space: describing and assessing library and other learning spaces

SPACE: DESCRIBING & ASSESSING LIBRARY & OTHER LEARNING SPACES

PART TWO: THE WHY, HOW, AND WHAT FOR RESEARCH LIBRARY SPACE ASSESSMENT

BOB FOXMARTHA KYRILLIDOU

CNI TASK FORCE MEETINGAPRIL 13, 2015

LIBRARY SPACE ASSESSMENT 1.0

• Entry gate count• Hours open/week• Seat count• Satisfaction survey

WHY BOTHER ASSESSING LIBRARY SPACES?

• People voting with their feet• Academic support units• Other campus units• Value/image to campus

IS THIS VALUE THE SAME TO ALL?

• Benchmark survey comments• Faculty: 14%• Graduate students: 20%• Undergraduate students: 50%

• Discipline• Location• Alternative locations

SURVEY INTEREST

• ARL Facilities Inventory

• ACRL Academic Libraries Facilities Questionnaire

“CALL TO ACTION: CREATING TOMORROW’S LIBRARIES TODAY”

We really did not measure how well they understood our jargonized signage …..

- Rush Miller, Choice Magazine, April 2015


ARL Facilities Inventory 2012-2014: • Descriptive• Numeric • Qualitative • Visual• Predictive

ARL FACILITIES INVENTORY 2012-2015PRELIMINARY RESULTS

• Seats = 3,836 on average

More Less

CASE WESTERN RESERVE 6,015 MIT 1,332

WISCONSIN 7,109 SYRACUSE 1,394

RUTGERS 7,285 LAVAL 1,572

PENNSYLVANIA STATE 9,100 GEORGETOWN 1,774

SASKATCHEWAN 10,478 VIRGINIA TECH 1,796

TORONTO 13,113 HAWAII 1,811


• Net assignable square feet

Total (n=77)

433,793

Collections (n=72)

177,110

Seating (n=72)

117,168

Other (n=72)

103,090

Classroom (n=68)

17,142

PHYSICAL LOCATIONS TRENDPRELIMINARY RESULTS

decreasing 13 16.7

increasing 15 19.2

staying the same 50 64.1

Total 78 100.0


Funds spent $7,187,735 on average

LAVAL 17,174,444 SASKATCHEWAN 17,246,316 OHIO STATE 18,076,508 NORTHWESTERN 19,625,877 JOHNS HOPKINS 21,882,420 MASSACHUSETTS 25,762,145 DUKE 27,010,000 EMORY 47,186,664 WISCONSIN 53,875,000 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 85,162,296

FUNDING TRENDSPRELIMINARY RESULTS

Number of libraries Percentdecrease 13 16.7increase 46 59.0stay about the same

19 24.4

Total 78 100.0

QUALITATIVE DATA

http://files.lib.byu.edu/arl-survey/HBLL%20Building%20Decision%20Workflow%202014-10-08.pdf

VISUAL DATA

• New data format

• Uncertain how to analyze them

• What is the story behind the pictures

THINKINGPLACES


• Do our jobs better• Improve a process• Inform our direction

• Tell our story• PR• Statistical compilations/Benchmarking

• Convincing others to allocate resources• Donors• Funding agency/process• Internal

ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES

• Do our jobs better (Internally-focused)• Determining space allocations• Informing renovations/construction• Process improvements

• Tools• Full range of standard assessment tools

• Scope• Reflective of project• Time availability• Intended audience

ASSESSMENT OUTCOMESLongitudinal space studies

The Libraries Get Used!• 3.1 Million Gate count FY 2013• 1.2 Million Full-text article downloads• 1.1 Million Catalog searches• 1,000+ Classes taught with over 19,000 students• Event hosting• Technology hub

Telling our story (Externally-focused):ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES

Telling our story:

ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES

ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES• Convincing others to allocate resources (Externally-focused)

ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES

• Convince others to allocate resources

• Seating space concerns• Quiet study space

ASSESSMENT OUTCOME: QUIET STUDY SPACE

ASSESSING LIBRARY SPACES

• Why we should assess library spaces• ARL Facilities Inventory• Internally-focused assessment• Externally-focused assessment• Applied examples

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• How can we derive a sense of quality of the higher education experience based on physical spaces data?

• How can institutions learn from each other? What types of comparisons can libraries derive from the facilities inventory?

• How can we use and analyze visual evidence effectively? What are some useful analytical approaches?

• How can facilities data help us tell our story and inform future renovation/construction?

space: describing and assessing library and other learning spaces

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