Revelations of an off-campus user group

1. Revelations of an off-campus user group Library use and needs of faculty and students at a satellite graduate social work program

2. Background • Non-traditional academic programs are on the rise • Influx of students in Marywood’s Master of Social Work (MSW) Satellite Program • Current library services may not meet needs of satellite students and faculty

3. Overview of Marywood’s MSW Satellite Program • Marywood University is in Scranton, PA • 191 students enrolled in MSW satellite program at the time of survey • Satellite locations are: Allentown, Reading & Bloomsburg, PA

4. Marywood’s MSW Satellite Program and the Library • No formal library orientation • Library instruction by request • Students prefer to seek help via phone (if at all)

5. What we want to know: • What do satellite students and faculty want? • What do they find unhelpful? • What impact does faculty library use have on their students?

6. Earlier Library Studies • Awareness of library services (Nicholas & Tomeo, 2005) • Quality of library services (Peterman & Schultis, 1995) • Library needs and expectations (Moyo & Cahoy, 2006)

7. Earlier Library Studies:Faculty Influence • Connection between faculty and students’ library use and needs (Ruddy, 1993) • Faculty as possible “obstacles” to library user education (Behrens, 1993)

8. Marywood Library’s Study of Distance Users Results gleaned from two separate surveys: • Survey of traditional and non-traditonal MSW students (Fall 2008) • Survey of MSW faculty (Spring 2009)

9. Survey Methodology • Used Survey Monkey (Marywood has institutional subscription) • Survey was sent to MSW student listserv and distributed in person • Survey was sent to MSW faculty via email • Survey instrument approved by IRB

10. Student Survey Instrument: Demographics • Incoming, Returning? • Had attended a library instruction session or not • Program location

11. Student Survey Instrument: Library Use and Needs • Library/Library Website visits • Library Resources used • Ease of locating/accessing resources • Helpfulness of library staff • Most/Least useful library resource, service • What needs to improve (open ended)

12. Survey Response Rates • Students: - 11.5% satellite students responded (22/191) • Faculty: - 39.5% responded (15/38) - 62.5% of which were satellite faculty (8/15)

13. Student Survey Findings

19. Table 1 • Most useful/helpful library resource (Satellite students ) • Library Resource Number of Respondents • Online databases 11 • N/A 4 • Off campus access 4 • Full text articles/online journals 1 • ILL 2 • Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

20. Table 2 • Least useful/helpful library resource (Satellite students ) • Library ResourceNumber of Respondents • N/A 9 • Full text access/search 12 • Access to other resources 3 • ILL 2 • Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

21. Table 3 • Areas that need improvement (Satellite students ) • Library Resource Number of Respondents • N/A 10 • Full text /online resources 8 • Access issues 4 • ILL 1 • Library Orientation 2 • Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

22. Student Survey Highlights • Library instruction appears to have some impact on locating/accessing library resources • Open ended questions indicate that a majority of respondents have difficulty accessing and/or searching for full text articles

23. Faculty Survey Findings

32. Table 4 • Most useful/helpful library resource (faculty) • Library ResourceNumber of Respondents • FT PT • Online databases 1 2 Library Orientation 1 0 • Librarian Help 1 0 Full text articles/online journals 3 0 • Books 1 0 • Online reserves 1 0 • N/A 0 1 • Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

33. Table 5 • Least useful/helpful library resource (faculty) • Library ResourceNumber of Respondents • FT PT • Irrelevant/Dated materials 0 1 In-house library Stacks 0 1 • In-house journals 1 0 Off-campus access 1 0 • Off-campus library service 1 0 • N/A 2 1 • Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

34. Table 6 • Areas that need improvement (faculty) • Library ResourceNumber of Respondents • FT PT • Availability of full-text articles 1 0 • Off-campus access 1 0 • Off-campus library service 2 1 • Library Website 1 0 • Social Work collection 0 1 • N/A 0 1 • Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

35. Highlights from Faculty Survey Part Time • Students aware of library offerings • None used library email/chat or consultation service • Difficulty with accessing/locating library resources • Unfamiliar with library’s social work collection Full Time • Students’ awareness varies • No difficulty with accessing/locating library resources FT and PT Faculty • Do not request library instruction • Need to improve off campus library services

36. Is there an impact factor? Students • Express frustration and difficulty when searching/accessing full text articles, regardless of library instruction attendance Faculty • PT/Satellite faculty provide own library orientation • PT/Satellite faculty appear to have difficulty with library resources themselves

37. Conclusions and future directions • Library orientations needed for both students and faculty, especially for part-time faculty • Improve library online gateway for students and faculty • Another study to determine help-seeking preferences of MSW satellite students

38. Contact Info Lizah Ismail Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Public Services Marywood University Library, Scranton, PA. lismail@marywood.edu Tel: 570-348-6264