Late night study session: Examining patron satisfaction with Coastal University librarys 24/5 extended hours Khyle

Hannan MLIS 7700

Abstract This case study of the Coastal University Library will be conducted in the spring semester of 2012 to test the hypothesis that offering 24-hour library service five days a week significantly increases patron satisfaction. Two core research questions arise: Are students happy with the new 24-hour, Monday through Friday library service? Are patrons taking advantage of the extended hours? To seek the answers to these questions, the author plans to administer a questionnaire in the library on three separate occasions during the month of January 2012. Each occasion of the questionnaire will be administered at a different time of day; 10 AM, 4 PM and 2 AM. The purpose of the staggered timing is to attempt to capture patrons with varying class schedules. Correlation analysis will be conducted on the questionnaire results to identify the level of patron satisfaction and to determine if patrons are taking advantage of the extended hours. Additional research interests included in the questionnaire will be; What library services are patrons using during extended hours? and What services might the library offer during extended hours? Introduction Coastal University library administration would like to conduct a case study of patrons in the library to determine if they are taking advantage of and satisfied with the new 24/5 operational hours. The purpose of this study is to determine how many patrons are using the librarys extended hours and gauge whether patrons are satisfied with the hours change. An additional rational for the study is to determine what

services the patrons are using during extended hours and what services the library might offer that are not currently being provided during extended hours. The study will be quantitative with the goal of performing statistical analysis on the questionnaire results. The independent variable in this study is, 24/5 operational hours. The dependent variable in this study is, Student satisfaction. Key constructs and concepts of this study include:

24/7 or 24/5 Operational model Coastal library has extended its operational

hours for the last year in response to patron demands. Are patrons taking advantage of the new extended hours?

Patron satisfaction The operational hour change was made based on patron

demands. Are the patrons satisfied with the new extended hours?

Customer service The key justification for extending the operational hours is

to provide increased customer service for our patrons. Are patrons pleased with the level of customer service they currently receive from the library with regards to the extended hours? 24/7 library service is a controversial subject and one that is a frequent topic of discussion in academic libraries. Students may demand some form of 24/7 service from their library and it is up to the library to determine if this demand is worth exploring. 24/7 service comes with an increased cost in an era of tight budgets and fiscal restraint. The student satisfaction results from the 24/7 experiment at Coastal University Library will determine if this model will continue and may raise new research questions for a future study. Literature Review

Extended academic library hours are a frequent topic of discussion on many university campuses across the nation. The current generation of college students has high expectations with regards to library service and extending library hours is typically requested frequently. Libraries provide a combination of resources that students require, including; access to physical and electronic resources, professional research assistance, quiet study space and collaborative group learning space. Moore & Wells (2009), write that users have high expectations for library and technology services and expect libraries and learning commons to constantly evolve to meet their changing needs. These resources may be in demand by students during nontraditional times such as nights, weekends and even 24-hour seven days-a-week services. The difficulty lies in balancing the students demands with budget constraints and limited funding with which to provide services. Extending library operational hours incurs additional costs and concerns. Library staff and campus police hours must increase to keep the building open. Researching the effect of student pressure to increase hours on library staff, Wells (1979), notes that many appear to be frustrated by being caught between aspiring toward the ideal (professional service every hour that the library is open) and providing what is practical under existing circumstances (no increased professional staff to cover the extended hours). Utilities such as power, network usage and climate control are affected by an increase in library hours. Students using library space for long amounts of time after-hours also require access to some sort of food and beverage services.

Coastal University Library responded to these demands in 2011 by changing operational hours to a 24/5 model. According to Xueming Bao (2009) the modern academic library is in state of transition as a place and we need to carefully identify its new purpose and role in support of academic study, research and achievement. The 24/5 model has been in effect for the last 12 months and the Coastal Library administration would like an assessment to determine if the extended hours have been well received by students and if they are helping students achieve their educational goals. Changing to a 24/5 operational model was controversial and a number of library and university administrators felt that the additional hours were not needed or that the costs outweighed the potential benefits. Engel, Womack & Ellis (2002) assert that determining what hours a library should be open to fulfill the expectations of a majority of users is difficult. In a similar study Curry (2003) noted that the extended hours were used mostly by a small but devoted cadre of users who treasured the librarys quiet and very pleasant atmosphere and convenient location. The Coastal Library administration would like data to determine if the additional cost of offering extended hours is justified. In a study conducted at the University of British Columbias education library Curry (2003) surveyed students that were using the library between 9 PM and 10 PM to determine if this additional hour was justified based on student usage. I selected this study based on its strong research design and its similarity with Coastal librarys current research interests. In a related study at the University of Oklahoma library, Womack and Ellis (2002) surveyed students between 10 PM and 2 AM to determine

if students would like a 24-hour operational model. I selected this study because of its strong research design. In both the Curry and Womack & Ellis studies, the results found that extending the current hours of the library was not justified based on student responses and potential costs. In a study conducted at the University of Massachusetts at Amhersts W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Moore and Wells (2009) surveyed students entering the library to determine their expectations with regards to reference service. I selected this study based on its currency and its comprehensiveness. The study found that students expected convenient quiet and collaborative study space from the library and they expected face-to-face assistance from librarians for help with their research endeavors. The study also noted that a roving librarian, one that moved throughout the building and offered help to students, was a well-received concept and one that may require further research. The results of this study show that students may not only be interested in using the librarys space after-hours but may expect library staff to be available as well. In a study administered to 49 academic libraries, Wells (1979) surveyed library employees to determine how their organizations were coping with student demands for increased hours. The study focused on how library departments were covering extended hours either through additional hires or schedule changes as well as compensatory time and employee attitudes towards non-traditional schedule requests. I selected this study based on its comprehensiveness. The study found that the majority of library employees are coping with the requests for additional hours but not ideally. Gaps in service occur for example; extended hours may not be covered by

a trained librarian and budget constraints prevent hiring additional employees to work non-traditional hours. The results of this study show that library employees may have difficulty accommodating non-traditional schedule requests and perhaps funding for additional employee hires may need to be investigated. In a study administered to students at the Seton Hall University Library and to Academic Library deans and directors in the United States, Xueming (2009) surveyed these two groups regarding their opinions of 24/7 library service. The purpose of the student group survey was to determine who is using 24/7 library service and why. The purpose of the dean and director survey was to determine if their libraries operated 24/7 and what perceptions and concerns they had with regard to 24/7 library service. I chose this study based on its currency and strong research design. The study determined that libraries should be built with 24/7 service in mind. Special features such as the ability to close off part of the building for after-hours access and scalable technological infrastructure would provide an easier foundation for 24/7 service. Additional findings include offering 24/7 service as a way of providing excellent customer service and that students may require orientation as to what library services are available after-hours. The results of this study show that 24/7 service is justified if the students demand and take advantage of it. Research Questions Given the significant expense necessary for the library to provide 24/5 operational hour service, additional information is needed to determine if this is an appropriate investment of library resources. The existing literature provides examples of both situations where extended hours were justified and well received by patrons and

situations where the additional expense was not justified. Information regarding usage of library services is of secondary interest in this study. The following research questions are posed as a guide to the study:
1.

Are patrons satisfied with a 24/5 operational model? - The objective of this

question is to determine if patrons are satisfied with 24 hour service five days a week.
2.

Are patrons taking advantage of the extended hours? - The objective of this

question is to determine how many patrons are actually using the extended hours.
3.

What services are the patrons using during extended hours? - The objective of

this question is to determine what library services the patrons using most during the extended hours.
4.

What services might the library offer during extended hours? The objective

of this question is to determine if there are library services in demand from patrons during extended hours that the library does not currently offer. Methodology The data collection method used for this study will be a questionnaire. The questionnaire will be administered on three separate days in the month of January, 2012. The timing of the questionnaire will be staggered with the first instance at 10 AM, the second instance at 4 PM and the third instance at 2 AM. The purpose of the staggered administration time is to attempt to capture data from patrons with varying class schedules. The data collected from the questionnaire will be organized into four subsystems:
1. 2.

Satisfaction Usage

3. 4.

Popular services Potential services

The four subsystems will aid the library administration in decision making based on the results of this study. The sample for this study will consist of patrons who are physically in the library during the survey administration time specified. The subject selection process will consist of approaching a patron and asking if they wouldnt mind taking a brief survey regarding the librarys new extended hours. The only criteria for subject selection are that the patron is present in the library during the survey administration time and they participate willingly. Correlation analysis will be conducted on the results of the satisfaction and usage subsystems to determine the relationship between extended hours and patron satisfaction and library usage. The data collected from the popular services and potential services subsystems will be used to determine what services are most popular with library patrons and what services might be offered by the library to better serve their patrons. Conclusion In conclusion the practical implications of this case study are that Coastal Library administration can determine if the additional resources required to maintain the 24/5 operational hours are justified. If they are not justified then the library administration can choose to revert to the previous limited hours and direct those resources elsewhere. If they are justified then the library administration can determine what services are the most popular and what services are lacking.

The research conducted here has strategic implications for the greater LIS field. Many libraries are either investing in 24-hour service or are considering doing so. The data gathered from this case study can be used by other libraries to help them weigh various patron considerations and give them a basis for their own research.

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References Curry, A. (2003). Opening hours: The contest between diminishing resources and a 24/7 world. Journal Of Academic Librarianship, 375-385. Engel, D. W. (2002). Opening a library 24 hours. Journal of Library Administration, 95108. Moore, A. & Wells, K. (2009). Connecting 24/5 to Millennials: Providing Academic Support Services from a Learning Commons. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 75-85. Wells, D. (1979). Coping with schedules for extended hours: A survey of attitudes & practices. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 24. XueMing, B. (2009). Library open 24/7: A study of user needs and library management concerns. Chinese Journal of Library and Information Science, 19-39.

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