Documenting the user needs and preferences for a specialized environmental library

The research team:Asim Qayyum - PITania GarciaCarlos Suarez

School of Information Sciences and Technology,University of Puerto Rico- Rio Piedras

Project SponsorsOnline Computer Library Center (OCLC) &

Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE)

The study objectives1. To investigate the information seeking needs

of users in a specialized environmental library.

• How can the library provide them with an effective and accessible research collection?

2. To investigate the user needs and preferences for resource requirements and operating procedures, and,

3. To investigate the user needs for digital/electronic resource access.

   

Research Questions

RQ1: How and why do the users utilize the resources in a

specialized environmental library?

RQ2: What are the user needs for effectively seeking and

utilizing the conventional and electronic resources

in an environmental library? How the information

can be organized to meet these needs.

Deliverables

1) Documenting the identified user needs in a planning document, which outlines some short term and long-term goals.

2) Reorganizing a sample of the existing holdings to meet the user needs and expectations, and training the library staff in the process.

3) Initiate the digital delivery of information by constructing a prototype electronic document repository, and providing basic training to the library

staff in its usage.

Justification & Literature Review Considerable knowledge reorganization, service level

improvement, and facility enhancements are anticipated• Direct beneficiaries will be current user community• Help expand the client base of this special library.

It will be the first step towards the creation of a modern environmental information processing facilities.• The content will be accessible beyond the library walls

and geographical restrictions.

This research is justified as most literature on analyzing needs of library users focuses on the public and academic libraries (Hepworth, 1998; Hernon & Altman, 1999; Kim & Little, 1987)

Planning a methodology Needs analysis –

A community information needs analysis is a structured, planned, and formal study that identifies the information requirements of the people within a library’s jurisdiction” (Westbrook, 2001)

The needs assessment can then be focused on two main areas; Evident and tangible needs related activities, Information use activities.

The study instruments

A combination of active and passive data

collection methods were used.

• Active – 9 interviews & 2 focus groups

• Passive – SCT User lists, reports &

documents, and other resources.

Target audiences

Five classes of current and past library users,

• Educators, environmental professionals, graduate

and high school students, general community

members.

One class of nonusers, or people who have never

been to this library, and

One class of staff members of the Center and the

affiliated library.

Interview themes & topics

Personal preferences and needs of users when they use a library,

Usage/Non-usage of center’s current resources, Knowledge (or lack of) about the various existing

services offered by the center, Opinions and beliefs (sensory perceptions) regarding

the current facilities and its staff, Suggestions regarding future upgrade of services

and facilities, Facilities that should be made available in a future

setup

Grouping the Study Findings

1. Accessibility requirements

2. Purpose of visit and information sought

3. Role in supporting environmental education

4. Things that people liked

5. User suggested improvements on:• Personnel, layout, electronic, resources

6. Marketing needs

7. Problems identified

8. Miscellaneous suggestions

1. Accessibility Requirements

• Extend hours of operation by 2-3 hours every day or have an evening-librarian-by-appointment option to facilitate the library clients.

• Open the library on Saturday (perhaps only for a few hours from late mornings to mid afternoon).

• Prepare a plan for seeking student volunteers in coordination with LIS school management and faculty.

• Improve physical and visual signage to help the clients reach the center easily.

• Online and paper maps should be made available.

Study findings

2. Purpose of visit and information sought -1

• To access the local environmental experts. • Recommendation: Create information products

from tacit and explicit knowledge of the local experts (reports, articles, speeches, interviews, presentations available on-site and on-line)

• Facilitate quick access to information sources and common request

• Implement a “Frequently Asked Research Questions” or something similar).

• Identify relevant “community cases” experiences for quicker access.

Study findings

2. Purpose of visit and information sought - 2

• To access local collections (books and journals focusing on PR environment, government environmental planning reports)

• To work with some historical data & documents.

• To access educational (course related) materials and previous project reports.

Study findings

3. Support for environmental education

• Needs to promote its services in the academic institutions in the region, which can possibly utilize the library resources available at the center.

• Workshops and seminars should be offered to instill environmental education, awareness and leadership among students.

• A long term collections development policy should be formulated.

• More local funding options should be explored to build a sustainable collection.

Study findings

4. Things that people liked

• Presence of a competent and knowledgeable librarian• The presence of librarian who was able and willing to assist.• Presence of other people (library clients) in the library who are

experienced professionals, and have some familiarity with similar projects or works that a user is pursuing.

• Easy access to the library, its freely available resources, and availability of quality information were cited as a reason for repeat visits.

• The library memberships were not limited to any particular groups, organizations, or individuals.

Recommendations: A user feedback mechanism needs to be in place to ensure that the

library management remains aware of the critical user needs and staff performance.

Librarians should preferably have a some environmental education or practical experience in a related field.

Study findings

5 User suggested improvements - Personnel

• Librarians specializing in specific areas are a necessity for special libraries.

• This was a major concern echoed by the nonusers of the library, who were used to going to other public or academic libraries and not finding expert help.

• Need for a full time librarian to be available at most hours.

• User wish lists also included the need for people who have experience in educating library patrons, and the need for people who have expertise in computing.

Study findings

5. User suggested improvements – Physical layout

The furnishing of the main hall should be rethought to create more seating space.

• The big conference table in the main hall should be replaced by smaller tables that seat 2-3 people.

The thematically and alphabetically arranged resources on the shelf should be reorganized using a standard knowledge organization schema.

The library should have better instructions for self-use placed on the photocopiers, and should routinely inspect and update its electronic equipment.

Information should be made available to the users, through in-library postings and mailing lists perhaps, pointing out all the audiovisual and other facilities available in the library

Similarly, information about the available software (e.g. GIS) and hardware resources should also be made available to the users.

Study findings

5. User suggested improvements - Electronic

Te library needs to fast track the implementation of a library cataloguing software.

• A suggested application, Mandarin, will help in resource organization.

The reports generated by the center, reports from local sources, the substantial number of newspaper cuttings, and other similar documents should be digitized and classified using a digital library to improve organization and accessibility.

Machine translation software, or a similar solution, should be sought to solve the English-Spanish conversion problems.

The online presence (website architecture) should be improved.

Study findings

5. User suggested improvements – Information Resources

The library should source more material in Spanish.

Resolve copyright issues for online access. Locally focused collections need to be

strengthened. Develop and implement a policy for the

preservation of paper and digital resources of historical value.

Study findings

6. Developing marketing practices

A mailing list of community leaders and teachers should be maintained so that new additions, activities, or other events can be advertised.

The center should prepare some posters, flyers, and leaflets outlining its strengths, and these printed items should be handed out to its visitors, distributed electronically through e-mail, and posters be placed in educational institutes.

Workshops and seminars should be conducted regularly to show some new research and community related works to the students.

Study findings

7. Problems and misc. suggestions

Sources to secure information not existing in the library need to be development. Implementing an Inter-library Loan process is one such procedure.

• Users currently make an appointment with the staff member of the center to resolve this problem, but in some cases the information is simply not available.

Users stated that spaces dedicated to research or study are insufficient. The work area needs improvement.

Better electronic searching tools are needed (from information resources guides to OPAC)

No theft prevention system is in place. The library should establish procedures to ensure that all books and other resources are accounted for, and that it remains knowledgeable about any missing materials.

Study findings

Cataloguing requirements

Library has many different information resources focused on environmental subject, arranged as: Books, journals, maps, geographical information systems, data series

on CD-ROM, electronic databases (e.g. ADENDI, LEXJURIS), technical reports, government documents, manuscripts and a variety of graphic materials.

Most collections are organized in alphabetical order or thematically arranged.

Things to do:

Create collection development policies and procedures To catalog and classify all resources using knowledge organization

standards. The cataloguing process should use MARC (Machine Readable

Cataloging). Promote library’s new acquisitions.

Professional tools/Software/Equipment needed for knowledge organization

SIRS Mandarin installation (Library Automation System). (All modules).

Implementation of: Anglo American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2,

2002 rev) Use of Library of Congress Subject Headings

(In English) Library of Congress Classification Scheme

Website redesign and new architectureof SCT online presence

Organization system/ Navigation system

The prototype was organized by language (English-Spanish).

Content categories were organized by topics and consistent metadata terms are used.

“Top-down” style to facilitate the searching process.

The navigation system shows the users where they are during the process (path).

Website Architecture: Search system / Labeling system

The prototype uses six main labels with sub-categories

The prototype uses a blog to discus relevant information about local and international environmental issues on Internet

Website Architecture

Current website Suggested architecture

The digital library snapshotsA lab report for ciudad Cristiana A case report for Industrial pollution

Metadata is compiled using Dublin Core in Greenstone Digital Library