This is a very working draft of possible thoughts/questions for studying our space this term. See below - EVERYTHING is up for discussion/debate (even the goals). At the bottom I've gone through the "user needs study ideas" and have listed what I found to be the most asked questions and then another group of questions that were proposed - but not with the regularity of the first group. Depending on how big we want this to get - we can use these questions to find out the questions staff most want to know answers to. Please review and give feedback.
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- count users in all of our spaces on an hourly basis - (possible via gate count)
Wiki Markup - conduct study over multiple sample weeks during semester - (two or three times?)
- compare observational data to Aleph transactions happening during sample weeks and referrals/Ask Us questions or away from desk/Reserch Consultations during those sample weeks - (is this data Lisa S. could gather in her data role?)
- another interesting data question from CQ: is there any hourly data to be gathered from use of our web site, research guides, Barton OPAC, ILLiad or Vera resources that could inform when our users are actively working?
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- what was the nature of your visit - have options to circle?
- how long was your visit
- what could we do to make the space better for you
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Question/themes ideas taken from "User Needs study ideas"
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Most often asked/mentioned questions:
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- would you be more likely to visit a library if it had a cafe? Would you like to be able to eat/drink in the library?
- what is the best time for you to do work or study?
- what do you do in the library/why do you come to the library? (what are users doing in our spaces @ different times of the day? i.e. how does time of day affect how a library is used?)
- what makes you choose library space for your work?
- what is the one thing about the libraries at MIT that you would change if you could?
- what level of noise and activity are you willing to tolerate?
- do you feel safe in the library?
- where are your favorite places to study - in or out of the libraries?
- what equipment do you bring to the library? what equipment do you expect to find in the library? what equipment would you like to find in the library?
- if you don't work regularly (or ever) in a library space, why not?
- what would make you come more often?
- what % of your work time/study time is individual and what % is group? do you do both in the library?
- what are three positive and three negative words you would use to describe our spaces?
- Do you browse the print collections?
- Do you find the library staff to be approachable? Helpful?
- what hours are the most important to you for the libraries to be open?
- what is spaces are we lacking? is there something missing that requires you to leave when you'd rather keep working?
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Other questions/themes which emerged:
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- what times of day are you the most productive? lazy? curious?
- on average, how much time do you spend in the library?
- how is the room temperature?
- do you have more need for study space or for access to our print collections?
- what is your favorite feature of the library?
- which part of campus are you in most frequently?
- How well do we meet people's needs as a mobile workspace? Carrells, lockers, laptop safety, outlets, mobile printing.
- questions about Hayden: is first floor best spot for browseable collections
- is there anything that you found useful at another library, that MIT Libraries could be doing?
- do you use one of our 24 hour rooms? which one? advantages? do you need more?
- if the libraries added more 24 hour study space, where would you want it to be?
- what is most challenging about studying in Hayden, Rotch... ?
- do users choose different library study spaces (group vs. individual) depending on the type of work, or do they typically use library study spaces for a particular purpose?
- how do users want to access our print materials?
- if print reserves were in only one library would students continue to use them in the same way? which library would be the most conducive to student needs
- who browses?
- what services do people expect at the library service desk
- how many books did you check out of the MIT Libraries last semester?