Revelations of an off-campus user group

Revelations of an off-campus user groupLibrary use and needs of faculty

and students at a satellite graduate social work program

Background

Non-traditional academic programs areon the rise

Influx of students in Marywood’s Master of Social Work (MSW) Satellite Program

Current library services may not meet needs of satellite students and faculty

Overview of Marywood’s MSW Satellite Program Marywood

University is in Scranton, PA

191 students enrolled in MSW satellite program at the time of survey

Satellite locations are: Allentown, Reading & Bloomsburg, PA

Marywood’s MSW Satellite Program and the Library

No formal library orientation

Library instruction by request

Students prefer to seek help via phone(if at all)

What we want to know: What do satellite

students and faculty want?

What do they find unhelpful?

What impact does faculty library use have on their students?

Earlier Library Studies Awareness of library

services (Nicholas & Tomeo, 2005)

Quality of library services(Peterman & Schultis, 1995)

Library needs and expectations(Moyo & Cahoy, 2006)

Earlier Library Studies:Faculty Influence

Connection between faculty and students’ library use and needs(Ruddy, 1993)

Faculty as possible “obstacles” to library user education(Behrens, 1993)

Marywood Library’s Study of Distance Users

Results gleaned fromtwo separate surveys:

i. Survey of traditional and non-traditonal MSW students

(Fall 2008)

ii. Survey of MSW faculty (Spring 2009)

Survey Methodology Used Survey Monkey

(Marywood has institutional subscription)

Survey was sent to MSW student listserv and distributed in person

Survey was sent to MSW faculty via email

Survey instrument approved by IRB

Student Survey Instrument: Demographics

i. Incoming, Returning?

ii. Had attended a library instruction session or not

iii. Program location

Student Survey Instrument: Library Use and Needs

i. Library/Library Website visitsii. Library Resources usediii. Ease of locating/accessing resourcesiv. Helpfulness of library staffv. Most/Least useful library resource, servicevi. What needs to improve (open ended)

Survey Response Rates Students:

- 11.5% satellite students responded (22/191)

Faculty:- 39.5% responded (15/38)- 62.5% of which were satellite faculty (8/15)

Student Survey Findings

Library Session No Library Session0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Figure 1. Demographic breakdown of returning and new satellite students, taking into account their library session attendance.

Returning (n-13)

new (n=9)

Library Session Attendance

Perc

ent o

f Stu

dent

s

MW Library Building

MW Library Website

Other Libraries

Other0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Figure 2. Depicts where satellite students go to complete their class assignments

Satellite Students (n=22)

Research Destinations

Perc

ent o

f stu

dent

s

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Figure 3. Library resources most used by satellite students

Satellite Students (n=22)

Library Resources

Perc

ent o

f stu

dent

s

Very Easy Easy Neutral Difficult Very Difficult0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Figure 4. A comparison of the level of difficult in locating library resources experienced by students who have attended a library

session and those who have not.

Library Session (n=10)No Library Session (n=12)

Level of Diffficulty

Perc

ent o

f stu

dent

s

Very Easy Easy Neutral DifficultVery Difficult0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Figure 5. A comparison of the level of difficulty in accessing library resources experienced by students who have attended a library ses-

sion and those who have not

Library session (n=10)No library session (12)

Level of Difficulty

Perc

ent o

f stu

dent

s

Very Helpful Helpful Neutral Not Helpful0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Figure 6. Students rating their expereince with library staff .

Satellite Students (n=22)

Helpfulness of Library Staff

Perc

ent o

f Stu

dent

s

Table 1Most useful/helpful library resource (Satellite students )

Library Resource Number of Respondents

Online databases 11 N/A 4 Off campus access 4Full text articles/online journals 1 ILL 2

Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple

responses were encouraged

Table 2Least useful/helpful library resource (Satellite students )

Library Resource Number of Respondents

N/A 9 Full text access/search 12Access to other resources 3 ILL 2

Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple

responses were encouraged

Table 3Areas that need improvement (Satellite students )

Library Resource Number of Respondents

N/A 10 Full text /online resources 8Access issues 4 ILL 1Library Orientation 2

Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple

responses were encouraged

Student Survey Highlights

Library instruction appears to have some impact on locating/accessing library resources

Open ended questions indicate that a majority of respondents have difficulty accessing and/or searching for full text articles

Faculty Survey Findings

Scranton Scranton/night

Scranton/weekend

Satellite Online0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Figure 7. A comparison of full-time and part-time satellite faculty teach-ing locations.

Full Time (n=5)Part Time (n=3)

Locations

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

First Year 2-5 Years > 5 years0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Figure 8. A comparison of full-time and part-time satellite faculty's years of teaching expereince.

Full Time (n=5)Part Time (n=3)

Teaching Experience

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

Papers Group Projects Presentations0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Figure 9. Type of research assisngments given to students by full-time and part-time satellite faculty.

Full Time (n=5)

Part Time (n=3)

Research Assignments

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

Marywood Library Other Libraries Internet0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Figure 10. Full-time and part-time satellite faculty's expectations regarding where students go when researching for their class as-

signments.

Full Time (n=5)Part Time (n=3)

Research Destinations

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

Yes No Not Sure0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Figure 11. Full-time and part-time satellite faculty's perception of whether their students are aware of library resources and services.

Full Time (n=5)

Part Time (n=3)

Awareness of Library Offerings

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

Syllabus/Handouts

In Class Orally Demonstration Library Session0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Figure 12. A comparison of how full-time and part-time satellite faculty orientate their students to the library

Full Time (n=5)Part Time (n=3)

Method of Library Orientation

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Figure 13. A comparison of full-time and part-time faculty's use of library resources

Full-Time (n=5)Part-Time (n=3)

Library Resoruces

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Figure 14. The level of difficulty full-time and part-time satellite faculty expereince in locating library resources

Full-Time (n=5)Part-Time (n=3)

Level of Difficulty

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

Very Ea

syEa

sy

Neutra

l

Difficul

t

Very Diffi

cult

Not App

licable

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Figure 15. The level of difficulty full-time and part-time satellite faculty expereince in accessing library resources.

Full-Time (n=5)

Part-Time (n=3)

Level of Difficulty

Perc

ent o

f Fac

ulty

Table 4Most useful/helpful library resource (faculty)

Library Resource Number of Respondents

FT PT

Online databases 1 2 Library Orientation 1 0

Librarian Help 1 0 Full text articles/online journals 3 0

Books 1 0

Online reserves 1 0

N/A 0 1

Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

Table 5Least useful/helpful library resource (faculty)

Library Resource Number of Respondents

FT PT

Irrelevant/Dated materials 0 1 In-house library Stacks 0 1

In-house journals 1 0 Off-campus access 1 0

Off-campus library service 1 0

N/A 2 1

Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

Table 6Areas that need improvement (faculty)

Library Resource Number of Respondents

FT PT

Availability of full-text articles 1 0

Off-campus access 1 0Off-campus library service 2 1Library Website 1 0

Social Work collection 0 1

N/A 0 1

Note. Totals may exceed number of respondents because multiple responses were encouraged

Highlights from Faculty SurveyPart Time

Students aware of library offerings

None used library email/chat or consultation service

Difficulty with accessing/locating library resources

Unfamiliar with library’s social work collection

Full Time Students’ awareness

varies

No difficulty with accessing/locating library resources

FT and PT Faculty Do not request library

instruction

Need to improve off campus library services

Is there an impact factor?Students

Express frustration and difficulty when searching/accessing full text articles, regardless of library instruction attendance

Faculty

PT/Satellite facultyprovide own library orientation

PT/Satellite faculty appear to have difficulty with library resources themselves

Conclusions and future directions Library orientations

needed for both students and faculty, especially for part-time faculty

Improve library online gateway for students and faculty

Another study to determine help-seeking preferences of MSW satellite students

CON

TACT IN

FO

Lizah Ismail

Assistant Professor andCoordinator of Public Services

Marywood UniversityLibrary,Scranton, PA.

lismail@marywood.edu

Tel: 570-348-6264