Walking the Walk: Creating a More Student-Centered Library
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The document discusses changes implemented in a library to enhance student engagement and experience, including a redesign that transformed the space into a more flexible environment for group study and technology access. Key improvements involved the introduction of new furniture, a graphic novel and zine collection, and an updated website for reference consultations, which significantly increased student usage. Lessons learned included managing noise levels, addressing food policies, and the success of peer-led reference consultations to meet student needs more effectively.
Walking the Walk: Creating a More Student-Centered Library
- 1. Walking the Walk: Creating a More Student-Centered Library Sona Apbasova, Amanda Peach, Ed Poston, and Angel Rivera
- 2. • Last year we undertook a number of changes in order to better serve our students • Why? • We already have 100% buy-in for freshman composition students, but we wanted to move from students being obligated to being here twice a year to library being THE destination on campus • Carpet meant to look like an EKG readout, symbolizing that the library is the academic heart of campus • Our presentation today will look at specific changes we implemented, what we learned from those changes, and how our patrons responded to them.
- 3. Library Redesign 4 years ago, Campus Administration planning dramatic renovation of the library: • Library would house the Office of Internships, Peer Tutoring, the Writing Center, and the IS&S Helpdesk • Greening of Library: new HVAC, new windows, etc. • Serious consideration given to moving to shared service points
- 4. Preparing for Chaos • Library would lose almost entire main floor • Dramatic weeding project began – eventual goal 40% of collection • Never weeded before, never needed to • Removed: - 3,469 reference volumes - 2,461 VHS titles • Moved remaining reference collection down stairs - 7,798 volumes • Condensed bound journals (selected 1,046 feet for removal)
- 5. Plans Change… • Initial Call for Proposals Plans came back 12 million over budget • Back to drawing board • CTL found new home and then IS&S backed out • Science Building was deemed more needy • Renovation cancelled
- 6. The “Refresh” • Director and Dean agreed – student experience still a priority • Library was dated and in need of a “refresh” • We would receive new furniture, carpet, etc.
- 7. Lessons learned • Should have paid someone to jack the shelves when laying carpet • Spent all of our $$ on beautifying the place = couldn’t afford to pay for movers • Met faculty resistance when weeding • Surprisingly, more pushback over VHS tapes than Reference books
- 8. “Refresh” Highlights… • Moved to flexible space that could easily be reconfigured • Divided the Main Floor into 3 Sections: - Left: Large group study area/ presentation/ class space - Middle: Educational Technology - Right: Reference area/ small group & individual study • Added stand-alone Graphic Novel collection & Zine Collection per student requests • Added vending machines and café seating – allowing SOME food & drink
- 9. Zine Collection • Zines donated by former student • Not catalogued because zines are meant to be taken • Collaboration between instruction and a Graphic design course in which students made new zines to be added to the collection
- 10. Atrium Before… • First thing you see when you enter building • Prime real estate wasted on printers and dummy OPAC terminals
- 11. Atrium After…
- 12. Cool place to hang out
- 13. Before… • Wooden furniture too heavy to move
- 14. Atrium After… • Added a high-tech Educational Technology Open Lab, replacing the previously closed lab that only select were allowed to use • High-end Macs and touch-screen PCs • Expensive productivity and editing software. • Staffed by students trained w/ the equipment DURING busy hours !!!
- 15. • Lots of whiteboards, mobile and otherwise
- 16. Reference Before • Heavy wooden tables that were too small for the student’s stuff • Chairs were breaking & being repaired constantly
- 17. Reference After • Soft café seating • Wired booths with high backs for privacy
- 19. Reference After… Even more options… • Small booths for 1, with privacy screens • Large group tables with puck system for screen sharing
- 20. Periodicals After Periodicals After…aka “The Cafeteria” • Tables can be reconfigured into any shape or direction, or folded up and stored • Space used for Fall Faculty Conference, Convocation overflow, for presentations by visiting scholars and students, and for group study space
- 21. They like it! 10:30 am 2:30 pm 5:30 pm 8:30 pm 11:30 pm Fall 2013 17 27 18 78 29 Fall 2014 20 35 35 112 34 Increase 17.6 % 29.6 % 92.3 % 44.0 % 16.4 % Headcount Stats First 5 weeks 2013 vs. 2014
- 22. Lessons Learned • Students appreciate flexible spaces & group spaces • Increased use of space = increased noise & complaints about noise • Abuse of the “some foods” allowance. Chips are ok, but pizza is not (and this distinction seem arbitrary to students) • We, as library staff, need to have conversations about policies
- 23. Webpage Redesign • In need of a new look to complement new main floor • Built entirely in LibGuides so we would have control, not have to rely on IS&S for updates/changes • Added a search box after holding out forever • Added Reference Consultation Scheduler • http://libraryguides.berea.edu/
- 24. An improved website to match our improved physical space Focus on high-yield reference consults to supplement the mandatory one-shot
- 25. Student View
- 26. • Student in control & chooses time best for them • Reduces the number of emails negotiating meeting times
- 27. …My view…
- 28. Alerts you via email when appointments are scheduled
- 29. LibCalendar Stats • 175 scheduled via LibCalendar • 55 scheduled in-person or via email • 230 total as of Thursday 4/23/2015 • That is a 105% increase over last year’s numbers!! • And still more scheduled for this semester
- 30. Lessons Learned… • Easy to become overwhelmed/ overscheduled; can’t say no • Time spent preparing ahead is wasted if student is a no-show • No-shows are much rarer for those appointments scheduled via LibCalendar than those scheduled in-person or via email • Faculty made it a requirement of students without checking with us first – suddenly we were flooded! • One more place to update when you’re out of the office
- 31. Student Reference Consultant • Pilot project began in Spring 2015 • Director had wanted to implement this for 5 years or more, but met resistance from former library faculty • Logistically impossible until LibCalendar • Chose Sona because she’s a proven researcher • Experience writing Bereapedia articles, winner of KATH award for World History Research paper
- 32. Benefit of Students Providing Reference Consultations • Less removed from the assignment, having completed it herself recently • Meet students on their own turf – dorms, student union • Less intimidating than meeting with a librarian • Availability outside of normal library hours
- 33. Logistics • Students scheduled appointments: - through LibCalendar - through email - in-person in the dorm, in food service • Using flexible schedule; some portion of weekly work hours are scheduled off-the-desk, as needed, to accommodate appointments
- 34. Success !! • Initial fears that no one would meet with a peer were unfounded • 17 appointments scheduled via LibCalendar • 9 appointments scheduled in-person • 12% of all Reference Consultations conducted by Sona!
- 35. What Sona took away… • Improve listening and problem solving skills with each consultation • Pleasant memories of personal and professional interaction • Enjoyed helping students not to panic/ share their research project in a calm/not rushed fashion
- 36. Lessons learned… • Promote service on social media (personal & library acct) • 30 minutes is not really enough • Some students want their work done for them • Became so invested in helping others with their own research, neglected her own
Editor's Notes
- #2: Amanda: Last year we undertook a number of changes in order to better serve our students, including a redesign of the library’s main floor, the creation of a new library website, and the implementation of new services. Our presentation today will look at specific changes we implemented, what we learned from those changes, and how our patrons responded to them. But first, let us introduce ourselves. (everyone takes turn)
- #4: Ed
- #5: Ed
- #6: Ed
- #7: Ed
- #8: Ed we moved every single book by hand we broke down every single shelf ourself we had to reassemble everything ourself
- #9: Ed
- #10: Angel
- #11: Angel: - prime real estate wasted on fake walls, printers, and OPAC terminals
- #12: Angel: brighter, open space
- #13: Angel: we have an almost 100% buy-in for Library Instruction with our Freshman composition classes this is a favorite place to gather before classes
- #14: Angel: clunky study carrels and furniture too heavy to move study carrels were not wired study carrels were too small for all of the stuff students bring with them
- #15: Angel: Added a high-tech Educational Technology Lab with high-end Macs and touch- screen PCs, as well as expensive productivity and editing software. Part of the agreement with Ed Tech was that this needed to be staffed by students trained on the equiptment DURING the hours that we are actually open
- #16: Angel: another shot from the Atrium
- #17: Angel - we had to move away from small tables because they just couldn’t fit all of the stuff students bring with them – laptops, coffee, bags, etc our most popular tables are these high-backed booths
- #18: Angel
- #19: Angel
- #20: Angel
- #21: Angel : tables can be reconfigured into any shape or direction Can be a classroom, study hall, overflow seating for convocations, presentation/reception space Jokingly called “the cafeteria”
- #22: Angel: So, did they like the changes? Based on dramatic increase in headcount stats, the answer is yes
- #23: Angel
- #25: Promotion of the new schedule an appointment right on the front page
- #32: me
- #33: Sona
- #34: Sona provide examples, like when student came to you at 11:30pm on a Friday!
- #35: Sona
- #36: Sona
- #37: Sona