How can we learn from students to improve our libraries? Hear how two libraries have worked with students to inform their work. The new University of Birmingham Library will open in September 2016. Working with research consultancy Alterline, their market research project included the exploration of students’ physical and digital journeys through ethnographic observations. At the University of Liverpool students have led market research projects as part of their curriculum to identify how users’ experiences of the library’s physical and digital spaces can be improved. The formation of a new Student Library Partnership group also helps to inform library decision making.

1. A Journey Of Discovery
The University of Birmingham student’s library journey

2. The Brief
To inform the design
of services and
spaces in the new
main library
To analyse what
students do in
current building as
well as what they
say they do
Understand in the
student voice what
works and what
doesn’t work in
service provision
To understand how
our digital services
serve our students
and identify
improvements

3. Why Alterline?
Important to be
delivered by a
3rd party
Liked the
methodology
and scale of
project pitched
Good
experience of
Alterline in the
University and
looked at
projects
Not the internal
resource to
take on the
scale of market
research

4. Methodology
 Workshops with library management, library staff and
students to understand scope and issues
 Survey of students – 2,265 completed
 Student focus groups to explore key themes from survey
 Physical ethnography
 Digital ethnography

5. Physical ethnography
A student tried to find a book in the Library building. She
tried several floors and rooms. Even after asking for help, she
fails to find the book. She gives up and leaves.
A student attempts to find a book he has seen on FindIt. He
looks in various locations, and asks for help twice. Finally, a
librarian informs him it is no longer available.

6. Digital ethnography
 20 students
 Series of tasks observed through screen sharing
 Interviewed after each task to discuss the ease and any
barriers or improvements
 Videos and commentary made available with report

7. Results

8. There are about 400 of us and
they will say you don’t need to
buy this book you will only
need it for two weeks. Then
there are only 10 copies in the
Library so they are all gone
within 10 minutes and all are
reserved for the next month
I’ve used the Library
twice, got lost both
times and left after
five minutes
Make [digital services] more straight
forward and up-to-date.
FindIt@Bham is good, however the
intranet site is very behind its time. It
is harder to navigate around the site,
and many links generally on the
intranet no longer exist.
Keep up to date with broken
links - sometimes says a
text is available online and
then I click on the link to find
it is unavailable
It’s not a very good
search engine. I use
databases or Google
Scholar
It’s like the hunger games, and
it’s so true – there’s almost a
line for computers and you have
to be very alert

13. Perception, Understanding and
Use
 Satisfaction with physical and digital library services
 Understanding of full service offering
 Current usage of services
 Demographic differences

14. Key issues
 Not enough staff around building with help as a focus
 Get the basics right
 Physical and digital navigation
 Not enough understanding of new library
 Support services invisible / lost on website

15. Recommendations
Focus on core business
Raise awareness of services
Make physical navigation easier
Simplify online services
Pay attention to student behaviour
Improve library environment
Keep people at the heart

16. What are we doing with the
market research findings?

17. Done Doing Will Do
Improved discovery of ebooks
on RDS (MARC records and
linking processes)
Improve relevance ranking on
RDS
ejournal and ebook ‘browse’
functionality
Improve visibility of RDS on
non-library websites eg VLE
More ebooks purchased.
Demand driven acquisition of
ebooks.
Better reading list processes.
Demand driven acquisition of
print textbooks
Analyse gaps in reading list
provision
Implemented LibGuides and
more central academic skills
gateway
Integration between VLE,
reading lists and RDS improved
Improve digital navigation to
skills and subject support
services.
Redesign library website – less
text heavy and more user-
centred.
Highlight most well used
services more front and centre
on website.
Promote skills and subject
support services more
effectively
Reclassified library book
collections for interfiling site
collections successfully.
Identified & re-sequenced high
use collections for new library
New more intuitive collections
layout for new library.
Digital interactive maps and
improved physical signage.
Dynamic loans based on
demand.
More proactive customer
service – roving not behind a
desk.
Electronically bookable PCs and
group study rooms
Electronic appointment
booking with advisors /
specialists

24. What next?
 Identity and branding review
 Review new services in new library
 Complete digital service re-design
 Student collaboration embedded

25. alterline.co.uk/shaping-the-future-of-the-university-of-birmingham-library-2

26. Sarah Bull
Assistant Director, Collection
Management & Development
Library Services
University of Birmingham
s.l.bull@bham.ac.uk
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0484-0272