Start Date
3-22-2018 2:30 PM
End Date
3-22-2018 3:00 PM
Description of Proposal
A separate study area reserved for faculty and graduate students was established at Auburn University’s Draughon Library in 2008, but, for many years, there was no formal effort to study the use of the space. In 2016, recognizing that the needs of these user groups differ in significant respects from those of undergraduates, the presenters developed a questionnaire to gather information on the faculty and graduate students using the area and the adequacy of the space to support their work practices. For two weeks in the summer and four weeks in the fall of 2016, users visiting the area were asked to complete a survey that asked about their departmental/college affiliation, how often they used the space and the length of time they spent there, the type of work they were doing, and whether anything was preventing them from accomplishing their goals. The questionnaire also invited users to provide additional feedback they had about the space. The presenters will share the results of their research, the steps they took to improve the study area based on the feedback they received, and the campus partnerships they forged to support the graduate “scholars in training” who are the primary users of this space. At the outset of the talk, audience members will be asked to lend their voices to the question of what elements are most important to library environments that aim to facilitate the academic work of graduate students.
Supporting Scholars in Training: A User Needs Survey of a Graduate Study Space
RM 462
A separate study area reserved for faculty and graduate students was established at Auburn University’s Draughon Library in 2008, but, for many years, there was no formal effort to study the use of the space. In 2016, recognizing that the needs of these user groups differ in significant respects from those of undergraduates, the presenters developed a questionnaire to gather information on the faculty and graduate students using the area and the adequacy of the space to support their work practices. For two weeks in the summer and four weeks in the fall of 2016, users visiting the area were asked to complete a survey that asked about their departmental/college affiliation, how often they used the space and the length of time they spent there, the type of work they were doing, and whether anything was preventing them from accomplishing their goals. The questionnaire also invited users to provide additional feedback they had about the space. The presenters will share the results of their research, the steps they took to improve the study area based on the feedback they received, and the campus partnerships they forged to support the graduate “scholars in training” who are the primary users of this space. At the outset of the talk, audience members will be asked to lend their voices to the question of what elements are most important to library environments that aim to facilitate the academic work of graduate students.
What takeaways will attendees learn from your session?
Keywords:
Needs assessment
Library use study
Graduate study space
Library design and construction