Library Surveys

For the two weeks following spring break in March 2018, Plough Library asked student users about the various ways that they utilize the library building and its physical resources. Eight questions addressed such aspects as:

• How often people visited the library
• How long people stayed when they came in
• When they preferred to visit
• Whether visitors were alone or with others
• What people did in the library
• Which areas they frequented
• What furniture they used
• What type of rooms people would use if the library had them

Each question offered several options for answers. Respondents could choose however many answers applied to their practices.

Two additional questions solicited open answers:

• What interferes with your ability to use the library as it is now?
• If you could improve the library, what would you recommend?

Surveys were distributed in paper form throughout the library, as well as placed online—and pushed to the mailing lists by CBU's office of Communications & Marketing. Responses totaled 297 with 200 responses made using the paper form and 97 online.

Answers told us that the typical library user comes to the library alone on a daily basis to study for 1-2 hours on a weekday afternoon. The most common thing that interferes with their ability to use the library is noise. If they could improve the library, most users would do something about the furniture and the lack of private rooms.