Surveys to Improve Library Facilities
Kathleen Bulson
Issue date: 2/7/07 Section: News
Nick Taylor, one of the Manhattan College librarians, is researching students' attitudes about seeking assistance in an academic library. He hopes to improve O'Malley library's services by analyzing survey responses from students. A research journal will also publish an article with the research results.
Taylor will distribute surveys to Manhattan students in three ways: email through college accounts, paper copies (available at the library's circulation desk), and randomly choosing classes to hand out surveys in. Taylor feels the emailed survey will be most effective because of the anonymity as well as the ease in which students use the internet.
The fifteen question survey takes approximately five minutes to complete. Questions have multiple choices but include room to add additional comments. Taylor stresses that the survey answers will remain anonymous.
The main objective of Taylor's research is to "question Manhattan students on their perceptions on the quality of the service that the library provides." Question four asks what the student views as the function of the librarian while question thirteen asks the student to evaluate the librarians' level of assistance.
Other questions evaluate whether more on-duty librarians are needed at later hours. Manhattan currently has a telephone reference. Students can reach a librarian at the reference desk by calling 718-862-7161 or visiting in person. Problems arise because even though the library is open 24 hours there is not always a librarian available to answer questions. Monday through Thursday one is present 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. but hours are shorter Fridays through Sundays. Taylor is unsure if students know where to turn when one is not present.
Taylor spoke about his expectations regarding the survey. He said, "I hope to be a better librarian finding out ways to improve myself and beyond that to be a part of the process of improving the overall library." He hopes students will be honest about their feelings as the survey results will help achieve this goal.
Taylor will distribute surveys to Manhattan students in three ways: email through college accounts, paper copies (available at the library's circulation desk), and randomly choosing classes to hand out surveys in. Taylor feels the emailed survey will be most effective because of the anonymity as well as the ease in which students use the internet.
The fifteen question survey takes approximately five minutes to complete. Questions have multiple choices but include room to add additional comments. Taylor stresses that the survey answers will remain anonymous.
The main objective of Taylor's research is to "question Manhattan students on their perceptions on the quality of the service that the library provides." Question four asks what the student views as the function of the librarian while question thirteen asks the student to evaluate the librarians' level of assistance.
Other questions evaluate whether more on-duty librarians are needed at later hours. Manhattan currently has a telephone reference. Students can reach a librarian at the reference desk by calling 718-862-7161 or visiting in person. Problems arise because even though the library is open 24 hours there is not always a librarian available to answer questions. Monday through Thursday one is present 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. but hours are shorter Fridays through Sundays. Taylor is unsure if students know where to turn when one is not present.
Taylor spoke about his expectations regarding the survey. He said, "I hope to be a better librarian finding out ways to improve myself and beyond that to be a part of the process of improving the overall library." He hopes students will be honest about their feelings as the survey results will help achieve this goal.