Freshman/Senior Survey The library surveyed students in Spring semester 2022 receiving 124 responses (65 senior and 59 freshmen), a smaller than usual number. Overall, the library scores well in all areas and the student comments reflect positively on the library’s effectiveness, but there were several concerning themes. First, a sharp decline in FR scores compared to previous years. The underlying cause for this is not readily apparent. This is especially perplexing given the success the library has had in reaching out to FR students through New Student Orientation and First Year Instruction. Perhaps the 2019 and 2021 surveys reflected unusual positive outliers in FR scores or the 2022 survey reflects a cohort disrupted by COVID-19. Second, the landscape of library digital resources remains challenging for some students to navigate. Scores in areas connected to online resources and the library website declined and a number of comments highlighted the difficulties students have in mastering the effective use of these resources. Third, the disruptions to OhioLINK during the past two years are clearly reflected in student satisfaction with OhioLINK, their perception of its importance and ease of use, and how frequently they use the service. The sharp decline in SR scores in the last two surveys shows that these changes impacted the student experience with interlibrary resources. These attitudes will not be easy to reverse and will exacerbate the declining use of OhioLINK. Fourth, the volume of library traffic and use is felt by the students. Both FR and SR reported a decline in satisfaction with individual study space in the library and an increase in use. Patron traffic in the library was very heavy in the past year, particularly during SP 2022 and library noise was identified in a number of comments as a problem, particularly in the areas of the library designated for quiet study. The limited number of reservable study rooms may also contribute to student perceptions about the adequacy of library facilities. Finally, ending with a positive trend, scores regarding the research assistance offered by librarians improved notably among SR responses. This may reflect success in the library programs that promote the research support it offers, improvements in making these services accessible to students, the benefits of having all the liaison positions filled, or a combination of the above. In any event, this welcome data point corresponds to other surveys that have testified to the effectiveness of our research support programs. Implement more frequent monitoring of silent study spaces Add reservable individual study rooms Further explore student struggles to use library online resources effectively ACTION Freshmen Responses “How satisfied are you with…” 2018 2019 2021 2022 Print/physical materials 6.15 6.29 6.33 5.94 Online/digital resources 6.07 6.18 6.29 5.91 Borrowing through ILL and OhioLINK 6.01 5.84 6.14 5.48 In-person & online help from librarians 6.00 6.23 6.52 6.15 Service desk/circulation 6.23 6.40 6.43 6.05 CMC & CMC resources 5.94 6.01 6.00 6.10 MediaPLEX & MediaPLEX services 6.16 6.20 6.40 5.95 Individual study space 6.22 6.28 6.43 5.91 Group study space 6.26 6.26 6.21 6.08 Library computers, printers, scanners 6.21 6.31 6.37 5.81 Library website 6.08 6.08 6.37 6.20
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=