One of the presentations shared during the 2010 ALA Annual meeting. The program hosted by LLAMA - MAES was called " Myth Busting: Using Data to Challenge Assumptions". Speaker: Lizah Ismail, Marywood University, Scranton, PA, Assistant Professor/Coordinator of Public Services Presentation: What Net Generation Students Really Want From The Library, Determining Help-Seeking Preferences of Undergraduates Program abstract: What services are actually valued by your users? Which online resources are good investments? Is texting the best way to reach your young adults? Libraries often hold false assumptions or beliefs which have not been challenged with actual data. Find out how different libraries have used data to challenge their assumptions and long-held beliefs.

1. What Net Generation Students Really Want From The Library Determining Help-Seeking Preferences of Undergraduates

2. Why is this topic relevant?

4. “young people are more competent with computers”

6. Need for Collaboration Contacted Marywood’s MIS (Management Information Systems) Dept Created a listserv of current undergraduates Survey was sent to listserv via email

7. Survey Instrument Demographic Information Full-time/Part-Time? Incoming, Returning, Transfer? Age Group : 18-22, 23-29, 30-39, 40 & over Had attended a library instruction session or not

8. Survey Instrument Help-Seeking Behavior and Preferences Library/Library Website visits Asking Librarians for research help Location preference for research help Research Help preference Confident without librarian help

9. Survey Results

10. Survey Results

11. Table 1: Library Use, Help-Seeking Habits and Library Instruction (averages on a scale of 1-5 where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree) 18-22 Age Group Overall Had Library No Library Instruction Instruction (n=216) (n=115) (n=101) Library Visits 3.07 3.05 3.08 (at least once/wk) Library Website Visits 2.99 3.03 2.95 (at least once/wk) Asked for Librarian Help 3.13 3.13 3.13 Confident without Help 3.44 3.59 3.27

12. Table 2: Library Use, Help-Seeking Habits and Student Status (averages on a scale of 1-5 where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree) 18-22 Age Group New Returning Transfer (n=53) (n=145) (n=18) Library Visits 2.34 3.29 3.44 (at least once/wk) Library Website Visits 2.58 3.19 2.61 (at least once/wk) Asked for Librarian Help 2.77 3.29 2.89 Confident without Help 3.19 3.57 3.11

13. Table 3: Location preference for research assistance and Student Status (averages on a scale of 1-5 where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree) 18-22 Age Group Overall New Returning Transfer (n=216) (n=53) (n=145) (n=18) Student Center 3.48 3.56 3.43 3.72 Residence Halls 3.10 3.36 3.01 3.06 Other Campus Buildings 3.27 3.42 3.19 3.39 More convenient location 3.27 3.75 3.16 2.72 instead of library

14. Table 4: Research assistance preference and Student Status (averages on a scale of 1-5 where 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree) 18-22 Age Group Overall New Returning Transfer (n=216) (n=53) (n=145) (n=18) Email 3.24 3.15 3.30 3.06 Chat/IM/Texting 2.78 2.71 2.85 2.44 Moodle Course Page 2.77 2.77 2.78 2.59 Facebook/MySpace 2.37 2.30 2.43 2.12

15. What do Marywood’s Net Gen Students Really Want?

16. Future Directions Build upon our existing “Ask Here Roadshow” More skeptical of social media Further studies with a larger sample Focus Groups Another survey (additional demographic information) Collaborations with Student Activities/IT

17. Contact Info Lizah Ismail Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Public Services Marywood University Library, Scranton, PA. lismail@marywood.edu Tel: 570-348-6264