This presentation was given at the 10th Annual Brick & Click Libraries Symposium on November 5, 2010. The presentation is based on an ethnographic study conducted by librarians and staff at Gustavus Adolphus College in Spring of 2010, looking at student use of the library.

1. 10th Annual Brick & Click Libraries Symposium
Julie Gilbert,Amy Gratz,
Anna Hulseberg, and Sarah Monson

3.  How do students make use of existing library spaces and
services, both physical and virtual?
 What improvements could the library make to better
meet the needs of students?
 How can we create the best library possible to support
our students in their research?

4.  Emphasis on qualitative research
 Use of multiple methods
 Interviews, surveys & focus groups
 Participant observation
 Holistic
 Inductive

5.  Previous studies
 Foster and Gibbons, Studying Students:The Undergraduate Research
Project at the University of Rochester
 Ethnographic Research in IllinoisAcademic Libraries (ERIAL)
Project
 Ethnographic objectives
 Elicit student-focused data
 Understand and support academic needs

7.  Survey
 Photo Diaries
 Web Focus Groups
 Other Methods
 Image association
 Interviews
 Linguistic listing
 Mapping space use

8. Physical Space Survey

10. 64.2%
21.4%
3.5%
5.3%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Reference
Desk/Reference
Librarians
Front
Desk/Circulation
Desk
All other sources I don't ask

11. 5.3%
69.7%
22.2%
2.8%
Zero
One
Two
Three or More

12. 31.9%
21.0%
3.8%
2.5% 1.8% 1.5% 1.7%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Reference
Desk
Reference
Librarians
Information
Desk
Help Desk Resource
Desk
Librarians
Desk
Other
Description

13. Rate of Library Use Percentages
 Daily 69.8
 Weekly 65.2
 Monthly 60.8
 Seldom 49.3
Gender
 Women 66.8
 Men 55.5
Year
 First Years 58.3
 Sophomores 57.2
 Juniors 63.9
 Seniors 76.3
Major (by divisions)
 Education 71.2
 Humanities 69.6
 Fine Arts 69.2
 Social Sciences 66.1
 Preprofessional 64.7
 Natural Sciences 59.8
 Interdisciplinary 57.1
 Undecided 55.3
Women more likely
than men ask for help
at Ref desk
Use of Ref desk
increases with class
year
Education division
majors more likely
to use Ref deskOf those who have
declared majors,
Natural Science and
Math majors least
likely to use Ref desk
Students who use the
library at a greater
rate are more likely
to ask for help at the
Ref desk

14. Photo Diaries

15. 1. Your favorite place
2. Your least favorite place
3. Something you can’t imagine the library
without
4. Something you don’t think should be
here
5. Your preferred solo study space
6. Your preferred group study space
7. What your study space looks like
when you’re working
8. Your most common destination
9. Something you’ll miss when you
graduate
10. Something you want to change in the
library
11. A picture to show to a “prospy”
12. Someplace you’ve never been before
13. A place in the library where you feel lost
14. Where you ask questions
15. Library activity
16. Something unique (to our library)
17. Something you want more of
18. Most popular space
19. Least popular space
20. The computer you use most often in the
library, showing its surroundings
21. Your favorite search tool
22. A resource you rarely use
23. Something you have a question about
24. Why you come to the library

16. “Librarian – mostly research-related
questions. B/c they’re so wonderful!”
“Basic questions about access to books,
overdues, etc. I usually know students
at this desk, which is why I ask.”

17. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Locating
Materials
Research Library
Business
Citations/
Papers
Didn't Say
#ofStudents
Asked at Circulation
Asked at Reference

18. “Lexisnexis. I LOVE it. (Teachers like
when you use more than books too!)”
Student Responses Grouped byType
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Online
Library
Resources
Google Other*
*Other denotes a dictionary and library
signage on bookshelves

19. “I don’t read the newspaper often here,
but I wish I did so keep them! ”
Student Responses
 InterLibrary Loan
 Newpapers
 Microfiche Government
Documents
 AudioVisual Collection
 Circulation Desk
 Color Printer
 Reference Desk
 Periodicals
 Writing Center Outpost
 Printout Research Guides

20. “I studied here quite often
--best chairs and tables.”
“Comfy! I like to read here.”

21. “If I have a lot to get done or a
movie to watch I like to shut
the door & concentrate”
“I like the round table on the main
floor and near the middle. It is
away from the crazy entrance area
but yet in a social area too.”

22. “I always have my computer out with many
different things up on it. I always have a
drink near me along with different books
surrounding my computer. I also have a lot
of papers spread out so I can see everything.”
“My space gets busy quickly – I love
being able to spread out, and that helps
me focus more. I always could use more
space.”

23. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Assignment
Sheets
Notebook Books Food/Drink Computer
NumberofStudents

24. “I tend to come to the library to study
and get my homework done because I get
more done there than in my room.”
“It’s where the books live!”

25. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Concen-
tration
Comfort Work
Space
Daylight Noise
Level
Food/
Drink
Privacy
Total#oftimesmentioned

26. Virtual Space Survey
Web Focus Groups

27. 39.6% 39.4%
30.4%
13.5%
4.2% 3.8%
1.8% 1.3% 0.7%
16%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45

29.  Brainstorming exercise:
What do you want to see on a
library homepage?

30.  Brainstorming
exercise:
What do you like /
not like about the
current library
homepage?

32.  Brainstorming exercise:
What was new to you when you started college?

33.  Brainstorming
exercise:
Tell us about a recent
research project &
what sources you
used.

34.  Main exercise:
Create a guide for incoming
first-year students about
how to use the library
website for research.
 “Depending on the
requirements you may need to
use different types of sources
such as books or articles or
websites so try to use a variety
in your papers”
 “Within each database think of
the overall assignment and
purpose of the paper and come
up with specific words to use in
your search”

35.  Students want natural light, more tables, more private
study areas, more group study areas, a café, and better
tools to navigate the library
 Students want a website that is visually appealing,
dynamic, simple, and well-organized
 Students know where to ask for help (reference desk) but
we can better promote research services
 Students want more support for research on website
 More prominent tutorial, research guides, etc.

36.  We shared our findings at May staff retreat
 Initial recommendations distributed to library committees
 Librarians are considering the design of the reference desk and
ways to promote it
 Formed the “WebTask Force”
 Fall focus group on website usability
 Plan to repeat some aspects of the study to assess changes

37.  Coordinate with strategic planning efforts
 Integrate into library assessment plan
 Expand focus beyond library’s instructional program
 Take assessment measures following major changes
 New library website

38.  Use a variety of ethnographic methods
 Address both physical and virtual library spaces
 Involve undergraduates in the research team
 Be prepared to conduct additional research!

39. ThankYou!