Patron Use Research Articles

Non-Fee Based Interlibrary Loans: A Game-Changer in Israel

A milestone occurred in Israeli Interlibrary loans when the Directors’ Forum of the University Heads’ Committee approved funding for a non-fee based ILL pilot in the eight universities, in an attempt to address the financial difficulties faced by humanities & social sciences students and researchers. The article reviews the literature on the ethics of fee charging, non-fee based ILL ventures, the financial burden on MA & PhD students, increased patron use and satisfaction, the costs and complications of fee charging and invoicing, and the global decline in ILL. It describes ILL services in 22 Israeli university libraries before and after implementation of a non-fee based pilot, and outlines the processes that led to the launching of the project. The purpose of the article is to present a model of project management, from its inception until its establishment as a permanent arrangement, and to show how the removal of fees was a game-changer, reviving Israeli ILL.

An Exploratory Study Investigating COVID-19 Health Safety Measures Using the ARB COVID-19 Restaurant Safety Measure Questionnaire

To obtain important COVID-19 health safety measures information for at risk populations by using an Access Ratings for Buildings based questionnaire. Mixed-methods research design. Questionnaire surveys were conducted over the telephone. Sixteen different restaurants located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A verbally administered questionnaire developed by the Rehabilitation Research Design & Disability Center and derived from the Access Ratings for Buildings taxonomy that focuses on restaurant’s COVID-19 health safety measures such as personal protective equipment and CDC recommendations. The ARB COVID-19 Restaurant Safety Measure Questionnaire, which consisted of 11 questions examining the equipment, supplies and policies in place to protect patrons and employees. Out of twenty restaurants, sixteen completed the survey, three were unable to be reached and one refused to participate. Three of the restaurants referred the data collectors to their HR department or restaurant group for questioning. Of the sixteen restaurants that responded, 63% offered dine in services and 88% takeout. Twelve of the restaurants did not offer face masks for patrons, although thirteen did have hand sanitizer for patron use and eleven offered contactless payment methods. 81% of restaurants required employees to wear face masks, 94% had disposable gloves available for employees and 38% did temperature checks on their employees. Fifteen stated they conduct specific sanitation procedures for COVID-19 and believe they are following CDC precautions, although only four currently follow the guidelines. This study provided valuable information that can be used to benefit at risk populations in making informed, safe decisions when deciding where to eat. It also demonstrated the need for restaurants to implement stricter COVID-19 safety measures.

A Journey’s End: A Retrospective Analysis of a Tipasa Migration with an Assessment of Patron Experience

This is the second part of a two-part article detailing how Northeastern State University migrated from ILLiad to Tipasa in 2019. This article will detail the actual migration process and the challenges involved as well as the acclimation afterwards and lessons learned. While the transition itself was not without hurdles, the department was able to navigate the transition relatively smoothly due to preparation, communication, and excellent leadership. Finally, the authors will compare usage statistics from previous academic semesters to assess patron use of the new system. The authors have also included results from a short patron experience survey from January 2020 assessing patron perspectives with Tipasa and ILLiad, comparing the two when possible.

An analysis of American public libraries’ policies on patron use of Internet pornography

AbstractDrawing on and expanding previous graduate course research, this paper investigated and analyzed public libraries’ policies regarding patron use of legal, visual Internet pornography on public computers. Pornographic imagery that falls within legal boundaries is protected by the First Amendment. Incidents of, and library responses to, pornography viewing are not a new issue and have caused turmoil across the field of library and information science. In an attempt to understand the problem, the research question asks: how do public libraries respond to patrons viewing legal Internet pornography, while upholding First Amendment rights as well as the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and other legal requirements? Libraries tread a fine line to protect First Amendment rights, respect community laws, and uphold CIPA. Research indicated that responding to Internet pornography use in public libraries is heavily dependent on individual, community and library values. Policies are more likely to prohibit patrons from accessing Internet pornography, and most libraries have at least some Internet filtering software restricting what content may be accessed on public use computers. However, evidence also suggests that regardless of policy or filters, library staff will at some point encounter a patron accessing Internet pornography.

A cross-discipline comparison of subject guides and resource discovery tools

Introduction. Academic libraries invest considerable resources in creating disciplinary subject guides, but patron use of such guides is rarely quantified in the literature. We analyse access data for subject guides and other electronic resource discovery tools to investigate disciplinary differences in resource discovery behaviour. Method. We analysed access data for resource discovery tools and subject guides that was collected over five weeks in the first term of the academic year at a public teaching and research university. Analysis. We analysed unique page views for subject guides, then calculated and compared access to electronic resources originating from the following resource discovery tools: Summon, subject guides, Google Scholar, and the database index. Results. Disciplines with high unique page views for subject guides were more likely to use subject guides or specific databases for resource discovery, while disciplines with low subject guide unique page views were more likely to use Summon or Google Scholar for resource discovery. Conclusions. The low unique page views for most guides suggests providing guides for all disciplines may not be an effective method for supporting students in resource discovery. This study also indicates a need for subject guide use to be evaluated in relation to other resource discovery tools.

Wheels of change: Migrating platforms and streamlining workflows

The Revs Institute is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit museum, library and archive. This case study describes five large-scale changes made by the institution based on a strategic plan for its library and archive. One of the largest changes was deciding to streamline library workflows in order to bring one of the most resource-intensive projects, digitisation and the resulting digital library, from subsidised to self-sustaining. The other large-scale changes dealt with creating a more effective image sales system, enhancing library and archive visibility, promoting use of the collections, and connecting the library’s systems for ease of patron use. While this case study focuses on Revs, an automotivefocused institution, it is essentially about an institution strategising to enhance its overall sustainability, self-sufficiency and visibility. The case study concludes that the best way for an institution to ensure its durability is to be as efficient, purpose-driven and user-focused as possible.

Measuring Space and Furniture Occupancy in Academic Libraries: From Data Gathering to Visualization

Academic libraries are a vital space for collaboration, socialization, research, and quiet study. To support these needs, they must offer a variety of environments, noise levels, and furniture to support varying student needs. However, it can be difficult to understand these specific needs and properly balance the types of spaces and seating alternatives to optimally meet them. This article describes a space usage study undertaken to determine patron needs and preferences and the resulting visualization of the data using Tableau Public. The project provided important insights into patron space preferences and use, and the methodology can be replicated at other institutions.

Trends in Public Library Design from the 19th to the 21st Centuries

ABSTRACTIn the early 19th century, public libraries in America tended toward grand appearances befitting seriousness of purpose. Library design changed gradually throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and more dramatically with automation and new technology. True to its roots, the public library continues to maintain areas for quiet, individual study. But, in addition, today’s library has become a cultural center in the community, offering art galleries, auditoriums, meeting rooms, spaces for collaborative work, digital information and instruction, and even cafés. Change is inevitable, as innovations in library design and patron use illustrate. Yet, from the earliest libraries to modern times, one overarching constant defines their purpose: libraries inspire.

An assessment matrix for library makerspaces

The emergence of maker culture has led to an increase of makerspaces across a variety of educational organizations, including public libraries. These makerspaces provide library patrons with new opportunities to learn and create through exploration, creation, and play. However, as the number of library makerspaces grows, so does the need for assessing learning in those same spaces. There is a small amount of research completed on assessing learning of makerspaces in public libraries. The researchers in this study examine patron use of a library makerspace through a theoretical framework based on modern assessment research. Soon after the study began, it was necessary to rethink the original research questions and methods in order to better understand how assessment could be effectively implemented. Findings include determining the scope of library makerspace participants and their assessment needs, potential assessments that can address those needs, and design implications for assessments in library makerspaces.

Encouraging patron adoption of privacy-protection technologies:

Threats to our patrons’ privacy have been a long-standing concern in libraries, though our responsibilities were largely bounded by the physical library space. Today, fueled by novel technologies, the landscape is vastly different, with patrons’ privacy threatened by an ever-increasing number of entities. In this complexity, libraries have continued their commitment to privacy, with public libraries now seeking to educate patrons about privacy threats, protective measures, and tools that they might employ. This review of literature seeks to identify challenges to United States public libraries in educating and advocating for patron use of privacy-protection technology tools, drawing from research in a variety of allied fields, while suggesting future research directions. Issues identified include: substantial technology-related knowledge gaps in our patrons, librarians, and library staff; the need to support a vast number of technology tools and techniques; as well as building our understanding of the perspective of the tools’ underlying creators.

Applying spatial literacy to transform library space: a selected literature review

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review a selection of articles and books that highlight aspects of spatial theory and literacy from various disciplinary perspectives, along with a review of library space studies.Design/methodology/approachThis study reviews library literature that uses spatial literacy and its related tools. The authors searched in two databases: Library, Information Science & Technology s, and SCOPUS. The paper records were analyzed to find primary research studies, published between 2010 and 2017, which study patron use of library space using various single and hybrid methodologies.FindingsThe findings of the literature reveal that of the 26 studies reviewed, 23 have a descriptive research question and three have a relational research question. Based on the analysis of the research methodologies used, there is more that can be done in support of a librarian’s research efforts as well as the arenas in which research is conducted.Practical implicationsThese findings highlight ways in which library and information science researchers and those who educate them can broaden knowledge within the profession regarding spatial theory, literacy and applicable research methodologies for studying library space.Originality/valueCurrent and best practices for designing library space studies that use spatial literacy to collect and analyze data are identified along with a discussion of future directions for researchers to better assess space and communicate the value of physical space in libraries.

Consumer Health Information Literacy Promotion Program in Public and Community Libraries in Africa: Experience from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe

ABSTRACTThe aim of this project was to enhance the capacity of public and community librarians in four African countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe) in meeting the consumer health information (CHI) needs of their patrons. A total of 65 librarians from 34 public and community libraries were trained on how to access and use consumer health information resources by health sciences librarians in the selected countries. A needs assessment preceded the training that focused on health literacy, health information literacy, sources of health information, online information searching tools and search techniques, and how to search CHI resources, including Kidshealth.org, Womenshealth.gov, MedlinePlus, and CancerNet, among others. Each team of participating libraries received a seed grant to design and implement a consumer health activity. The trained public and community librarians in both Nigeria and Uganda conducted training on use of CHI resources to different categories of patrons. In Nigeria, high school students were trained on how to use their mobile phone to access CHI resources. Adolescents and other categories of library patrons were trained on information and communication technology (ICT) skills and accessing CHI resources in Uganda. In Kenya, the public librarian created a Consumer Health Information Corner and purchased CHI books for patrons to consult, while in Zimbabwe, the public library partnered with other non-governmental organizations to provide consumer health information materials to the library for patron use. It is possible for academic health sciences librarians to partner with public and community librarians in Africa to carry out a successful CHI project.

Small Library Research: Using Qualitative and User-Oriented Research to Transform a Traditional Library into an Information Commons

Abstract
 
 Objective - The project team investigated the changes necessary to transform the original library into an information commons. The researchers sought to drive the project by asking for patrons’ input, rather than rely on the vision of administrators or librarians.
 
 Methods - The project team used four techniques to gather data. They recorded patron use patterns, administered surveys, conducted formal interviews, and facilitated comment boards. 
 
 Results - Each of the four methods used in this research delivered similar conclusions. Patrons used the library as a study hall, but the space did not facilitate collaboration. Patrons requested more group study spaces, more access to power, and a quieter environment. Patrons identified the value of developing a learning community in the library. Finally, patrons advocated for the retention of physical collections in the library building. 
 
 Conclusion - The present library building, designed to facilitate individual, quiet, textual based learning, no longer serves the needs of its patrons. Analysis of this project’s data supports the need to develop an information commons. The Gellert Library is not just a place to store books and study. Rather, it is a place where meaning and learning emerges from access to knowledge.

Small Library Research: Using Qualitative and User-Oriented Research to Transform a Traditional Library into an Information Commons

Abstract
 
 Objective - The project team investigated the changes necessary to transform the original library into an information commons. The researchers sought to drive the project by asking for patrons’ input, rather than rely on the vision of administrators or librarians.
 
 Methods - The project team used four techniques to gather data. They recorded patron use patterns, administered surveys, conducted formal interviews, and facilitated comment boards. 
 
 Results - Each of the four methods used in this research delivered similar conclusions. Patrons used the library as a study hall, but the space did not facilitate collaboration. Patrons requested more group study spaces, more access to power, and a quieter environment. Patrons identified the value of developing a learning community in the library. Finally, patrons advocated for the retention of physical collections in the library building. 
 
 Conclusion - The present library building, designed to facilitate individual, quiet, textual based learning, no longer serves the needs of its patrons. Analysis of this project’s data supports the need to develop an information commons. The Gellert Library is not just a place to store books and study. Rather, it is a place where meaning and learning emerges from access to knowledge.

Patron Time-Use May Be an Effective Metric for Presenting Library Value to Policy Makers

Objective – To test a metric for library use, that could be comparable to metrics used by competing government departments, for ease of understanding by policy makers.
 
 Design – Four types of data were collected and used: Time-diaries, exit surveys, gate counts, and circulation statistics.
 
 Setting – A large public library in British Columbia, Canada.
 
 Subjects – Time-diary subjects were 445 patrons checking out materials; exit survey subjects were 185 patrons leaving the library.
 
 Methods – A paper-based time diary, prototypes of which were tested, was given to patrons who checked out library materials during a one-week period. These patrons were charged with recording the use of the checked-out items during the entire three-week loan period. From this information, the average number of hours spent with various types of loaned material (print and audio/DVD) was calculated. The average number of hours spent per item type was then applied to the circulation statistics for those items, across a month, to get a total of hours spent using all circulated material during that month. During the same one-week period of time-diary distribution, exit surveys were conducted by library staff with patrons leaving the library, asking them how long they had spent in the library during their current visit. The average number of minutes per visit was calculated and then applied to the gate count for the month, to get a total number of minutes/hours spent “resident” in the library that month. Adding the totals, a grand total of patron time-use hours was calculated. A monetary value was applied per hour, using the results of a contingent valuation study from Missoula, Montana (Dalenberg et al., 2004), in order to convert hours of library benefit into a dollar figure.
 
 Main Results – There was a 24% response rate for the time diaries (106/445). The diary entries yielded an average of 3.5 hours of time-use per print item, and 1.9 hours per DVD. The range for audio materials was quite wide, and for all item types, a few heavy users skewed the averages. Hours of secondary use (when people other than the original borrower read, listened to, or watched, the materials) were calculated, and represented 13% of the total hours. The average amount of time spent per visit was 42 minutes. Applying these averages to one month of circulation figures and gate counts, respectively, the result was that patrons spent 182,000 hours using library services in one month. Applying dollar amounts of benefit per hours spent, based on the Missoula study, the result was that patrons had received $842,000 of benefit from their use of the library in that month.
 
 Conclusions – This study confirmed that the prototype performance measure of hours of patron use, and refinements in obtaining it, was a useful tool with which to present the case for the value of libraries to policy makers. The study estimates that 90% of library use occurs off-site, and that a surprising proportion of that use is by secondary users. Future studies could refine the collection methodologies even more by collecting demographic information, by mapping user activities during branch visits, and by obtaining better information about secondary users of materials. Future research should also take into account: seasonal effects on borrowing, reading level of borrowers, and possibilities for collecting information in online formats. With these developments, it might be possible to assign “enjoyment levels” to items in library catalogs.

The Impact of Off-Site Storage on Core Special Collections Activities

A Review of:
 Priddle, C., & McCann, L. (2015). Off-site storage and special collections: A study in use and impact in ARL libraries in the United States. College & Research Libraries, 76(5), 652-670. doi:10.5860/crl.76.5.652
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To measure the use of off-site storage for special collections materials and to examine how this use impacts core special collections activities.
 
 Design – Survey questionnaire containing both structured and open ended questions. Follow-up interviews were also conducted.
 
 Setting – Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions in the United States of America. 
 
 Subjects – 108 directors of special collections. 
 
 Methods – Participants were recruited via email; contact information was compiled through professional directories, web searches, and referrals from professionals at ARL member libraries. The survey was sent out on October 31, 2013, and two reminder emails were distributed before it closed three weeks later. The survey was created and distributed using Qualtrics, a research software that supports online data collection and analysis. All results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Qualtrics.
 
 Main Results – The final response rate was 58% (63 out of 108). The majority (51 participants, or 81%) reported use of off-site storage for library collections. Of this group, 91% (47 out of 51) house a variety of special collections in off-site storage. The criteria most frequently utilized to designate these materials to off-site storage are use (87%), size (66%), format (60%), and value (57%). The authors found that special collections directors are most likely to send materials to off-site storage facilities that are established and in use by other departments at their home institution; access to established workflows, especially those linked to transit and delivery, and space for expanding collections are benefits. 
 
 In regard to core special collections activities, results indicated that public service was most impacted by off-site storage. The authors discussed challenges related to patron use and satisfaction. In regard to management and processing, directors faced challenges using the same level of staff to maintain two locations instead of one. Also, the integration of new workflows required additional oversight to ensure adequate control at all points of process. Static staffing levels and increased levels of responsibility impacted preservation and conservation activities as well. A central concern was the handling of materials by facility staff not trained as special collections professionals. In regard to the facilities themselves, a general concern was that commercial warehouses do not always provide the kind of environmental control systems recommended for storage of special collections materials. 
 
 Of the total sample group, 12 participants (19%) said their institution does not use off-site storage for special collections. When asked if this may occur in the future, four directors (33%) said they anticipate off-site storage use within the next five years. Lack of space was listed as the primary motivation. 
 
 Conclusion – Study findings provide evidence for what was previously known anecdotally: planning, coordinating, and managing off-site storage is a significant professional responsibility that will only grow in the future. As primary resources are integrated into research, teaching, and learning activities, the acquisition of special collections materials will continue to grow. Discussions regarding off-site storage workflows and strategic planning will continue as professionals seek compromises that meet the unique needs of acquisition, preservation, and public service.

OAI-PMH Harvested Collections and User Engagement

ABSTRACTDiscovery tools are used in libraries to bring together books, articles, and other resources. Research has focused on user and librarian evaluation of these tools, but there are few evaluations of non-book and non-article sources. Discovery tools can also include metadata for local collections harvested through the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). Creating these harvests can be time consuming for staff, so it is important for libraries to understand if and how patrons use these records. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries (UNL Libraries) harvests metadata from local collections into the Encore discovery tool. A study was conducted to analyze patron use of OAI-harvested records. This study analyzed usage data for harvested collections obtained from different discovery sources and referrals through Encore. Google Analytics was used to evaluate searcher behavior differences between content referred through Encore and other referrals. Although discovery through Encore did not result in high numbers of traffic, there is evidence that patrons who discover records through Encore take more time looking through records than patrons using other discovery methods. This increase in time is a measure of engagement and may be reason enough for libraries to consider adding OAI-harvested collections to their discovery tool.

3D Printing in Libraries: A View from Within the American Library Association: Privacy, Intellectual Freedom and Ethical Policy Framework

EDITOR'S SUMMARYTwo fundamental purposes of libraries are to provide access to information and enable freedom of expression. Digital technologies have spurred the American Library Association to examine patron use of 3D printing technology in light of intellectual freedom policy. Libraries are strongly encouraged to proactively formulate and implement acceptable use policies regarding their 3D printers. The policy statement should address the library's mission to nurture creative expression; express policies in a straightforward, positive tone without repeating existing laws; outline the process for creating, submitting and retrieving a work; and define terminology. The ALA's own policy and advocacy documents support statements on the ethics of access for all, intellectual freedom regarding content, avoidance of anything illegal, patron privacy, and libraries as public forums promoting user interaction with information where any restrictions are content neutral.

Quantifying patron time-use of a public library

Purpose – This paper summarizes a time-diary study of a Canadian public library that estimated the hours spent by patrons using library facilities and circulated collections during a month. The purpose of this paper is to convert conventional library statistics into a metric more understandable to external stakeholder groups: time. Design/methodology/approach – Paper-based time-diaries collected data on the patron use of circulated library materials throughout the loans cycle and exit surveys measured the duration of branch visits. This data along with gate and circulation statistics were used to estimate hours of patron residency in library branches and the time spent consuming borrowed materials. Findings – Patrons used the services, facilities and collections of Prince George Public Library’s Bob Harkins branch for an estimated 182,000 hours during August 2013. Over 90 per cent of use occurred offsite through the consumption of circulated materials by diarists and secondary use of borrowed items by their families and friends. Practical implications – Conventional statistics understate the utilization of public library resources as most of their use occurs outside the library branches, a different usage pattern than for other municipal services. This study suggests that all library use is potentially measurable using a single metric, hours of patron use. The value of a time metric, once methodologically sound, is its usefulness as a measure of library performance and its convertibility in dollars of direct value using contingent valuation methodology. Originality/value – Time-diary methodology collected patron time-use data on public library circulated materials. The paper demonstrates the potential of patron time-use as a metric of library performance. Hours of patron use appear convertible into dollars of benefit using contingent valuation research.

Alliance Coercion and Nuclear Restraint: How the United States Thwarted West Germany's Nuclear Ambitions

When does a nuclear-armed state's provision of security guarantees to a militarily threatened ally inhibit the ally's nuclear weapons ambitions? Although the established security model of nuclear proliferation posits that clients will prefer to depend on a patron's extended nuclear deterrent, this proposition overlooks how military threats and doubts about the patron's intentions encourage clients to seek nuclear weapons of their own. To resolve this indeterminacy in the security model's explanation of nuclear restraint, it is necessary to account for the patron's use of alliance coercion, a strategy consisting of conditional threats of military abandonment to obtain compliance with the patron's demands. This strategy succeeds when the client is militarily dependent on the patron and when the patron provides assurances that threats of abandonment are conditional on the client's nuclear choices. Historical evidence from West Germany's nuclear decisionmaking provides a test of this logic. Contrary to the common belief among nonproliferation scholars, German leaders persistently doubted the credibility and durability of U.S. security guarantees and sought to acquire an independent nuclear deterrent. Rather than preferring to renounce nuclear armament, Germany was compelled to do so by U.S. threats of military abandonment, contradicting the established logic of the security model and affirming the logic of alliance coercion.