Presented at the 2016 (Fall) Library Assessment Conference in Arlington, VA. 

In October 2014, the UC San Diego Library installed two WalkStations in its popular East Learning Commons (also the overnight study space) after receiving on-going requests from library users for furnishings that allow active seating and working, and in light of studies showing that exercising while studying helps maintain alertness and focus.

Each WalkStation features a treadmill (up to two mph), a safety clip to stop the treadmill if the user falls, an adjustable-height worksurface, and a tabletop electrical outlet to power a laptop or other devices. Lightweight mesh screens are positioned near the machines to provide for additional privacy for users.

During service desk hours, student workers at the nearby Learning Commons desk tally the number of times they see users on the WalkStations, providing at least a limited picture of overall use.  With the exception of declines during Library closures and in the summer, statistics of WalkStation use have risen steadily since their installation.  These statistics, along with anecdotal observation of the machines, justify the purchase of additional WalkStations.  However, it was important to gather user feedback on the equipment to complement the picture painted by the statistics.

Upon their installation, comment posters were placed near the WalkStations to solicit user comments. The nearly 100 comments received were overwhelmingly positive, while also offering ideas to enhance use of the machines.  This initial round of comments offered suggestions that we were able to accommodate and facilitate return communication with users when we placed signage at the machines responding to what we heard.

To prepare for summarizing the WalkStations one year after their purchase, a second brief survey was conducted in September and October 2015 soliciting not only qualitative, open-ended comments on the machines, but also responses to specific questions.  The simple, paper instrument placed near the WalkStations asked about user satisfaction with the equipment and their location, frequency of use, length of time used per session, and whether one had to wait for an available WalkStation.  Survey results were compiled into both quantitative and qualitative insight to consider any ways to improve the WalkStation service for users.  Open-ended comments were again primarily positive, and along with the quantitative data gathered, offer additional enhancements, as well as support for purchasing more WalkStations.

This poster will visually present statistics of WalkStation use and satisfaction, examples of compelling comments received in the two rounds of feedback gathering, and recommendations or actions taken as a result of what was learned.  It will also show how, while not necessarily statistically representative, this low-cost, easy to implement method of feedback gathering can garner valuable, immediate, and actionable feedback directly from users of a specialized offering such as WalkStations.  This practical and sustainable process also quickly allows identification of and responsiveness to user needs or preferences. Such a method has also been used in the UC San Diego Library for a variety of applications, and could easily be adapted by those at myriad institutions to better understand use of spaces, services, or equipment in other settings.

The UC San Diego (UCSD) Library offers a variety of student-focused, de-stress events throughout the year to help students withstand the rigors of long hours of study in the library and the demanding nature of UCSD’s 11-week academic quarter.  While each event offers relaxing or stimulating activities and snacks to the student attendees, opportunities for sharing targeted feedback with the library are also provided.  One such event is the Spring Beach Party, held in April, which aligns with the campus’ location on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.  At the event, attendees receive free lemonade and iced tea, beach-themed snacks, and information about library services.  They can also play with kinetic sand, compose poetry with beach-themed magnetic words (also in celebration of National Poetry Month in April), enjoy beach-themed coloring sheets, and more. 

To enable feedback gathering at the 2018 Spring Beach Party, 13 large, colorful posters were created showing a variety of beach-related images, including surfing, friends, tunes, grub, relaxing, bonfires, treasures, and more.  Each poster was accompanied by a comment card with 3 questions associated with the theme, along with 2 related tips about library services or offerings.  For example, the “crowds” poster asked attendees about difficulties they experience finding a seat in the library during different times of the term, finding an available outlet in the library, and about the locations where available outlets are hardest to locate.  Tips on the card alerted attendees to the additional computers and study seats in a smaller, lesser-known library building, and about a recently-launched app with a live map of how busy library spaces are at any given time.

Attendees were encouraged to complete all or some of the comment cards, exchanging them with a staff member at the event for an equal number of raffle tickets.  Drawings for prizes were held throughout the event, though one did not need to be present to win.  Prizes included packages of kinetic sand, campus gift cards, snacks, and library-imprinted items.

Approximately 50 students completed at least some comment cards at the event.  To gather additional feedback, the same posters and cards will be hung in the library in the second part of the spring term, with additional prize drawings to be given out before Finals Week.  During the summer of 2018, all feedback from this initiative will be compiled and evaluated, so that actionable recommendations can be presented. 

The poster will show how, while not necessarily statistically representative, this low-cost, easy to implement approach can garner valuable, immediate, and actionable feedback directly from users in a fun and unique way that students find compelling.  Such an event, or a similar feedback initiative without a corresponding event, can easily be adapted to suit the needs, staffing, and budgets of a variety of other libraries.  The poster will visually share details of the event, display the feedback results, and outline the actions taken as a result of what was revealed in the student feedback.  Images will include the event itself, as well as the posters and comment cards used.

Most academic libraries have long provided reference service through multiple means. The UC-San Diego Library offers the service in-person, as well as by phone, chat, email, and most recently, text. One year after implementing text reference, use of it was evaluated to determine if it should be continued. The content of questions asked by email, chat, and text was also analyzed. 

The content of reference questions asked in-person is often understood only anecdotally or by a discipline-specific liaison. Online tools like QuestionPoint facilitate greater understanding of the questions users ask by storing transcripts of these transactions. Nonetheless, some institutions may not have time to review transcripts even for accuracy and completion, let alone for a holistic view of user inquiries. 

To determine the topics of questions most frequently asked through its digital reference services, the UCSD Library conducted an assessment of the content of digital reference questions. Doing so supported the library’s decision to continue its relatively new text service and also informed the creation of canned responses to frequently asked questions, expansion or clarification of web pages and publications, highlighting of heavily sought information, and other modifications to best address questions users were likely to have.

In the assessment of 1509 total transcripts from the Winter quarter of 2011, 1055 chat, 307 email, and 147 text transcripts were reviewed. This poster will outline characteristics of UCSD’s digital reference services, assessment details, similarities and differences between methods, topics of the most frequently posed questions, and outcomes from the project.