Revitalizing B.D. Owens Library: A Study of Student Engagement in an

Academic Library

Dr. Leslie M. Galbreath

Dean, Academic & Library Services Northwest Missouri State University

Northwest Missouri State

University

• 7,000 undergraduate/graduate students

• Rural, residential (Maryville pop: 12,000)

• Anchor academic programs: teacher education, agriculture, business, interdisciplinary studies

• High student engagement programs (induction & academic support programming, student employment, placement rate: 97.4%)

• Students: 48% first generation college students, most receive f inancial assistance, extroverted, expect to be involved

Learning From Users

Staff as:

Cultural Anthropologists

Partners

Collaborators

Learners

Needs Assessment

• Informal interviews w ith students

• External library professionals

• Facility Services personnel

• Suggestion sources

• Marketing research study

(undergraduate students)

• Literature reviews (student

engagement, library, workplaces,

technology)

Needs Assessment

Outcomes

• Dated facility & furnishings

• Dated policies

• Dated collections

• Insuff icient technology

Climate

• 18% decrease Acquisit ions budget

• 41% decrease Operating budget

• Reduction in Force

• Facility Services staff unavailable

Where

to

Start?

B.D. Owens Library

“ Where Learners

& Resources

Meet”

Observe

Brainstorm

Use Decision Drivers

Pilot Responses

The

Transformative

Summer

The

iPlace

Revisiting

Policies

A New

Normal

Staff

Engagement

Marketing

Digital

Presence

Sustainability

Green Leaders: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Responsible

15 tons of books shipped

– 100% out landfill

– ¼ re-sold.

– reduced greenhouse gases by 45,000 pounds

– Saved:

• 160,000 gal of water

• 333 trees

• 45 cu yds of landfill space

• 68,000 kw of electricity

Green Leaders: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Responsible

Partner with a for-profit organization that sells, donates, or recycles used books.

% of each sale donated to literacy efforts and a small percentage returned to B.D. Owens Library

• 10.5 tons obsolete bound periodicals to Northwest Alternative Energy Program

• Microfilm, microfiche, VHS tape to recycling

Green Leaders: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Responsible

New

Neighbors

The vendor’s first 100% environmentally sustainable location in the nation.

Sustainable Partnerships

Thank you

Janice Bell &

Judith Andrews

Library & Learning Resources

Professor Stuart Brand &

Mr. Luke Millard

Centre for Enhancement of

Learning and Teaching