digital humanities center user needs assessment columbia university libraries management committee...
TRANSCRIPT
Digital Humanities Center User Needs Assessment
Columbia University LibrariesManagement Committee
April 9, 2009
Information Needs1. What are our users needs for collaborative work space? 2. What about collaborative work with technology?3. What media do people need to use? What should we be sure to offer
from the get-go?4. What do users expect for the setting of a consultation?5. Should we include group film-viewing rooms? How?6. What needs do our users have that we have not anticipated?7. What do our users need to accomplish – how can we provide
technologies to support those needs?8. Which technologies do our users use most often?9. Do we need practice presentation spaces?
Target Population
• English & Comparative Literature• History• Humanities
– Art History, Classics, Music, Philosophy, Religion
• Languages– Italian, MEALAC, EALAC, Spanish & Portuguese, French, Germanic
Languages
• School of the Arts– Film
Survey Distribution
• Online survey to graduate & PhD students in history and humanities departments
• Paper surveys in ETS (5 months)• Paper surveys in lobby of Butler (one week)
*Undergraduate email distribution: technical failure
Response
We can state with 95% confidence that we understand the research and technology needs of humanities students, as addressed in this survey.
Library Use: time of day
Library Use: frequency
Coursework & Research
Group Study
Group Study
Group Study
Group Study
Collaboration
Media/Technology Use
Presentations
Library Resources
E-Resources Print Resources
Print Reference
Film & Audio
Services
Services
Services
Comment Themes
• Atmosphere: Food, noise, policy enforcement
• “Camping”• ETS• Hours• Customer Service• Circulation• Librarian/Reference
• “Grad vs. Undergrad”• Media Collection• Printing/Photocopying• Research & Resources• Study space• Technology• “More”
Conclusions• Scanning should be
ubiquitous.• More access hours needed for
study spaces and all types of technology.
• 50% of Butler Library/H&H students never work in a group.
• Over-crowding a serious problem, causing tension.
• Fundamental technology services (printing) need to be addressed.
• Strict separation of quiet and social study spaces is desired.
• Distinction between “late night” and “over night.”
• There is an expectation and need for the media collection to circulate.
• More group study space, eg. space that allows talking, are needed. These spaces do not need to be “high-tech.”
• Practice presentation spaces and group film-viewing spaces are not in high-demand.
Humanities & Social Sciences
• Groups tend to be smaller in Humanities.• Social Science students give far more group
presentations.
Next Steps
• Continued analysis of data• Apply the data to the project plan• Make interim changes to Butler study spaces
and policies• Focus groups, further user research• Faculty interviews• Exploratory research