied for second place
213
665
764
664
765
756
656
215
0 100 200 300 400

51. Use shifted away from these rooms
Why?
213
665
764
664
765
756
656
215
0 100 200 300 400

52. Installed new technology, table and chairs in 213
213
665
764
664
765
756
656
215
0 100 200 300 400

53. Installed tables and chairs in 764
213
665
764
664
765
756
656
215
0 100 200 300 400

54. Group study 656

55. Group study 756

56. Group study 764

57. Facility use: What does the data tell us?
• Facilities improvements
– Exit count
– Group study use
• Facilities operations
– Library schedule

58. Facility use: What does the data tell us?
• Facilities improvements
– Exit count
– Group study use
• Facilities operations
– Library schedule

59. Library schedule

60. Student Government Association
and College Council
• Spring 2011: Please extend hours of operation
• SGA/CC: “Emory is the only top twenty library in
the country that doesn’t offer twenty-four hour
access seven days a week.”
• Emory Library: “Demand has never justified
extending the library’s hours of operation.”

61. Only one third of the top twenty US academic libraries
offer 24 X 7 service somewhere in their library system
Brown
Wash U St Louis
Johns Hopkins
Dartmouth
Stanford
Cal Tech
Columbia
U of Penn
U of Chicago
Vanderbilt
Rice
Harvard
Cornell
EMORY
Duke
U Notre Dame
Northwestern
Princeton
Yale
MIT
0.0 24.0 48.0 72.0 96.0 120.0 144.0 168.0

62. Student Government Association
and College Council
• Spring 2011: Please extend hours of operation
• SGA/CC: “Emory is the only top twenty library in
the country that doesn’t offer twenty-four hour
access seven days a week.”
• Emory Library: “Demand has never justified
extending the library’s hours of operation.”

63. Head count is steady until midnight
then falls off by 02:00 am
700
20:00 pm
600
Midnight
Head count
500
1-Apr-11
02:00 am 2-Apr-11
8-Apr-11
400
9-Apr-11
15-Apr-11
16-Apr-11
300
22-Apr-11
23-Apr-11
29-Apr-11
200
30-Apr-11
100
0
17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 0:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00

64. Library agreed to change Friday and Saturday closing time
from 20:00 hours (8:00pm) to midnight
Brown
Wash U St Louis
Johns Hopkins
Dartmouth
Stanford
Cal Tech
Columbia
U of Penn
U of Chicago
Vanderbilt
Rice
Harvard
Cornell
EMORY
Duke
U Notre Dame
Northwestern
Princeton
Yale
MIT
0.0 24.0 48.0 72.0 96.0 120.0 144.0 168.0

65. By adding 8 additional hours per week
Emory moved up higher in the second tier
Brown
Wash U St Louis
Johns Hopkins
Dartmouth
Stanford
Cal Tech
Columbia
U of Penn
U of Chicago
EMORY
Vanderbilt
Rice
Harvard
Cornell
Duke
U Notre Dame
Northwestern
Princeton
Yale
MIT
0.0 24.0 48.0 72.0 96.0 120.0 144.0 168.0

66. Student Government Association
and College Council
• Spring 2011: Please extend hours of operation
• SGA/CC: “Emory is the only top twenty library in
the country that doesn’t offer twenty-four hour
access seven days a week.”
• Emory Library: “Demand has never justified
extending the library’s hours of operation.”
• Test all assumptions—especially your own!

67. Continuous facilities improvement
• Measuring success
The customer experience
• Five Phases
The capital investment cycle
• The Emory experience
Exit count, group study use, hours of operation
• Continuous facilities improvement
Choices, investment, outcomes

68. Continuous facilities improvement
• Measuring success
The customer experience
• Five Phases
The capital investment cycle
• The Emory experience
Exit count, group study use, hours of operation
• Continuous facilities improvement
Choices, investment, outcomes

69. Welcoming, flexible, state-of-the-art
• Library users have choices
They vote with their feet
• Inputs and outputs support outcomes
Investment + activity = experience
• Once a generation capital investment?
Responsive libraries require shorter cycle times
• Plan big, implement small
Keep them coming with something new!

70. Post occupancy evaluation in an academic library
Using data to make the case for continuous improvement of facilities
Charles Forrest
Director, Library Facilities
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

71. Post occupancy evaluation in an academic library
Using data to make the case for continuous improvement of facilities
Charles Forrest
Director, Library Facilities
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia