Research and Innovation at the University of Warwick Library

1. Research and Innovation at the University of Warwick Library Jenny Delasalle Service Innovation Officer Research and Innovation Unit

2. About University of Warwick Library student population of approximately 15,500 (full time equivalents) Innovative Interfaces’ Millennium Electronic journals: 16,000 Electronic books:  15,500 Five main sections of library staff Planning & Resources Academic Support Modern Records Centre Operations Development Research and Innovation

3. The Research & Innovation Unit Jenny Delasalle and Gareth Johnson, managed by John Dale. Library strategy: the user-focused library enhancing the student educational experience Set up: to support service development through evidence-based research to embed programme and service developments into mainstream activity Remit to: disseminate project findings collaborate with users, library staff and other service providers Research & innovation also happens outside of the RIU at the University of Warwick Library Linked to the electronic services and Learning Grid by our manager – who is also manager of eLab Strategic aims the RIU has focussed on thus far. Collaboration key: projects elsewhere e.g. main Library user satisfaction survey undertaken by consultants. Involvement with “ethos” (Electronic theses - repositories) project by subject librarians Enquiry desk categorisation of enquiries by Information Assistants. Sometimes there are opportunities for the RIU to become involved in these other projects, where we have the expertise.Linked to the electronic services and Learning Grid by our manager – who is also manager of eLab Strategic aims the RIU has focussed on thus far. Collaboration key: projects elsewhere e.g. main Library user satisfaction survey undertaken by consultants. Involvement with “ethos” (Electronic theses - repositories) project by subject librarians Enquiry desk categorisation of enquiries by Information Assistants. Sometimes there are opportunities for the RIU to become involved in these other projects, where we have the expertise.

4. RIU focus Supporting teaching and learning How the internet and e-Learning affect the opportunities for service support and delivery . How students are seeking out, identifying, using and managing information sources to support their studies. Identification of library responses to changing student information needs and practices. Multiple text provision.  

5. RIU Projects Just some of the projects we’ve been working on in the last 12 months. Research leads to Innovation, and Innovations need evaluating!Just some of the projects we’ve been working on in the last 12 months. Research leads to Innovation, and Innovations need evaluating!

6. Early Childhood Studies Created Resource Bank Themes and references chosen by Subject Librarian: 23 topics, each with 5 online journal articles and 5 websites. some e-book items (not listed by theme.) Deep linking issues Authentication Review of Resource Bank: e-mail invitation to complete an online survey. 89% of respondents felt more confident in searching for their own online articles.

7. Multiple copies - Student perceptions “Why are there only enough books for 2% of my course to get hold of them?” Gathering feedback. Student Sabbatical officers’ election campaigns. University Academic Satisfaction Survey. Staff Student Liaison Committees. You Say We Say board. Rising numbers of students & student demand for multiple copies of key texts Recurring issue with studentsRising numbers of students & student demand for multiple copies of key texts Recurring issue with students

8. Multiple copies – Library policies Libraries were polled to ask for their policies on multiple copies. Books per student ratios widely used. Reliance on judgement of Subject Librarians. Electronic resource provision. Course packs. Broad research collection. To benchmark our policy, set our situation in context: jiscmail and targetted Russell Group Unis. To benchmark our policy, set our situation in context: jiscmail and targetted Russell Group Unis.

9. Politics Reading List - methodology Student perceptions of their module handbook. Focussed interviews with 11 Students (20 minutes). Follow up survey to test the validity of themes that arose in the interviews. 10 questions, pairing 20 different themes in a semantic-differential grid were distributed. 32% (of 226) responded to the questionnaire I prefer to use: Worked with a willing tutor, on one large course. Semantic differential grid:Worked with a willing tutor, on one large course. Semantic differential grid:

10. Politics Reading List – Results Student dislike of online only module information. Student dislike of themed reading list structure and preference for a weekly reading list. Student desire for guidance to key reading rather than a broader reading list. Further evidence of student desire for yet more copies of key text books! Students prefer not to have an electronic only reading list. Students gave online, print and short-loan reading items equal prominence: supports a continued hybrid Library provision. Further phase to research the same issues after changes have been made to the handbook. Carry out similar research in other departments. i.e. need printed module handbooks Not interested in reading around: need to target their reading to essentials. Very focussed, results driven. i.e. need printed module handbooks Not interested in reading around: need to target their reading to essentials. Very focussed, results driven.

11. Psychology reading lists 2nd year module: adapt the reading list to encourage further student use of non traditional materials. Phase 1: A simple and short paper based survey (2004/05 cohort). 79 questionnaires were returned out of a potential 110 (72% of total). Phase 2: 2005/06 cohort exercise to construct their own reading lists for one week. Survey of this new cohort of students. (Total cohort of 112, of which 80 at lecture where survey given out: 62 questionnaires returned = 55%) High percentage of returns is because the questionnaire was handed out at beginning of class and collected in at end of class and incentive: phase 2 no incentive was offered. High percentage of returns is because the questionnaire was handed out at beginning of class and collected in at end of class and incentive: phase 2 no incentive was offered.

12. Psychology Highlights – some student reading list observations None had a recommended purchase, although many referred to the main general text for their course. A heavy focus on items available in the Library. Some groups structured reading lists from general to specific, whilst others presented a list by material type. Little evaluation of the authenticity or value of items. Some had chosen items because they had comprehensive bibliographies. For some, the process of creating their own reading list developed an appreciation that all the items on a list are potentially useful to them, not just the core reading. Also observations on searching techniques mentioned. Lot of very rich, qualitative data. If only tutors had such emphasis on what is already within the collection! One group had tried to use the library catalogue to find journal articles, whilst others used PsycInfo and ScienceDirect. Mostly keyword searches. No distinction between review and research journal articles Used these observations to design the next questionnaire.Lot of very rich, qualitative data. If only tutors had such emphasis on what is already within the collection! One group had tried to use the library catalogue to find journal articles, whilst others used PsycInfo and ScienceDirect. Mostly keyword searches. No distinction between review and research journal articles Used these observations to design the next questionnaire.

13. Psychology Highlights - What is the most useful material?

14. Psychology Highlights: When are reading lists used?

15. Psychology Highlights: What are the most important information resources?

16. Psychology Highlights – Student perceptions of their information skills Asked 2005/06 cohort. Students were very satisfied with their ability to search the catalogue . Main problem remains the ability to locate sufficient reading list referenced books. Reported a reasonable ability to locate relevant items for themselves. Seem very confident in their own skills, except in relation to sophisticated searching when only moderately confident! Although we asked about their confidence in finding sufficient books, this result could be interpreted as a rating of satisfaction with the library than of their own skills! However, were some unconfident students. Although we asked about their confidence in finding sufficient books, this result could be interpreted as a rating of satisfaction with the library than of their own skills! However, were some unconfident students.

17. Psychology Highlights – Some recommentations Increase reading list use of journals (preferably ejournal) to decrease demand upon limited book stock. Consider rebranding or promotion of items on reading list for wider reading as a beneficial exercise. Consider advocating student reading focus away from the core only model so regularly encountered. Consider greater promotion of library and tutor staff as authorities in recommending & evaluating alternative sources of information. Consider allowing students to recommend readings for subsequent module reading lists. Continue OPAC training and promotion at current levels. Develop training for other resources more.

18. Reading List audit Large project, 40% of reading lists for taught modules in each subject area: By type: how many e-journals, print journals, books, book extracts. Levels within the list, and headings used. Presciptiveness, Analysis overall and at faculty level. 2004/5, 1126 modules2004/5, 1126 modules

19. Reading list audit - results Two thirds of reading lists are available online Average of between 1 and 3 levels of headings. Medical and Social Science faculty have highest proportion of journal articles, although all reference mostly books and book extracts. Postgrad Medical lists have highest proportion of website references. Most modules do not make explicit recommendations of texts for student purchase. The Library provides on average 5 copies of each title recommended for student purchase. Medical journal articles: all relate to PG courses, none to undergrad courses. 3 times as many e-journal articles as print articles in the Soc science faculty’s lists. Medical journal articles: all relate to PG courses, none to undergrad courses. 3 times as many e-journal articles as print articles in the Soc science faculty’s lists.

20. Reading list audit - Results Average of 67 references per module reading list. Art and Social Science lists are up to twice this length while Science and Medicine lists are approximately half this size or less. Only the Art Faculty is unable to access at least 50% of all article references online. An estimated 40% of reading lists are not regularly received by the library. Allows us to identify modules for further projects.

21. Deep Linking Contacted all our full text providers Produced guidelines, based on OpenURL link structures for consistency. Recommend using DOIs to link: http://dx.doi.org/ Gave instructions for linking to the catalogue (best method for linking to e-books) Even most simplified guidelines were complicated! Identified a need for a tool. Created Build-a-Link (in test version now). Attempted to get feedback from taught postgrad students over summer: no responses, in spite of incentive. Anecdotal evidence from a tutor who used the guidelines that his students used more references to journal articles in their own work after he introduced deep links to his course website. Hark back to reading list audit and the high proportion of e-journals amidst journal references. Also know to target Medical and Soc Science faculty when looking for tutors to work with, who have lists suitable for deep links, which we can then use to test student reactions.Attempted to get feedback from taught postgrad students over summer: no responses, in spite of incentive. Anecdotal evidence from a tutor who used the guidelines that his students used more references to journal articles in their own work after he introduced deep links to his course website. Hark back to reading list audit and the high proportion of e-journals amidst journal references. Also know to target Medical and Soc Science faculty when looking for tutors to work with, who have lists suitable for deep links, which we can then use to test student reactions.

22. CLA Scanning Pilot Contacts with tutors made. Material covered by licence selected. Scanning begun. Testing method of provision: password protection by pdf password or Network login. Generation of CLA records & cover sheets. Opportunity to survey students and find out the value to them. Time to scan is nothing in comparison to making sure Time to scan is nothing in comparison to making sure

23. Learning Grid satisfaction survey Analysed their June 2005 user survey.  60% of users are very happy and believe the Grid to be beneficial to their studies, Only 5% not achieving any benefit.  Plenty of requests to enlarge or duplicate the Grid elsewhere on campus – BioMed Grid.

24. Learning Grid satisfaction survey