CENTENNIAL LIBRARY CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY 2020-21 ANNUAL REPORT MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN 2020-21 was a year of varied challenges. We faced not only the changes wrought by COVID and a condensed academic calendar, but also four job openings, record-setting facility use, new digital infrastructures, and hosting a national library conference. It is a testament to the hard-work and adaptability of our talented staff that we were able to navigate the challenges and opportunities of this year successfully. We started the year uncertain about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with precautions in place affecting our patrons, resources, facilities, and staff. While inconvenient, these precautions didn’t impede us from serving our patrons effectively, and we were able to relax the restrictions on our resources after the fall semester. Throughout the year, occupancy of the facility was robust, and Spring semester set new highs in traffic in the library. In the Spring semester, we unexpectedly faced the departure of several staff members and used this opportunity to update positions and transfer the interlibrary responsibilities from one library department to another. This change enabled closer coordination between interlibrary services and collection management and streamlined the involvement of student staff with interlibrary operations. The open positions also required us to navigate three overlapping hiring processes, but all three concluded with a successful hire as Holly Caldwell and Anna Jennings joined the staff and Da-Niel Gilcher transferred positions. In addition, we hired Jessica Elder to fill the position of Health Sciences Librarian, which had been vacant for two years. VISION The Centennial Library will be an essential component of learning and scholarship at Cedarville University. MISSION The Centennial Library is intentional in offering exceptional service, delivering vital resources, providing productive spaces, and implementing critical solutions which prepare Cedarville University students for academic success, scholarly impact, vocational distinction, and spiritual growth.
BUDGET PRODUCTIVE SPACES Reservable study room usage also reached new highs with afternoon and early evening occupancy rates reaching 90%. Overall, study room occupancy rates for all hours averaged 76.3% for 2020-21 compared to a previous high of 56.2%. The increased traffic in the library has highlighted the need for more reservable study rooms and the need to make more efficient use of the available seating and study areas within the library. One addition to the library’s space for 2020-21 was a collaboration with the Department of Art, Design, and Theatre (ADT). The library provided space for an art exhibit in Fall 2020 and for senior exhibitions throughout Spring 2021. This offered variety to the library’s space while providing an exhibit location for ADT as they transitioned to a new permanent display space. Library expenditures for 2020-21 totaled $1,773,257 with personnel expenses accounting for just over 50% and resource expenses for just under 40% of total expenditures. Systems and operational costs accounted for the remaining 10%. The library ended the year with a surplus consisting primarily of a planned $100,000 underspend due to COVID. The departures of several staff members and one unfilled position also contributed significantly to the surplus amount as those positions were vacant for part of the year. The library spent $684,118 on resources with 61% allocated toward digital materials. A common challenge for libraries (and across higher education) is the regular increase in subscription costs and the pressure this places on fixed budgets. Over the past ten years, continuing library database subscriptions have increased an average of 5% per year, with some individual databases doubling in cost over that period. These regular increases have forced us to allocate additional funds from other budget areas to pay for this content, leading to declines in spending on other areas such as print books, print serials, and A/V materials and equipment. These changes have, to an extent, been paralleled by changes in the informationseeking behaviors of faculty and students, which have also seen digital collections gain usage while physical collections register declines in usage. These trends in cost and in usage do not appear likely to change in the short-term, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find additional funds to redirect toward current database subscriptions, much less new ones. This academic year saw a massive jump in library attendance, even when measured against the increase in library traffic over the last several years. No doubt, traffic was buoyed by the opening of a campus dining facility adjacent to the library. But this addition was also offset by campus COVID restrictions. In Fall semester, when more restrictions were in place, attendance was down 12% while Spring attendance was up 25% compared to pre-COVID numbers. Attendance changes were not evenly distributed with weekdays and Saturdays increasing by 25% while Sunday attendance fell by 21%. Database Subscription Price Increase From 2011 to 2021 47.8%
SERVICES Use of library research support services continued to show important growth. While COVID limited the opportunities to deliver research guidance in a classroom setting, faculty librarians delivered a record number of research appointments. These scheduled 1-on-1 meetings with students provide important contributions to student academic success and represent the best opportunities the library has to develop research and information literacy skills in students. Librarians conducted these through both in-person and online formats. Librarians and library student staff also provided as-needed research help through online chat. Use of OhioLINK and Interlibrary Loan services dropped dramatically during 2020-21. This was attributable to the reduction in services and operating hours across the academic library community of Ohio, the increase in remote and online learning, and long-term declines in OhioLINK circulation of physical materials. OhioLINK remains a valuable point of access to both physical and online resources for students and faculty, despite its decline as a resource for print materials. Covid Precautions in the Library - Reduced capacity in group spaces - Online research appointments - Modified checkout and usage procedures
VITAL RESOURCES Digital Commons Publishing 2020-21 Maestros of Ministry A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise Musical Offerings (2 issues) The Idea of an Essay Use of physical resources showed a noticeable decline compared to pre-COVID levels. While reserve materials and CMC items showed little change in total usage, patrons borrowed print books, A/V materials, and OhioLINK items at lower rates than before. Some of this drop-off may be due to COVID restrictions but these were designed to minimize the impact on use of materials. The move to increased online learning may also be reducing the need for print resources in some instances. Usage of digital resources did grow during 2020-21 compared to pre-COVID usage. Measurement of digital usage is complicated by the multiplicity of platforms and access points and by the recent changeover from COUNTER4 to COUNTER5, a revised metric for measuring digital usage. Some of the database platforms showed variations in usage volume that suggested measuring changes may be affecting the usage totals they report. We did succeed with several major resourcerelated projects during the year. In the Curriculum Materials Center (CMC), we re-organized the fiction and biography materials over the summer and both faculty and students provided positive feedback about the changes. Collection Services also reduced the backlog of materials to be cataloged, ensuring that materials could move more quickly from delivery to availability on the shelves. 2021 Association of Christian Librarians Annual Conference Cedarville University served as the host of this library conference which saw nearly 300 librarians from around the world meet online for a 4-day program. The conference featured a keynote address on “Libraries as the Intersection of Theology, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” by Dr. Kevin Jones and pre-conferences on emotional labor and on copyright. The conference also included fifteen workshops, interest group meetings, and lots of opportunities for interacting and connecting online. Cedarville University library faculty played critical roles in planning, promoting, and executing the conference, in conjunction with the ACL staff members. The success of this conference was particularly notable given the complexities of shifting an in-person conference model to a fully online event.
Student Staff Survey Selected Questions: Average Score Semesters Worked 1-2 3-4 5+ My contributions to the library’s success are valued by other library 4.24 4.25 4.00 I have become a better employee in the past academic year. 4.50 4.75 4.20 I am confident in my ability to carry out my work responsibilities. 4.37 4.75 4.60 I am engaged and productive at work. 4.47 4.58 4.20 Library Report 2020-21: Assessment Supplement Student Staff Survey In the 2021 biennial survey of library student staff, employees indicated that they are very satisfied with the library as a workplace, with their acclimation to their roles, and with operations in their departments. Survey results show a high satisfaction with the library’s training processes and operations and students expressed less concern about the work effectiveness of other student staff than in past years. Notably, both survey data and comments evidenced increased satisfaction with the evaluation process after changes were made for the 2020-21 academic year. While there are no significant problems or deficiencies, supervision, teamwork, and recognition are areas where students are not as satisfied. Supervision and teamwork have proven to be difficult to address given the separated structure of student areas and the number of hours students work unsupervised. Additionally, there was some evidence that newer students were less confident in their ability to do their jobs while experienced students were less engaged with their work. The changes to student staff orientation and familiarization in August 2020 due to COVID precautions negatively impacted these areas as well. Student comments on the survey’s open-ended questions were overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the satisfaction with working at the library, though a few comments did note issues with teamwork and decision-making. Find opportunities for students to interact with other staff Create student only recognition event Begin monthly email communication to student staff ACTION Student Staff Survey Percentage of Neutral/Negative Responses 2017 7.2% 2019 4.5% 2021 2.7% Student Staff Survey Average Scores Scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best)
Freshmen-Senior Survey Overall, student satisfaction with the library continues to be very high, with 97% of students reporting they are satisfied. Satisfaction score averages rose compared to 2019, with FR reporting higher satisfaction with nearly all areas of the library compared to SR. In importance, FR and SR scored the library’s services and resources high, but compared to 2019, scores fell in most areas. Students reported lower ease of use compared to 2019 in almost all areas, most notably online resources, ILL, and group study space. Frequency of use also appears to have suffered greatly due to COVID-19, despite the record traffic the library facilities saw this year. FR and SR scores related to frequency of use both dropped in most areas of the library. The precautions implemented for COVID-19 may have affected student perceptions of how easy or hard it was to use our services and resources. In addition, the lack of a full New Student Orientation likely hindered the ability of FR to feel comfortable with the library’s layout, but the change to an online system for research help impacted them less than it did seniors. Related to facilities, a quiet and productive study environment remains the library’s most critical resource, according to students. Students also value the variety of spaces, the friendly and helpful staff, reservable study rooms, abundant resources, and specialized service. Students would like to see better management of the silent study areas and more reservable study spaces. Some students expressed concern about using online databases and the library website and several of these comments noted that the lack of an in-person orientation for new students had hindered their ability to make use of library resources. Being able to resume in-person orientations should help with this. Create more reservable study spaces Expand the variety and functionality of library seating and spaces Resume in-person orientations and instruction Monitor student usage of library computers and associated technologies ACTION
Library Report 2019-20: Data Supplement Physical Materials Usage 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Checkouts 38,865 41,308 45,617 39,605 36,118 Renewals 15,410 16,624 15,835 14,933 13,904 Internal Use 13,981 12,779 14,109 9,958 9,207 Sum 68,256 70,711 75,561 64,496 59,229 Student 25,581 28,044 31,662 28,441 26,191 Faculty/Staff 5,369 4,682 5,918 5,795 5,347 Community 1,947 1,921 1,868 1,353 1,228 Interlibrary 3,213 3,186 2,701 2,062 1,226 Other 2,755 3,475 3,468 1,954 2,126 Main 19,426 19,289 19,026 15,647 13,235 Reserve 5,281 8,452 12,091 11,593 11,376 AV 1,545 1,213 1,108 1,019 728 CMC 8,156 7,960 8,742 7,999 8,319 OhioLINK 3,691 3,801 4,063 2,725 1,907 Other 766 593 587 622 553 ILLs Delivered 833 841 811 626 408 ILLs Received 243 208 254 252 262 OhioLINK Delivered 4,450 4,287 3,720 2,753 1,917 OhioLINK Received 3,848 3,941 4,051 2,753 1,753 Other Delivered 97 149 139 148 146 Other Received 202 286 480 356 436 9,673 9,712 9,455 6,888 4,922 Total University Materials Total By Patron By Item Interlibrary Materials
Digital Materials Usage 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 E-journal Full-text Uses 165,062 182,748 209,434 180,875 214,520 E-journal All Uses 336,782 372,457 370,296 401,613 353,238 E-book Uses 34,068 43,205 98,675 116,153 131,061 Digital Commons Downloads 193,644 250,694 264,465 385,568 502,841 Library Collections 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Print Titles (Main) 142,605 142,751 145,016 139,954 138,810 Print Volumes (Main) 158,013 157,777 160,313 154,687 153,562 Bound Periodicals (Main) 6,220 6,348 6,616 6,499 6,473 Print Titles (CMC) 13,646 13,758 14,133 12,983 13,370 Print Volumes (CMC) 18,143 18,294 18,810 17,304 17,742 Bound Periodicals (CMC) 167 177 181 0 0 E-books 128,348 132,747 154,475 170,003 199,612 Print Journal Subscriptions 776 674 621 542 513 E-journal Subscriptions 26,199 26,886 26,884 26,872 21,608 Digital Commons Items 22,180 32,087 38,940 45,706 53,834 Microforms 10,791 10,784 10,784 10,644 10,644 A/V 18,049 18,284 18,596 19,024 19,025 Other Books Research Support Services 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Research Assistance 2,458 1,208 636 397 213 Online Chat 257 624 358 522 433 Research Appointments 170 312 402 502 536 Classroom Instruction 160 166 181 168 100 Instruction Attendance 3,427 3,241 3,748 3,458 1,810
Resource Expenditures 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Print Books $155,232 $143,477 $157,008 $100,854 $125,043 Print Serials $168,787 $167,210 $159,983 $163,318 $123,933 Physical AV $15,530 $12,978 $15,512 $2,208 $7,136 Digital Books (One-time) $2,335 $0 $4,795 $6,755 $8,685 Digital Books (Subscription) $32,755 $38,514 $36,717 $38,573 $41,192 Databases $358,899 $352,271 $202,803 $217,375 $363,141 Digital Serials $148,893 $143,812 Digital A/V $2,190 $2,690 $2,690 $3,390 $6,870 Other $7,405 $10,742 $13,173 $7,171 $10,073 Total $743,133 $727,882 $753,019 $673,965 $684,118 % Digital 54.9% 55.7% 54.1% 59.4% 61.1% Resources Library Gate Count - Open Hours 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Total 142,253 155,043 164,893 127,361 175,782 Change 3.1% 8.8% 6.4% -22.8% 38.0% Weekly Average 4,326 4,697 4,998 4,824 5,860 Hourly Average 61.2 63.3 65.8 65.0 81.9 Total 10,425 11,003 10,151 8,234 12,111 Change 10.1% 5.5% -7.7% -18.9% 47.1% Weekly Average 386 407 376 383 433 Hourly Average 42.2 45.2 41.7 42.5 53.0 Total 13,160 14,616 14,365 10,530 11,461 Change 75.4% 11.1% -1.7% -26.7% 8.8% Weekly Average 502 562 553 500 423 Hourly Average 67.9 70.3 69.1 59.9 47.3 Total 166,108 180,662 189,409 146,125 199,354 Change 7.0% 8.8% 4.8% -22.9% 36.4% Weekly Average 5,213 5,666 5,962 5,707 6,715 Total Sun Sat Mon - Fri
Library Budget, Expenditures, and Income 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 Personnel $940,782 $957,325 $939,966 $1,015,244 $1,043,782 Resources $593,463 $593,463 $631,490 $593,463 $593,463 Operations $131,618 $129,618 $129,618 $129,705 $129,705 Other $65,126 $67,126 $67,126 $66,897 $52,872 Total $1,730,989 $1,747,532 $1,768,200 $1,805,309 $1,819,822 Personnel $930,196 $916,730 $897,363 $860,232 $901,717 Resources $704,806 $691,768 $753,804 $674,374 $689,165 Operations $143,664 $143,229 $198,687 $140,716 $144,292 Other $72,530 $68,981 $30,197 $28,822 $38,083 Total $1,851,196 $1,820,708 $1,880,051 $1,704,144 $1,773,257 Personnel $7,439 $224 $65 $19,406 $2,345 Resources $97,706 $99,759 $109,450 $118,612 $120,189 Operations $20,061 $16,948 $66,517 $9,720 $11,529 Other $75 $125 $1,042 $1,107 $45 Total $125,281 $117,055 $177,074 $148,846 $134,108 Personnel $18,025 $40,819 $42,668 $174,417 $144,410 Resources ($13,637) $1,453 ($12,863) $37,701 $24,487 Operations $8,015 $3,337 ($2,552) ($1,291) ($3,059) Other ($7,329) ($1,730) $37,971 $39,182 $14,834 Total $5,074 $43,879 $65,223 $250,010 $180,672 Debits Budget Credits/ Income Surplus/ Deficit
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