Abstract
The evaluation of academic library space and its use is not a new concept within the world of academic libraries. For a number of years, librarians and libraries have been asked to prove their worth by documenting services and use within their physical library buildings. Space within the J.D. Williams Library, the main library at the University of Mississippi, became a concern due to consistent and, for several years, increasing freshman enrollment. Library staff reported hearing students complain about lack of space and electrical outlets. Much of the information available to library administration about the use of library space by patrons was anecdotal. In order to provide a more accurate image of student use of library space, an observational study using a modified version of the Visual Traffic Sweep (VTS) method was used to collect patron actions within the library.
Publication Date
Summer 7-1-2019