In November 2023, we ran a campus-wide survey, asking the campus community for feedback on library services and resources. In January, we shared a brief note thanking you for your feedback and announcing the prize winners.
We have taken these recent months to analyze and understand the results.
A major finding from the survey was that, on balance, the Library is performing quite well! The majority of respondents ranked our performance high across most categories. We are gratified to hear that the Library is largely meeting the needs of the Brock community.
We also heard that there are a number of areas where we can improve, and we take that seriously. At this time, we’d like to share with you a summary of what he heard, as well as our next steps in responding to your feedback.
Brock University Library Survey Key Findings report.
Biggest priorities for improvement
- Finding a quiet place in the Library to study
- Finding a place in the Library to work in a group
Other areas we can improve
- Managing levels of noise and behaviour
- Power/ electrical outlet availability and maintenance
- Informing you about Library services
- Faculty members: Information resources that meet learning and research needs
Where we are doing well
- Wireless access
- Accurate answers to questions
- Help is available from Library staff when needed
- Off-campus access to Library resources and services
What are we going to do in response to the survey results?
We are kicking off a number of projects, large and small.
- Usability issues with study spaces (findability, noise, etc.): We will strike a team with members from across the library to directly address these concerns and propose improvements. We expect this work to begin this summer and continue into the fall term.
- Electrical outlets: Working with Brock’s Facilities Management (FM) team, we have tested and repaired faulty outlets throughout the entire library building. We will continue to work with FM on a regular basis to repair outlets as new issues are reported. We have also begun a project to determine where additional electrical outlets are needed and will have these added over the summer.
- Group study: We have been piloting a mobile-friendly version of our room booking software, which makes it easier to see each room’s features. You are welcome to try it out now, and we plan on rolling this new version out this summer.
- Communication: Survey respondents indicated that their preferred way to receive library updates is via email. We will be investigating options for email updates in Fall 2024: Watch your inbox!
In some areas, we have more to learn before we can determine how to address a problem. For example, we are considering strategies for specific input from faculty about their library resource needs.
We will be in touch as we make progress on the projects described above.
Again, we are so grateful to you for taking the time to respond to our survey. We look forward to making changes and improvements that respond to your concerns. We were especially pleased to hear your resounding praise for the people who work in the library:
“Our library is a wonderful, inclusive space that (in my opinion) is very welcoming to students, staff and community members. The staff are very knowledgeable and happy to help students with any questions they may have.”
“The library’s standout features is its knowledgeable and approachable staff. They are always willing to assist students, providing valuable guidance in locating resources, conducting research, and navigating databases. Their expertise has been invaluable to my academic pursuits, and I am grateful for their continuous support.”
“My favourite place with my favourite people!”
I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the 2023 Library Survey Team who led the survey implementation and supported the analysis of results: Monica Rettig (Lead), Kym Ash, Daniel Brett, Alicia Floyd, Laurie Morrison, and Tanya Sicoli.
For any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out.
~Nicole Nolan, University Librarian
nnolan@brocku.ca
Now that we’re all moved into our new space, it allows us to start working in-depth with several of our new technologies. One of the most notable and quite frankly largest additions to our tech roster is the Whisper Room, an official sound isolation booth perfect for any form of audio recording! Coated wall to wall in sound dampening foam, it couples excellent with our audio tech to produce smooth and clear vocals free of any disruptive background noise.
began back on the 6th. Students Travis Lewis May, Nick Rutherford, Duke Samaka, and Anjola Komdafe have been making extended use of our esteemed audio lab with great enthusiasm. The group is crafting a collective track demo of their music work, so in many ways this is a double collaboration!
They’ve been extremely grateful to the Makerspace for providing a dedicated space to work on audio, as this was not the first time the team came together to create music. Originally they used to house a makeshift studio within one of the member’s dorms in Brock’s own Village residence. With it came the several obstructions of managing their noise levels and picking up the background noise of dormitory life, making for a rather temperamental recording space. Now they can apply their extensive knowledge to create in a fully equipped recording environment.
