Peripatetic Librarians iroving at Kennedy-King College

Transcription

1 Peripatetic Librarians iroving at Kennedy-King College Cornel Darden, Jr., MLS Andrew Lee Smith, MLIS This is a summary of data from a Fall 2012 pilot study where Kennedy-King College (hereafter referred to as KKC) librarians roved with ipads. Reference Desk Statistics in Fall 2012 KKC has an FTE of about 4,800 and a total enrollment of 12,000 students. KKC Library s reference desk was open six days a week, Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays and breaks. The reference desk was staffed by one person at a time, for a total of 57.5 hours a week. The librarians described their reference desk as very busy. In the Fall Semester, librarians fielded a total of 3303 patron interactions at the reference desk. iroving added an additional 437, for 3740 total interactions. These numbers are somewhat skewed, as interactions were sometimes entered incorrectly or not at all. This was especially true during the busiest of times, where librarians would get up from the desk to assist an initial patron, only to be hailed by several more patrons. After finally returning to the desk to enter the data, librarians would try to record the details (e.g., nature of the question, time spent) of each interaction as accurately as they could remember. Because the library usually only had one librarian at the reference desk, patrons would sometimes become frustrated and leave after waiting in line. Some would persist until the Circulation staff would assist them with their questions. Those stats went unlogged. KKC librarians officially averaged 203 patron interactions per week. Including the estimated unrecorded data, the actual number may be closer to 300. According to a 2008 study on reference staffing at academic libraries, libraries with an FTE of 7,000-9,000 saw an average of 250 reference desk interactions per week, with a semester average of 4,000 (Brunsting). Again including the unrecorded data estimate, KKC Library is likely rivaling this number.

2 Reference Desk Interactions in a 16-Week Semester, 7,000-9,000 FTE Colleges and Kennedy-King College ,000-9,000 FTE Kennedy-King College 2 Colleges 1 (FTE 4,800) Table 1 Research Methodology A librarian provided his personal ipad for the study. All five of the library s librarians agreed to participate, though some were skeptical of the outcome. One librarian configured Compendium s web-based DeskTracker software for iroving and bookmarked it on the ipad s web browser. Another used SurveyMonkey to create a patron follow-up survey and a control sample survey for patrons not approached by an iroving librarian. These were also bookmarked on the browser.

3 Following the setups and installations, all librarians received a tutorial on using and troubleshooting the ipad and software. Each was asked to rove in five sessions of two hours, with a target total roving time of 50 hours, in an attempt to closely match the library s 57.5 weekly reference desk hours. They would gather reference interaction data with DeskTracker. Following each session, they were to have collected one SurveyMonkey survey from a patron who experienced the iroving service. Additionally, librarians would survey patrons not affected by an iroving librarian. Some librarians could not complete all five roving shifts and surveys, so other librarians decided to collect additional surveys, bringing the sample amount to 21 surveys. Librarians were also to submit reflective summaries of their iroving sessions. Some commented that after a several sessions, they felt they had nothing new to add, and thus did not write a reflection. iroving produced 12 total summaries. iroving Results Two librarians completed their 10 hours of roving, one completed 8 hours, another completed 4 hours, and the last completed 2 hours, for a total of 34 hours. iroving librarians assisted 437 patrons during those 34 hours. Compared to librarians at the reference desk, iroving librarians assisted 234 more patrons, in only 60% of the time.

4 Traditional Reference Desk Hours/Week vs. Total iroving Hours Reference Desk Hours/Week 1 Table 2 Total iroving Hours

5 Weekly Reference Desk Interactions vs. Total iroving Reference Interactions Weekly Reference Total iroving Desk 1Interactions Interactions 2 (57.5 hrs) (34 hrs) Table 3 Patron Survey Results 21 patrons completed surveys following interactions with iroving librarians. Questions included: 1. Do you like the idea of having a librarian amongst you at all times? 2. Do you find the technology helpful (such as the ipad that the Librarian carries)? 3. Would you prefer the librarian to be in one spot (at the reference desk)? 4. Do you like being greeted at the door by a librarian as you enter the Library? 5. Do you like being approached by a librarian and being asked if you need help?

6 Results showed that 100% of patrons liked the idea of having a librarian among them at all times. 100% found the technology helpful. 76.2% preferred librarians to be mobile instead of at the reference desk. 71.4% of patrons liked being greeted at the door. 90% of patrons felt that it was nice being asked if they needed help by a peripatetic Librarian. Librarians also surveyed 22 patrons not affected by iroving. Questions included: 1. Do you like the idea of having a librarian amongst you at all times? 2. Would you find the technology helpful (ipads that librarians would carry)? 3. Would you prefer the librarian to be in one spot (at the reference desk)? 4. Do you like being greeted at the door by a librarian as you enter the Library? 5. Do you like being approached by a librarian and being asked if you need help? 86% of patrons responded that they like having a librarian amongst them at all times. 95% thought the technology of an ipad would be helpful during interactions. 50% preferred to have the librarian remain in one spot at the reference desk, while the other 50% preferred the librarian to be mobile. 73% liked being greeted at the door. 78% liked the idea of having a librarian approached them to ask if assistance was needed Survey Analysis and Conclusions Both patrons affected by iroving and the control group of patrons not affected showed interest in having a librarian amongst them at all times, though some may have felt compelled to answer the questions positively in the presence of a librarian. Those affected were able to see the ipads in action, and their more favorable responses may reflect the ipad s usefulness. The most telling response was the half of those not affected answered no when asked if they would prefer the librarian be in one spot (compared to the 76.2% of those affected). This shows that a majority of KKC patrons surveyed

7 supported iroving librarians, as opposed to having the librarians sit at the reference desk. Students Who Liked Being Approached by iroving Librarians and Asked if they Needed Help 92% 90% 88% 86% 84% 82% 80% 78% 76% 74% 72% Table 4 Affected Students Who Liked Being Offered Help From a Librarian Non-Affected Students Who Liked Being Offered Help From a Librarian

8 Students Who Prefer Librarians irove Table 5

9 Schedule- Librarian A- Tuesdays- 2:00pm-4:00pm Wednesdays- 1:00pm-3:00pm Librarian B: Mondays- 10:00am-12:00pm Wednesdays- 9:00am-11:00pm Librarian C-Tues- 8:30am-10:30am Thursday- 11:00am-1:00pm Librarian D- Friday- 10:00am-12:00pm Wednesday- 5:00-7:00pm

10 Librarian E- Tuesday- 5:00pm-7:00pm Thursday- 5:00pm-7:00pm Librarian A Roving Librarian A I roved from about 3:30-5:30. Reflections, etc.: There were some technical issues with the ipad, which delayed the start of my roving time from 2:00 to 3:30. The ipad s battery was low, and charging was a little slow. As a result, I roved without it for a while. I didn t actually find that much different than usual, as I had several computer-related questions that required me to sit with the students at their computers for fairly big chunks of time.

11 My experience was that most people I approached didn t need help, and the number of people who approached me for help wasn t much different than it would have been if I had been sitting at the reference desk. It was a little difficult to determine who to approach for the survey, and when. I ended up asking a student with whom I am somewhat friendly, and he traded the survey for help with his assignment. I thought that was a fair trade. My initial reaction to the experience is that a roving librarian might be a supplement to the reference desk, but that it should not be a replacement for it. What I liked: It was helpful to have the catalog available when I was away from the desk and someone had a question about our holdings. What I didn t like: The ipad was a little awkward to handle, and its interface is a little cumbersome. When I am stationed at the reference desk, it is sometimes possible to get at least some work done on other projects during the time between questions. While roving with the ipad, it is only possible to help students with questions or wait for the next opportunity to help someone. I found myself with some stretches of time between questions. Suggestions: More or less unrelated to roving, but it would be helpful to have dedicated catalog computers available in addition to the other public-access computers. Maybe we should explore our options for devices to use while roving, in terms of interface, convenience of carrying, etc.

12 Roving I roved from 1:00 to 3:00. The ipad was charged up and ready to go, so that was better than yesterday s experience. During the time I was roving, there were quite a few people in the library, mostly using computers, but not many of them needed help. I watched both the reference desk and the front door, but not many people came in or approached the reference desk. The people who asked for help had the usual mix of questions research on various topics, formatting questions, computer issues of various kinds, like inoperable flash drives or documents lost without being saved. A couple of people needed help for quite a long time new questions kept coming up about the research they were doing. This is pretty much what happens when we aren t roving. What I liked: The ipad was working better, which was less of a distraction than yesterday. What I didn t like: Again, the feeling that I was wasting time that could have been used on projects if I hadn t been out on the floor.

13 I had the feeling that people who saw me walking around the computer tables thought I was monitoring them. I am reluctant to approach someone who appears busy and ask if they need help to me, it seems intrusive. Roving October 16, 2012 I roved from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm today. The ipad was not connecting to the network most of the time I was roving. It seemed to work okay while I was on the second floor, but not at all while I was on the first floor. This was less problematic than it might have been if I had had more requests for assistance. At the end of my roving shift, Librarian D turned off the wi-fi and turned it back on. He had been reluctant to try that earlier, because he feared we would lose our login information, but the login information didn t go away, and the ipad worked after that. My other impressions are much the same as my previous ones I feel like people who are using computers and see me wandering among them think I am monitoring their activities. When I stationed myself at the front door, very few people came in. The number and types of questions were much the same as those I would have gotten while stationed at the reference desk. Roving October 17, 2012

14 I roved from 1-3 pm. The ipad s battery was very low, so I roved without it for half an hour while I charged it up. This worked out okay, because the number and nature of the questions I got during that time were about the same as what I would normally have received at the reference desk. Most questions were computer-related: how do I format my paper, how do I post a document to Blackboard, how do I print my paper, etc. I got very few questions involving research projects, and I was able to respond to those by using the computers the students were already using. I am leaning toward the theory that there are certain times during which roving has no advantage over having a librarian stationed at the reference desk, because there are no more people who need reference assistance than usual, and they are used to coming to the desk for help in any case. If I recall correctly, I have had technical issues with the ipad each time I have roved. Most times it has involved the battery life. If roving were to be adapted, we would need to develop procedures that allow the rover to have a computer that is ready to go, with no battery issues or wi-fi issues. This is no doubt possible, but during this experiment, technical problems have been the norm for me. My theory about roving time should be put to the test on October 23, as I will be roving 5-7 pm.

15 Roving I roved from 5-7 pm. I had formed a theory that there are times when roving is likely to be unproductive because there are not many people in the library. This theory might still prove to be true, but my experience this evening gave no conclusive evidence. There were fewer than 20 people using the library for most of the time I roved. This was refreshing in a way, since it meant there were no disputes over the availability of computers. But it also meant that, as often has been the case, the number and kinds of questions I received were no different than those I would have had if I had been stationed at the reference desk. The ipad was charged up and working for most of my roving time. The wi-fi stopped working in the last few minutes, but it recovered after I turned it off and back on. Librarian A

16 Librarian B My report on Iroving on Mon When I got the ipad out of cabinet it needed charging, so I did not start until 10:30. There was much disruption due to computers being replaced, so there was not much normal activity, so I only did the roving for one hour.

17 I did use ipad to enter questions on desk tracker, but most were about computer access and use, no real reference questions. Without a good solid interaction, I did not ask for a patron survey/evaluation. Entry of data on ipad is still very slow for me, and probably will be for a while since it requires huntandpeck typing and I am a lifelong two-hander. So as long as there is a regular computer available for the student to use and me to help on, it is not likely that I will become very efficient at using the ipad in a short amount of time either. But I will keep trying, as I think it is a good idea with good potential, even if it takes me longer to adapt and learn than it may take the rest of us. Sorry if this sounds more like a litany of excuses than a review but that is the way it is. Stay tuned for further reports, hopefully with whatever progress I can make. Librarian B

18 Librarian C Reflection on ipad roving Librarian C I roved with the ipad today (9:30-11:00) What I liked: Being able to get immediate answers to students Getting out to where the students are Great back up to when desktop computers acting funny (for example, when student brought up catalog on her computer, it wasn t allowing her to scroll. Despite refreshing, the appearance of the catalog interface was problematic). I had the ipad, so we looked up same search on it and was able find her information immediately Thought I was helping a lot more students by working the floor than if I was sitting down (although most of the questions were computer-related) What I didn t like: Cumbersome to hold while trying to do other things (for example, helping one student look for books in catalog. We re both standing, and I couldn t write the call number down for him b/c I m standing and holding the ipad. Had to walk over to a table to set it down so I could write down call number for him)

19 Couldn t do anything else (multi-tasking difficult) Comments/Improvement for next time: Carry around scrap paper and pen to write down call numbers, notes for students Have a strap so I can put ipad around my neck for when I need a free hand and/or safeguard when using student desktop to assist them Though I felt I was non-stop busy for the entire time of roving, I did find it difficult to keep asking students if they needed help when I may have just asked them 20 minutes ago (did they want to be bothered? No one seemed annoyed by my asking, but I wonder how much is an invasion of their privacy and/or disruptive to them) My least favorite was greeting students at the door. Although a few needed help (with print card machine), I felt most of them knew what they wanted and didn t want to be bothered. Librarian C Librarian D Roving I roved from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. I find iroving to be extremely helpful to students. Many made comments saying that it was cool! I did find it hard not to go back to the desk. It was hard using the ipad at first. It felt like being on an Island with limited resources. I think being more prepared with enough resources will do the trick. I have roved before but not while forcing myself to stay away from the desk. Roving I roved from 5:30pm to 7:30 pm

20 I have roved before and feel very comfortable. I have worked out many issues and have been accustomed to roving without relying on the reference desk. The ipad was at a 70% charge which was more than enough for two hours of continuous use There were many students in the Library at the time. Many were irritable since they were working on mid-term assignments. I always kept my eyes on the desk and did not have to go there to help students since they recognized me roving (they came to me or signaled for me to come to them). I did not experience as much traffic as I expected. This could have been due to the time of day which is generally slower. However I did receive a lot of requests for help. Many of the questions I received dealt with looking for article and/or books. Most students were in a rush to get information for assignments that were due tonight or later in the week (Last minute ). The reception I received when meeting patrons at the door with a smile and apprising them that I was there to assist them was better than usual. This may be because the patrons are getting used to our new service model. The first few times I roved and greeted customers at the door I had bad receptions. When I asked the patrons why they reacted in a negative way they responded that they were not being negative they were just shocked because none ever greeted them at the door so they were confused and shocked. Those same patrons however replied that they liked being greeted at the door and most seemed to ask for help after being greeted. I noticed that students seemed to ask for help once they noticed that I was walking around waiting to help someone. I felt that they felt more confident about asking for help. There were times when I was idle with no one to help. This is when I walked to the front door and greeted patrons as they entered the Library. I noticed that many questions were related to finding a computer and finding a computer that printed (This won t always be an issue).

21 One student complained about the system of students waiting for a computer but not knowing who was next in line. I roved up stairs once and helped two students. I wasn t able to comment on any of my stats since they came in bunches and there wasn t time to annotate the stats. I did not need the desk at all!!!!! There was one time when I was trying to a pdf when put the ipad down and went to the desk to send the pdf. However I stopped myself got back on the ipad and figured out how to send the pdf. It was just a matter of being familiar with the applications and having the requisite apps available. I think this is important for the information literate to know. There were many computer related questions but not as much as usual. What I liked I liked being divorced from the desk where I was able to get some exercise. I like having the same tools in my hand when helping students on the floor that I have at the desk. However I did noticed that many questions I did not need the ipad for as I assisted students with their own computers or the public access computers. I liked not being consumed with working on projects or other work because all my attention and focus was on providing reference services to the patrons. I think they appreciated this as well. I liked greeting patrons at the door as I received warmth that I don t get when students approach me. When I approach them the they seem to appreciate me more. I liked being able to see what the students were working on their monitors. However this seem invasive and I felt the students may feel so as well; but they may just have been socked since they never seen anyone systematically rove. I like the conversations many people had with me since they seemed to feel that I was more approachable since I was among them. Some students thought that I could check out books with the ipad (Which is possible, but I don t think circulation staff would like that idea). I liked feeling that I was cool with my new technology.

22 I liked that I was consistently busy. More so than at the desk. While roving it was mostly non stop. What I didn t Like I felt that I needed some way to write things down. I went to the desk to get pen a paper to carry with me. A pocket protector will help here for rovers. It felt awkward approaching some students. I didn t feel like this during previous roves so this feeling may have come from the irritability of the students as they stressed over midterms. I did not like not being able to give students information that we looked at on the ipad. There is currently no way to print from the ipad but it is possible. Some I-Roving Librarian D I Roved today from 5:00 PM To 7:00 PM I found that roving is becoming much easier as I rove more. I haven't experienced any technical difficulties and have had no battery issues as of late. this may be due to our focus on this area since we ve all had trouble here. I find the ipad very helpful and seem to get a good reception from patrons. I notice that once I help one student another sees me and flags me down. This doesn t seem that much different than when at the desk and going out to help patrons and being noticed as an approachable helper. However the difference is that while roving I feel that I m always noticed. Also I noticed that I am flagged down a lot while roving. I don t have any complaints to report. I still feel that a pocket protector to carry pen and paper is necessary as well as better software for virtual reference interviews, ask a

23 librarian, communication between staff and librarians as well as ways for students and staff to page rovers iroving Roving today from 10:00-12:00 pm was interesting. Traffic on the library wasn t as high as expected. I experienced the same things as mentioned before. Some students seem to have grown used to having rovers. I haven t come across one student who did not like the idea. I am starting to appreciate roving more and don t see the need for the reference desk at this point. I even think now that it would serve our patrons more if we eliminated the reference desk. This idea does seem radical. However without the desk I noticed that all I do while completing my reference hours is walk about waiting for someone to ask for help while making myself as visible and as accessible as possible and I feel that this model is better than the desk model hands down. However without all the necessary software, hardware, and accessories it will be difficult to obviate the desk. no issues to report. Iroving Roving today was very good! I feel stronger about this service model each time I rove. We need more gadgets and software to make it work. I was at Truman college library recently. Looking at the different dynamics of their library makes me wonder how effective iroving would be there. Their reference desk doesn t seem nearly as busy as ours and it makes me wonder if iroving is only a googd service for a very busy reference desk like ours. I know many libraries report decreasing numbers at the reference desk. I bet those numbers would improve with more active librarianship. Reflecting, I think we need to show students and faculty what we have to offer. Once this is done everyone will want to talk to us and this would increase traffic everywhere. However we are much different from many colleges it seems and thus iroving is needed here. Librarian D

24 Bibliography Brunsting, M. (2008). Reference Staffing: Common Practices of Medium-Sized Academic Libraries. Journal of Interlibrary Loan Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve, 18(2),