LIBRARY AND INFORMATION USE PATTERNS BY ENGINEERING FACULTY AND STUDENTS

Lisha LiWilliam Baer

June 2009

Outline

Purpose Methodology and process Survey Responses Survey Results Limitations Conclusions

Purpose To study the library usage patterns

by engineering faculty and students To compare usage patterns among

different groups Using the results of study to

improve services in the following areas:• Library out-reach• Library instruction• Resources access

Methodology & Process Online survey (CEE & ME) Questionnaire with multiple

choices and open end questions. Focus on: library use and

information resources use habits. Number of questions:

• Student survey: 17• Faculty survey: 18

Online tools used: Survey Monkey.

Methodology & Process

• Questionnaire design – Oct. 2008• IRB review – Oct. 2008 • Email survey link to departments

(twice in 2 weeks) – Nov. 2008• Data collection – Dec. 2008• Faculty survey reopened – Feb. 2009• Analysis – Dec. 2008- Feb. 2009

Survey Population and Response Rate

Student population:• Total enrollment (Fall 2008):

19,413• Total enrollment in COE: 11,079• Total students in ME & CEE:

3,398• Total responses: 274• Response rate: 8%

Survey Population and Response Rate (cont.)

Faculty population: • CEE Faculty: 89• ME Faculty:

97• Total Faculty: 186• Total Response:

25• Response Rate:

13%

Demographics Student

Participants:• Undergraduates:

216 (79%) Freshmen: 34 Sophomore: 38 Junior: 60 Senior: 84

• Graduates: 58 (21%)

Masters: 13 Doctoral: 45

Under

grad

uate

Gradu

ate0

50

100

150

200

250

DoctoralMasterSeniorJuniorSophomoreFreshmen

Demographics (cont.)

Student Participants• By gender:

Female – 95 (35%) Male – 178 (65%)

• By school: CEE – 90 (33%) ME – 184 (67%)

• International: 23 (8%) Graduate: 18

• 31% of all graduate Undergraduate: 5 CEE ME

020406080

100120140160180200

FemaleMale

Demographics (cont.) Faculty

Participants:• By Academic Level

Assistant Professor: 4

Associate Professor: 7

Professor: 12

Other: 2 Total:

25

• By Gender Female:

2 Male:

23

Faculty Participants

Assistant ProfessorAssociate ProfessorProfessorOther

How Often Students Come to the Library?

0

10

20

30

40

25

62 0

24

13

1 0

36

18

60

43

31

73

2126

10

1

FreshmenSophomoreJuniorSeniorGraduate

How Often Faculty Come to the Library?

At least once/week

1-2 times/month

1-2 times/semester

Less than once/semester

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Top 5 Reasons Students Use the Library - Undergraduate

0

50

100

150

200 159 158

8868 61

Undergraduate

Top 5 Reasons Students Use the Library - Graduate

0

10

20

30

40

5049 46

23

11 10

Graduate

When Students Prefer to Study in the Library?

Morning Afternoon Evening Overnight0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

41

107

155

70

2036

25

5

UndergraduateGraduate

Google Effect

Stro

ngly

Agree

Agree

Neutra

l

Disagr

ee

Stro

ngly

Disagr

ee0

1020304050

UndergraduateGraduate

Q: “Google is sufficient to meet most of my research needs.”

(%)

Resources Use Rankings (by Undergraduate )

Google

Classm

ates/F

riend

s

Profe

ssion

al So

cietie

s

Databa

ses

Other

Web

Sites

020406080

100120

1st2nd3rd4th5th

Q: Where do you go to meet your academic information needs? (Please rank your 1st, 2nd, 3rd... choices) – (Undergraduate)

Resource Use Rankings (by Graduate )

Google

Classm

ates/F

riend

s

Profe

ssion

al So

cietie

s

Databa

ses

Other

Web

Sites

05

10152025303540

1st2nd3rd4th5th

Q: Where do you go to meet your academic information needs? (Please rank your 1st, 2nd, 3rd... choices) – (Graduate)

Resource Use Rankings (by Faculty)

Q: Where do you go to meet your academic information needs? (Please rank your 1st, 2nd, 3rd... choices) – (Faculty)

Google

Collea

gues

/Frie

nds

Profe

ssion

al So

cietie

s

Databa

ses

Other

Web

Sites

0

4

8

12

16

1st2nd3rd4th5th

Best Databases (by Graduate)

02468

1012141618

5

18 18

1211

4 5

15

1st2nd

Q: What are the best databases in your field(s)? (Please rank choices 1, 2, 3, and 4) – (Graduate)

Best Databases (by Faculty)

Google

Scho

lar

Compe

ndex

Web

of Sc

ience

Scien

ceDire

ct0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1st2nd

How Well the Undergraduates Feel They Know the Databases?

GIL

Compe

ndex

GeoRef

Web

of Sc

ience

NTIS

Paten

ts0

50

100

150

200

250

ExpertAdvancedIntermediateBeginnerNo Knowledge

Q: How would you categorize your level of familiarity with using the following library resources? - (Undergraduate)

How Well the Graduates Feel They Know the Databases?

GIL

Compe

ndex

GeoRef

Web

of Sc

ience

NTIS

Paten

ts0

10

20

30

40

50

60

ExpertAdvancedIntermediateBeginnerNo Knowledge

Q: How would you categorize your level of familiarity with using the following library resources? - (Graduate)

Training Preferences

Train

ing cl

asse

s

One-on

-one c

onsu

ltatio

n

Online

tutor

ials

Info.

book

lets

020406080

100120140

17 1735

14

47

87

128

84

GraduateUndergrad-uate

Q: What types of training in library resources do you prefer? (Check all that apply) - Students

Seeking Help with Research - Students

19021

30

18

44

Seek Info. Help

Visit Ref DeskCall Ref. DeskEmail "Ask! Us"Chat with Librar-ianContact Subject Librarian

Q: How do you seek research help from the Library? (Check all that apply) – All Students

Seeking Help with Research - Faculty

9

57

1

9

Faculty Seeking Help

Visit Ref. DeskCall Ref. DeskEmail thru "Ask! Us"Chat with Librar-ianContact Subject Librarian

Q: How do you seek research help from the Library? (Check all that apply) - Faculty

ILL Use – Students

None 1 to 2 3 to 4 5 or more

020406080

100120140160180

13 14 12 19

162

429 3

UndergraduateGraduate

Q: How many articles/books have you ordered through the interlibrary loan (ILLiad) services in the past 12 month? – (All students)

ILL Use – Faculty

Q: How many articles/books have you ordered through the interlibrary loan (ILLiad) services within the past year? - Faculty

None 1 to 2 3 to 4 5 or more

0123456789

10

Faculty

Satisfaction with Electronic Journal Access - Students

Very s

atisfi

ed

Satis

fied

Somew

hat s

atisfi

ed

Not sa

tisfie

d

Never

used

it

0

20

40

60

80

17 2315

0 3

21

67

31

10

79

GraduateUndergraduate

Q: How satisfied are you with obtaining journal articles electronically through the Georgia Tech Library?

Limitations

Response rate Timing of the survey Interpretation of questions Answer choices

Conclusions Undergraduate students rely on the

library as a space to study. Over all, students prefer online tutorials

for database training. But online tutorials can not replace other methods of instruction.

Seniors and graduate students have more knowledge about library resources compared to other students. But we still need to do more to promote library resources.

Conclusions (cont.)

Faculty rely on the electronic resources and interlibrary loan services for research.

We need to be more creative in promoting library resources and services.

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU!