ANCHASL Fall 2011 Meeting

1. ANCHASL Fall 2011 Meeting “Assessment Data for Making Those Space Decisions” Michael Crumpton Assistant Dean for Administrative Services University of North Carolina at Greensboro

2. Role of Library Space • Bringing together readers and books • Collection building • Space for reflecting and contemplation • Third place use of space • Information Consulting • Access to information • “Gateway “ for locating information • Retrieval and communications • Social and technological networks • “archive” or preserve resources • A Learning Environment • Transformational character of intentional learning • Knowledge transformation • Library as facilitator: • Environment design – comfort and aesthetics • Nurturing relationships – staff and/or peers • Foster self-directed learning • Creations of “new” knowledge • Safe and non-threatening

3. What’s Happening to Our Space? • Electronic vs. print • Accreditation needs • Organization shifting • Reporting structure, traffic • User needs changing • Remote use, group activities • Politics • Other space demands • Technology • New equipment • Perceptions • Purpose of library space

4. Purposeful Assessment of Space Space as a factor to organization’s mission • Gathering • Services provided • Partner in learning Things to consider • Consideration of assessment’s purpose • Types of questions to be used • Data-gathering methodologies • Reporting strategies for results

5. Basic Elements • Statement of purpose with context – addresses unique concerns and significance • Literature review – multiple issues being addressed out there so a review of relevant activities is good • Determining assessment objectives – through development of research questions to be answered • Establishing methodologies and procedures for implementation of assessment activity • Present facts based finding of date w/o bias • Discussion or interpretation of findings • Conclusions and next steps

6. Problem Statement • Needs to represent the point of view of stakeholders • Needs to identify the scope and focus of planning an assessment activity • Should contribute history and background information as well as flags for concerns • Should put in context what the limitations are or could be • Must be conveyed in an open transparent point of view that isn’t seen as defensive

7. Space Design • Planners • Architects • Interior designers • Stakeholders • Donors • Administration • Programming – what space will be used for • Initial layouts – DD • Detailed review of infrastructure – CD • Protocols • Professional standards • Codes, local and multiple

8. Space Options or Needs • Group teaching/learning • Simulated/special learning environments • Immersive environments • Peer-to-peer and social learning • Learning cluster • Individual spaces • External spaces

9. Doing your research Primary (data gathered firsthand) • Experimental • Pilot projects • Surveys • Interviews • Focus groups • Direct observation • Testing Secondary (data gathered by others) • Secondhand reports • Historical data • Purchased data • Professional publications • Benchmarking • Best-practices reports

10. Assessment Methods - Questionnaire Advantages • Most cost effective for quantity of feedback • Anonymous • Can be compared • Can be statistically analyzed • Less time consuming • Can be done simultaneously and in multiple locations Disadvantages • Literacy and/or language issues • Clarification or explanation issues (lack of detail) • Responses limited to context of question • Perfunctory answers • Can be consider impersonal or cold

11. Assessment Methods – Interviews (IND) • Provides personal communication opportunities: • More details • More free association • Problems or issues can be explored in depth • Allows for examples, anecdotes, stories, illustration of issues • Least time-efficient and usually most costly • Interviewer should be practiced and skilled • Interviewee selection must be broad to represent all points of view • Should consider sampling models

12. Assessment Methods – Focus Groups • Teaching tool • Group interaction can procreate broader issues • Non-verbal clues can be useful • More time-efficient for interacting with more people • Achieve better overall understanding • Requires prep and skilled facilitator • Be aware of peer pressure responses • Recognize broader stakeholder definition to get all viewpoints • Use data from other methods to support proposals • Keep it realistic

13. Other Methods • Sandboxing – test concepts prior to large scale commitment • Design charettes – stakeholders allowed to actually create design • Outside experts – seek input from specialized expertise • Close-ended vs. open-ended questions

14. Observational Studies Checklist of observable behaviors Various times of day and evening Multiple observers involved Eliminates emotional or subjective data

15. Delphi Study • Technique premise is that experts have the best idea of future pathways • Validity of study is based on expertise of participants • Questions/responses are adjusted until participants reach consensus or determined it can’t be • Not a precise analytical technique • Is helpful with problems or issues that aren’t data driven

16. Delphi con’t • Change statements • Why or why not • Impact and desire • Agreeing on consensus • Results ranked • Causes of non-consensus • Economics and technology can be changing factors William J. Mitchell (paraphrased) • Spaces that work well (long term) are built around human needs, comfort, natural light, social ambience, connection to outdoors • Must remain sensitive to how technology and culture come together

17. Data Driven Methodology • Removes politics • Reduces emotional investment • Makes adversarial moves more rational • Takes problem out of personal context and allows for subjective analysis

18. Factors to Consider Design Factors Space Factors What question are you asking and why What goals and objectives are already determined Who is the audience What other information is available or needed What is best method Types of stakeholders Infrastructure issues Location and adjacencies Functionality Flexibility Non-public needs Efficiency of design Funding ability

19. Example at UNCG

20. Identifying Space Problem • Library consists of 3 story main building built in 1950 and a 9 story book tower • 131,705 sq ft of space at capacity • Seating for 849 reduced by 50% last 5 years • Collection runs full, incoming acquisitions outpacing withdrawals • Student requests are for group study areas with tools for collaborative work • Quality of instruction effected by small instructional space

21. Proposed FutureRenovations Create a larger instruction lab Expand collaboratories and group spaces Expand information commons Expand service areas to include newsroom, in-house vending, expanded copy center Expand Archives space Reduce and relocate Government Documents Reduce size of Reference collection

22. Purpose of Assessment Activity Gain hard data to present to consultant for programming ideas related to renovations Gain data on how students use the building Gain data to present to University Administration for funding requests Determine students’ satisfaction with the Libraries Consider changes to technology policies and actions to library space Determine future needs

23. Changes in Functionality • SuperLab – needed for convenience • Wireless – highly used, but need space in which to use • Instruction – class and individual, grown significantly but needs more space • Food and Drink – keeps students in library • to work • Increase in student population – natural facility on campus to feel the increase • Increase in higher degree level research needs

24. In-house Survey November 2007 Jackson and Music Recruitment Set up table in Library Staffed with students Giveaways 600 responses!

25. What they do

26. How often they come

27. When they’re here

28. Alone vs. Groups Group floor Quiet Floor

29. Computer usage Information Commons Reference Room

30. Using Materials Reference Room Reading Room

31. Focus Groups • Recruitment • emails to student groups, • posters, flyers • incentives • Good mix of undergraduates, graduate students and subject areas, ages, off-campus and on-campus • Took notes and transcribed • Used LIS practicum student again • Part of discussion was showing space consultant’s first concept drawing

32. Questions Asked • How often they come and when? • Entrance they use? • What do they do? • What’s good, what needs improvement? • Role of the Library? • Concept drawing • Indentify major changes for feedback • Esthetics of specific areas, i.e. circ desk, basement, SuperLab

33. Concept Drawings

34. Student Feedback Library is an important place to study Both group space and quiet space important Most students use their own materials Don’t want to carry their laptops around A variety of furniture and spaces are needed Not getting instruction at freshman level Online resources particularly important to grad student

35. Summarized Responses Circ Desk not easily assessable Superlab is needed but as convenience, would go further to use Food and drink important for using library Love collaboratories… Need more! Librarians helpful but group instruction suffers from lack of space Basement creepy and dark

36. Other Useful Info • Lack of awareness of some services • Software on Library computers • Printing options • Copy center type services • Carrels and lockers • IM assistance • Materials not as important to undergrads • Two entrances create traffic flow and communication opportunity • Students expect us to be there

37. Effect on Space Planning • Feedback and ideas carried into second concept drawing and final report • Evidence of library more important for space rather than materials • Comforts and conveniences important for ownership of space • Library can be host to other service points with expectations of compliance • Library is important to total educational experience and should be presented as such

38. Immediate Actions Taken Expand collaboratories concept Increase popular furniture options Will offer laptop checkout in Fall 2008 Offering carrels to all students Adding vending options Expanding 24/5 available space Will target marketing of IM, collaboratories and other services Implement NewsRoom in the Fall Add Messaging Board for traffic

39. Space Assessment Report Reposition Circulation Desk Expanded Information Commons area including computers and collaboratories Moved Superlab to 2nd floor – destination Develop Cyber-café concept Create Government Information and Data Center Basement remodel to include “people friendly” spaces Developed “Main Street” of services concept

40. Summary of Process • Space needs and problems identified • Space consultant hired • Survey of student space needs conducted • Observation studies of behavioral related traits conducted • Focus group activity conducted with space consultant’s first concept drawing • Space consultant’s revised second drawing compared to assessment data

41. Summary of Process “continued” • Staff feedback gathered from each concept presentation including assessment data • Space consultant issued final report and recommendations • Changes identified that were affordable outside of remodel executed summer ’08 • Proposal presented to Dean’s Council with request for funding assistance for major work and changes • Assessment data summarized for staff

42. What to Read? • Planning for Health Science Library Facilities, Weise & Tooey, Administration and Management in Health Science Libraries, vol. 8, 2000 • Space Assessment as a Venue for Defining the Academic Library, Nitecki, The Library Quarterly, Vol. 81, no. 1, Jan 2011 • Library as Place: results of a Delphi Study, Ludwig, & Starr, J Med Libr Assoc 93(3) July 2005 • The Third Place: The Library as Collaborative and Community Space in a Time of Fiscal Restraint, Montgomery & Miller, College & Undergraduate Libraries, 18:228-238, 2011