Dimensions of User Perception of Academic Library as Place

Abstract

Despite the ongoing discussion on library as place, there has not been a robust framework for understanding the meanings and the dimensions of library as place. The purpose of this study is to identify reliable and meaningful dimensions of academic library as place. The formative elements of academic library as place were elicited in terms of physical setting of place, person, and act. A cross-sectional field study was conducted at a state university in the eastern region of the United States. Principal component analysis identified three dimensions of academic library as place: information and services, reading and study, and relaxation. The conceptualization of academic library as place enables us to confirm constructs, and the established constructs advance theoretical discussions on library as place. The findings of this study are expected to provide empirical evidence of user perception of library as place, thus improving our understanding of users and strategies for the effective design of library space.