Library Metrics: Users, Use Trends and New Service Models

1. Library Metrics: Users, Use Trends and New Service Models Prepared by Steve Hiller Director, Assessment and Planning University of Washington Libraries

2. University of Washington (Planning for an 8%-12% Budget Reduction 2009-11 Biennium) • Located in Seattle metro area, population 3.2 million • Comprehensive public research university • 27,000 undergraduate students • 12,000 graduate and professional students (80 doctoral programs) • 4,000 research and teaching faculty • Large library system • Active assessment program • $40 million annual budget • 150 librarians on 3 campuses • 3 “large” libraries • “Main, Health Sciences, Undergrad • 12 subject branch libraries

3. Task Force on Models of Service Delivery • Consolidation of service points and/or collections within a facility • Consolidation of branch libraries into larger libraries • Merger of branch libraries • Alternative collection housing recommendations • Ways to use current library space more effectively • More innovative and efficient ways to deliver services to users

4. UW LIBRARIES Triennial Survey In-Library Use Survey Reference/Instruction Stats Circulation/ILL Stats Gate counts Web site usage Operational costs Staff numbers/costs Qualitative studies Focus groups, interviews Usability Observation UNIVERSITY/OTHER Photocopies/prints Facility data (e.g. ASF) Student enrollments Faculty numbers/areas E-Metrics (journals, databases) ARL Statistics Selected Data Sources on Use and Users

5. Data Presentation Highlights • Snapshot • Trend • Comparative • Between libraries and service points • Between user groups • With ARL or peer institutions • Integrative • Data from different sources • Flexible (to different audiences and groups) “Right” Data, In Context, Understood, Actionable

6. Traditional Library Core Business (Usually in-person) Physical Collections Print (primarily) Microforms Other Facilities House collections Customer service & work space Staff work space Services Reference Instruction Access UW Libraries Usage Data Items Used In-Library 800,000 in 2002-03 300,000 in 2007-08 (5.5 million article downloads in 2007-08) Gate Counts 4.6 million in 2002-03 4.3 million in 2007-08 (6.3 million Web site user sessions in 2007-08) In-Person Reference Questions 140,000 in 2002-03 90,000 in 2007-08 (12% of all ref queries are virtual in 2007) The Changing Business Model: Trends in Library Use at UW

8. What’s Important for Our Users?(Based on Surveys and Qualitative Information) • Undergraduate students perceive success through library as place • Most important: Work space and computers • Graduate students perceive success through timely access to resources and services • Most important: Anytime, anyplace access • Faculty perceive success through collections support • Most important: Online access to wide range of resources Not just UW . . . Findings are similar at other academic research libraries

9. Library As Place: Annual Gate Counts 2002-03 to 2007-08 (in millions) 9

12. Activities During Library Visit(In-Library Use Surveys 2008/2005)

13. Activity in the Library by Group2008 Users: 73% UG, 22% Grad, 5% Faculty

15. Library Use By Unit

16. Drilling Down by Discipline (2008 In-Library Use Survey)

17. Undergrad Chemistry Library UseLibraries Used by Chemistry Majors (2008 In-Library Use Survey)

18. Usefulness of New and/or Expanded Services for Undergrads: Library as Place(2007 Triennial Survey)

19. Usefulness of New/Expanded Services for Faculty & Grads: Integrate into My Space

20. Branch Library Metrics