Library Safari

Published on Oct 06, 2016

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

Library Safari

Generating Student Feedback & Buy-In for Change

Our Library Habitat

De Paul Library was built in 1981. It consists of a large main level that is roughly square with an octagonal central space containing librarian offices, restrooms, and a key-operated elevator. The second floor is L-shaped, open to the first level, and contains study spaces and the library's Special Collections.

A lower level includes classrooms and offices for the Education Department and a library storage space, but is not considered part of the Library's official footprint.

Campus Master Plan

Surveys/Interviews Were Not Kind to the Library
Outdated.
Orange.
Uncomfortable.
Too little study space.
Too many outdated books.
Hours too short.
No food allowed.
Photo by mohammadali

No-Money Renovations

What Could We Delete?
Cut off the excessively large service desk.

Weed the Reference Collection, shift to low shelves.

Weed Periodicals.

Recycle Bound Periodicals.

Take down & Recycle 24 rows of metal shelving.

Community Investment

Maintenance added lights & outlet boxes to the space.

Moved all low shelves.

Interfile Reference w/General Collection.

Start Popular materials collection: DVDs, Popular Fiction & Nonfiction, relocate Children's Literature, Popular Periodicals, & Board Games.

Student-led Food Pantry for Students.

Community Impact

Hosting events: the library as university hub.

Science & Mathematics Undergraduate Research Forum

National Library of Medicine travelling exhibits

First Year Experience Events

Salsa Dancing Party for Hispanic Heritage Month

Surveying Our Progress

A year after the campus master plan survey, with 24 rows of shelving down, rule changes about food, and other tangible impacts, we surveyed the students. This time, their concerns focus on structural changes that will require money:

From lowest to highest:
Lighting
More Computers
Food to Purchase
Collaborative Tools
Study Rooms
New Furniture

Renovation in Sight

But What Should We Focus On?
Photo by MadLabUK

Always Moving Forward

Following staff changes, transformed central main floor space (over 2k sq ft) to classroom space with TVs on wheels, plastic folding tables, stacking chairs originally purchased for campus events.

Hosted 30 events in the library this year.

Steelcase Active Learning Center Grant

Finding Funding for the Vision
Applied for the Steelcase Education Active Learning Center Grant...and won.

Out of almost 800 applicants, we were chosen as one of 6 higher education spaces and the first library to win this grant.

Since the renovation of this space was completed at the beginning of August, XXXX events and classes hosted in this space.

Big Impact

Small Investment
We already had a patio...that was overgrown and uninviting.

Buy some furniture pieces, planters, & flowers, and see the usage of this space jump.

Visitors regularly comment on the space, students appreciate the shortcut to the residence halls.

Student Feedback

Getting some input we could really use
Town halls held by student life highlighted a few things students wanted in a renovated library space:

study rooms
food
a comfortable place to be alone together

But what makes a space comfortable? What makes a room a study room? How many people should fit in a group study room? What kind of food sales make sense in our space?

Nearby Renovations

  • Ottawa University - New Building
  • Avila University - Gut Renovation
  • William Jewell College - New Building
Librarians had toured these renovated spaces, but students were generally unfamiliar with other college libraries if they hadn't toured while picking a school.

Who to Take?

Student government representatives are highly trusted by their peers...and the student body president is a library work study employee.

"Senior" and "freshman" to diversify perspectives.

Another librarian to help record reactions who had never been to these other institutions.

Planning Logistics

Everyone has a schedule....
One of the biggest challenges was finding a time when all the participants could leave for a day.

Since this was during the Spring Semester, we were also dodging Spring Break at 4 different colleges.

Student government students tend to be very busy--addressed absence with faculty directly, which smoothed task of finding a day that worked.

$ Costs $

Mileage & Lunch

Equipment Prep

When you don't own A/V Equipment
We asked the student participants to clear space for pictures and video on their smartphones, and did the same ourselves.

A shared Google folder was created so everyone could contribute the materials created that day.

If doing this again, I'd love to take an art student with photography skills and research borrowing a DSLR from the Art Department.
Photo by geishaboy500

Safari Day

Ottawa University

Safari Day

Avila University

Safari Day

William Jewell College

Immediate Outcomes

Photo by Cle0patra

What do we really want to know?

Photo by DocChewbacca

Building a Survey

The Notorious IRB

Institutional Review Board
Photo by bibabroker

Early Responses

Photo by VinothChandar

Lessons Learned

Future Directions

Photo by Capt Kodak