Know Thy User: Duke Libraries User Studies Initiative

YVONNE BELANGEREMILY DALY

LINDA DANIELDIANE HARVEYSHAWN MILLER

LAUNC-CH CONFERENCEMARCH 8, 2010

Know Thy User: Duke Libraries User Studies

Initiative

How can we know our users?

Librarians doing research?

“Practicing librarians face numerous obstacles to conducting research including funding, time, experience, support and access to

research.” Koufogiannakis

“Since assessment work may be new, unfamiliar, and viewed as risky, time to learn

and practice is essential. Risk taking and learning should be the norm in libraries.”

Phipps and Lakos

User Studies Initiative

GOALS

Build skillsProvide forum for

discussionEncourage

collaborationCreate support

structure & networkLaunch at least one

user study 2010-11

ACTIVITIES

Social science research overview

Monthly workshopsSpecial training eventsOnline toolkitData inventory

USER STUDY

Cultural Anthropology

Goals of the study

Better understand key challenges

Improve library services and support

Study design

First stepsInterviews with

faculty and graduate students

Online survey

Conducting the interviews

2 interviewersRecording, note

taking, transcribingIntranet site

Benefits & outcomes

Success of responseFollow-upNext steps

USER STUDY

Honors Researchers

Goals of the study

Better understand how students conduct research

Publicize existing services

Improve library services and support

Study design

Pilot interviewsDiscussion with

Associate DeanDiscussions with

facultyRecruitment

Conducting the interviews

Interviews with 9 students at 3 points during research process

Recording, note taking, reflecting

Reporting

Benefits & outcomes

Publicity of existing services to faculty and students

Better understanding of students’ needs

Next steps

What is success?

Cohort of library staff who feel confident to do user studies

Studies underwayStudies planned

“Without a well-structured learning and training environment, the library will not keep up with new information opportunities and will be less effective.”

Phipps and Lakos

Thank you!

Thanks to Catherine Shreve for co-facilitating the User Studies Initiative and for creating the toolkit

Questions?yvonne.belanger@duke.edu

emily.daly@duke.edulinda.daniel@duke.edudiane.harvey@duke.edushawn.miller@duke.edu

Works Cited

Koufogiannakis, Denise, and Ellen Crumley. "Research in Librarianship: Issues to Consider." Library Hi Tech 24.3 (2006): 324. Web.

Lakos, A., and S. Phipps. "Creating a Culture of Assessment." portal: Libraries and the Academy 4.3 (2004): 345–61. Web.