38 · Survey Results: Survey Questions and Responses
renovation in late 2009. A Research Commons Planning Committee reviewed the literature on information commons
within academic libraries, examined library digital commons, and conducted interviews and surveys with faculty, staff,
and students around campus to identify service gaps and departmental research needs. In doing so, a set of needs
emerged that informed their final recommendation on services and resources to be offered in the future UW Libraries
Research Commons space. A report from the UW Learning and Scholarly Technologies group on their extensive study
of UW student learning space needs was also examined in planning for the space. A design firm was hired in early
2010 and, utilizing data from both of these sources, they developed an initial plan for the space and followed this
with a design charette conducted with library staff, students, and faculty to get more feedback. Assessment was
an integral part of the initial design of the research commons, and comes out of the Libraries’ ongoing assessment
program. The design and construction of the Research Commons was completed in October, and the space opened at
the start of Autumn Quarter 2010. Once open, assessment was conducted through regular observation of user activity
in the Research Commons. In late February 2011, we began conducting strategic discussion groups with users of the
Research Commons to find out how the space, furnishings, equipment, and services have been utilized. The results of
these discussion groups will help inform the development an in-libraries use survey for Research Commons users, to be
distributed in Spring Quarter 2011.
The design and implementation of a new online credit-bearing course: Research Lab. The project involved collaboration
with the English department to identify learning goals, development of the online course including content, offering the
course for the first time, and assessing the student experience through use of a local Teacher Course Evaluation tool,
other feedback from students, and feedback from instructors in the English department.
The goal of the South Reading Room research project was to determine how the main library reading room could
be improved the meet users’ needs. The project had three components: observations, then focus groups, followed
by a survey. Subsequent to the formal study, alternative types of furniture were brought in for users to indicate their
preferences.
The goal was to launch a new search and discovery unified interface for the online catalog and the digital library.
The library conducts an annual survey, which surveys graduate students, undergraduates, and faculty in rotation on a
three-year cycle. The survey is intended to gauge user experiences and needs with regard to collections, services, and
both virtual and physical spaces.
The library recently completed a redesign of the entire library website and catalog. Users were involved throughout the
process.
The library recently renovated a commons space, primarily relying on input about furnishings, aesthetics, layout, and
design ideas from students. After the space opened in fall 2009, the User Experience department and Associate
Dean for Public Services began an effort to determine how well the space was meeting student needs using a survey
instrument that included both quantitative satisfaction measures, as well as open-ended qualitative comments.
The library was opening up a new space in a building on campus. A small-scale ethnographic project was undertaken to
access user needs for that space.
The Music Library Space Use Study was set up to investigate low scores and accompanying comments from a
LibQUAL+® survey that identified space as a problem by all three user groups in the Music Library. Western Libraries
conducted a Music Library Space Use Study in two phases: first, an observation study and then later, in phase 2,
interviews.
The scope was to answer the following questions: Who are the current visitors? What were visitors’ general reactions
to the Library of Congress? Are visitors’ expectations being met? Why? What types of experiences did visitors take
renovation in late 2009. A Research Commons Planning Committee reviewed the literature on information commons
within academic libraries, examined library digital commons, and conducted interviews and surveys with faculty, staff,
and students around campus to identify service gaps and departmental research needs. In doing so, a set of needs
emerged that informed their final recommendation on services and resources to be offered in the future UW Libraries
Research Commons space. A report from the UW Learning and Scholarly Technologies group on their extensive study
of UW student learning space needs was also examined in planning for the space. A design firm was hired in early
2010 and, utilizing data from both of these sources, they developed an initial plan for the space and followed this
with a design charette conducted with library staff, students, and faculty to get more feedback. Assessment was
an integral part of the initial design of the research commons, and comes out of the Libraries’ ongoing assessment
program. The design and construction of the Research Commons was completed in October, and the space opened at
the start of Autumn Quarter 2010. Once open, assessment was conducted through regular observation of user activity
in the Research Commons. In late February 2011, we began conducting strategic discussion groups with users of the
Research Commons to find out how the space, furnishings, equipment, and services have been utilized. The results of
these discussion groups will help inform the development an in-libraries use survey for Research Commons users, to be
distributed in Spring Quarter 2011.
The design and implementation of a new online credit-bearing course: Research Lab. The project involved collaboration
with the English department to identify learning goals, development of the online course including content, offering the
course for the first time, and assessing the student experience through use of a local Teacher Course Evaluation tool,
other feedback from students, and feedback from instructors in the English department.
The goal of the South Reading Room research project was to determine how the main library reading room could
be improved the meet users’ needs. The project had three components: observations, then focus groups, followed
by a survey. Subsequent to the formal study, alternative types of furniture were brought in for users to indicate their
preferences.
The goal was to launch a new search and discovery unified interface for the online catalog and the digital library.
The library conducts an annual survey, which surveys graduate students, undergraduates, and faculty in rotation on a
three-year cycle. The survey is intended to gauge user experiences and needs with regard to collections, services, and
both virtual and physical spaces.
The library recently completed a redesign of the entire library website and catalog. Users were involved throughout the
process.
The library recently renovated a commons space, primarily relying on input about furnishings, aesthetics, layout, and
design ideas from students. After the space opened in fall 2009, the User Experience department and Associate
Dean for Public Services began an effort to determine how well the space was meeting student needs using a survey
instrument that included both quantitative satisfaction measures, as well as open-ended qualitative comments.
The library was opening up a new space in a building on campus. A small-scale ethnographic project was undertaken to
access user needs for that space.
The Music Library Space Use Study was set up to investigate low scores and accompanying comments from a
LibQUAL+® survey that identified space as a problem by all three user groups in the Music Library. Western Libraries
conducted a Music Library Space Use Study in two phases: first, an observation study and then later, in phase 2,
interviews.
The scope was to answer the following questions: Who are the current visitors? What were visitors’ general reactions
to the Library of Congress? Are visitors’ expectations being met? Why? What types of experiences did visitors take
