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This online survey at UCSF gathered feedback from faculty on library space planning, collection development, and new services, providing valuable insights for improving resources and services.
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Faculty Information Needs:Online Survey at UCSF Gail Persily Janice Contini CNI, April 2007
UCSF • Health science campus in urban setting • Library building is campus “jewel” • 2,868 students • 1,325 residents • 18,200 faculty and staff
Purpose • Inform Library space planning process • Complimented student survey with similar goals • Integrated with collections and service issues • Collection development • New services
Methods • Web-based survey • Short: 11 questions plus 4 demographic • 8 multiple choice; 3 open ended • Academic Senate emailed to 2,028 faculty (3 times; weekly for 3 weeks) • Raffle prize: Dinner for Two • Response: 620, 31%
Benefits of survey format • Visibility of a survey to broad audience • Large quantity of feedback in short amount of time • Ask questions about things we can do something about
Online resources • 80% agreed that online selection of journals, books, reference books, and databases met their needs • 140 additional comments with “specifics” on where needs are not met • Follow-up • Purchased 9 new online journals in Dentistry
Off-site storage • Split response on storing print off-site when we have materials online • 55% agree • 45% disagree • Follow-up: Further investigation and/or PR required before moving large quantities of materials off-site
Place-based services • Follow-up: Equip group study rooms with additional technology
Space needs of remote faculty • 52% of respondents located at another campus • 93% responded to question about temporary space needs • Connectivity • Wireless access • Place to use cell phone • Space to work alone preferred over working with others
Follow-up • Wireless extended to faculty carrels • Temporary workspace needs reported in space planning documents
Implications • Library building is irrelevant to most faculty. • Faculty are not frequent, experienced users of place-based services. • When they do come to the building, they want red carpet service. • “Ready access to highly skilled staff”
It really would be helpful to be provided with assistance without feeling like one is a pest or inept.… things change so frequently that it is impossible to keep up with everything, so when I ask for help, I really do need it.... [Library] is my favorite place, so I want it to be welcoming.
Follow-up • Liaison program • Contacting new faculty • Customer Service Initiative
Problems and limitations • Self-selected sample; sample size • Complexity of some issues not handled well by survey questions • Implicit bias in multiple choices • All of our suggestions for new place-based services got high marks • Interviews and focus groups preferred method for needs assessment
Benefits • Impressive response rate • Actionable concerns, i.e. collections • Faculty comments helped define customer service issues for line staff • Collected contact information from 140 respondents • Tapped for structured interviews for other needs assessment projects