Survey of academic library upper management view of 24 hour libr

We gave three answers to this multiple choice question; these were: 1 Have no 24-hour access at all 2 Have 24-hour access to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times 3 H

SURVEY OF ACADEMIC LIBRARY UPPER MANAGEMENT: VIEW OF 24-

HOUR LIBRARY ACCESS

©2018 Primary Research Group Inc ISBN 9978-1-57440-555-2

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Contents

THE QUESTIONNAIRE 5

INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS 8

Characteristics of the Sample 11

SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS 14

Current Library Policies on 24-Hour Access 14

Does the Library Plan to Initiate, Rolle Back or Increase 24-Hour Access? 15

Staffing for 24-Hour Library Access 16

Opinion on the Value of 24-Hour Library Access 16

Advice for Peers About 24-Hour Library Access 17

Table 1.1 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? 18

Table 1.2 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by professional title of the survey participant 18

Table 1.3 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by field of study of the survey participant 19

Table 1.4 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by age of the survey participant 19

Table 1.5 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out for public and private colleges/universities 20

Table 1.6 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution 20

Table 1.7 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by enrollment 21

Table 1.8 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by undergraduate tuition, $ 21

Table 1.9 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by regional location of the institution 22

Table 1.10 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by gender of the survey participant 22

Table 2.1 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? 25

Table 2.2 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by professional title of the survey participant 25

Table 2.3 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by field of study of the survey participant 26

Table 2.4 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by age of the survey participant 26

Table 2.5 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out for public and private colleges/universities 27

Table 2.6 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution 27

Table 2.7 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by enrollment 28

Table 2.8 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by undergraduate tuition, $ 28

Table 2.9 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by regional location of the institution 29

Table 2.10 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by gender of the survey participant 29

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Who staffs the library for off-hours access? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution 30Table 3.1 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? 34Table 3.2 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by professional title of the survey participant 34Table 3.3 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by field of study of the survey participant 35Table 3.4 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by age of the survey participant 35Table 3.5 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out for public and private colleges/universities 36Table 3.6 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution 36Table 3.7 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by enrollment 37Table 3.8 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by undergraduate tuition, $ 37Table 3.9 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by regional location of the institution 38Table 3.10 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access?

Broken out by gender of the survey participant 38What advice would you have for peer libraries about 24-hour access? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution 39OTHER REPORTS OF POTENTIAL INTEREREST FROM PRIMARY RESEARCH GROUP 45

Field of Study in which you obtained your highest level academic degree:

2 Which choice best describes your age?

9 Which phrase best describes the library's 24-hour access policies?

A Have no 24-hour access at all

B Have 24-hour access to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

C Have 24-hour access to limited facilities virtually all of the time

D Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all of the time

E If so, describe the form and extent of access?

10 Do you plan to initiate, roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library?

A Don't have it and don't plan to implement it

B Roll back or decrease such access

C Initiate

D Increase such access

11 Who staffs the library for off-hours access?

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12 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access?

A Too much trouble to serve too few people

B A good idea to a limited extent

C Only during special periods, such as exam time

D An excellent idea that extends library service and serves the clientele

13 What advice would you have for peer libraries about 24-hour access?

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INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS

Arkansas Tech University Boise State University Bowling Green State University Bradley University Brenau University Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo California State University Channel Islands Chippewa Valley Technical College Coastal Carolina University, Kimbel Library

Drexel University Florida Atlantic University Iowa State University Longwood University Louisiana State University Macalester College Manhattan College Marist College Marquette University McGill University Mercer County Community College Mississippi Valley State University Missouri State University-West Plains The New School Libraries and Archives

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Oral Roberts University Panola College Point Loma Nazarene University Roberts Wesleyan College Saint Louis University School of Law State Fair Community College Stetson University SUNY Oswego Syracuse University UNC Charlotte, Murrey Atkins Library University of Arkansas Fayetteville University of California Riverside University of California San Francisco University of Central Arkansas University of Detroit Mercy University of Kansas Libraries University of Kentucky Libraries University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Michigan - Flint University of New England University of North Dakota University of Northern Colorado University of Rochester University of South Carolina Upstate University of Tennessee at Chattanooga University of Texas Arlington

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University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio University of Vermont, Dana Medical Library Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine West Virginia University Parkersburg

Associate & Assistant Library

Department Heads & Directors 26

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SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS

Current Library Policies on 24-Hour Access

We asked: Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-Hour Access Policies? We gave three answers to this multiple choice question; these were: 1) Have no 24-hour access at all 2) Have 24-hour access to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times 3) Have 24-hour access to limited facilities virtually all of the time 4) Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all of the time

Slightly more than half – 50.85% of all participants said that their libraries had no 24-hour access at all Another 18.64% had limited 24-hour access periods limited to exam time or other limited periods 20.34% had 24-hour access virtually all of the time but it was only to limited facilities Finally, 9.32% had 24-hour virtually all of the time to “many facilities.”

For reasons not well understood by us, it was older survey participants, those in their 60’s and older, who were much more likely than others to say that their

libraries had some substantial form of 24-hour access Differences were not great between public and private colleges with public colleges more likely to offer access all the time to limited facilities and private colleges more likely to offer 24-hour access to broad range of facilities Research universities were much more likely than other institutions in the sample to offer at least some 24-hour access some or most of the time, while only 20.59% of the executives at research universities

surveyed said that their institutions did not offer any kind of 24-hour access at all, compared with 61.11% of BA-level institutions and 87.5% of junior colleges

Also, in general and with some notable exceptions, the larger the college, the greater the propensity to offer 24-hour access Only 13.79% of the colleges of those

interviewed from institutions with fewer than 2,000 students offered 24-hour access

to limited facilities virtually all of the time, and the same exact percentage of those in institutions with between 2,000 and 4,999 students did the same However, those with from 5,000 to 9,999 students offered it 21.05% of the time, rising to 22.73% for those with from 10,000 to 20,000 students, and to 36.84% of those at institutions with more than 20,000 students An exception should be noted, that the percentage

of those offering 24-hour access to many facilities also increases with institutional size, until the size reaches more than 20,000, when it plummets, probably because these institutions have very large libraries and it would not be feasible to keep so many departments open at night

We also asked those with some form of 24-hour access to describe when the policy was in effect

Some noted that access was restricted to a main floor, or to various study rooms; in some cases access is also provided to certain specialized libraries; a few provided 24-hour access to all library facilities In addition to space or area restrictions, many

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libraries only offered 24-hour access five days per week, or only during or near exams, or from Sunday to Thursday, among other arrangements

Does the Library Plan to Initiate, Rolle Back or Increase 24-Hour Access?

We asked: Do you plan to initiate, roll back or increase 24-hour access to the

library? We offered four possible answers to this multiple choice question These were: 1) Don't have it and don't plan to implement it 2) Roll back or decrease such access 3) Initiate 4) Increase such access

10.17% did not answer the question and 54.24% said that they don’t have it and don’t plan to implement it) while only 2.54% said that they plan to roll it back or decrease this access and 10.17% said that they plan to initiate it Nearly 23%

planned to increase 24-hour access Those a bit lower down on the administrative totem pole, such as associate and assistant deans, associate and assistant library directors, and department heads and directors, were more likely than library

directors or full deans or university librarians to want to increase such access For example, 33.33% of assistant and associate deans and directors wanted to increase 24-hour access, and another 13.33% wanted to initiate it The same data for library directors was that only 16.39% wanted to increase such access while 8.2% wanted to initiate it Another variable that correlated strongly with tendency

to want to initiate or increase 24-hour access was library high level executives with degrees in law or business vs those with the more traditional library science

Institutional type or Carnegie class was also strongly related to the tendency to want

to initiate or increase 24-hour access For research universities, 14.71% wanted to initiate 24-hour access and 38.24% wanted to increase such access For BA-granting institutions none wanted to initiate such access and only 16.67% wanted to increase

it

Size mattered a lot For higher education institutions with more than 20,000

students, 52.64% wanted to increase 24-hour access and another 15.79% wanted to initiate it Region did not seem to mean much except when it came to Canada; 60%

of Canadian institutions in the sample wanted to increase 24-hour access

Male respondents were much more likely than female ones to want to initiate hour access if an institution did not already have it, perhaps suggesting greater wariness from women of the security issues involved in 24-hour access

24-Interestingly, there was not a great difference in the percentage of men and women who wanted to increase such access for institutions that already provided it at least

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to some degree – 21.92% of women and 24.44% of men wanted increased 24-hour access, perhaps suggesting that if security concerns are met, gender differences on the issue would more or less disappear or at least significantly diminish

Staffing for 24-Hour Library Access

We asked: Who staffs the library for off-hours access?

The range of solutions was broad For many institutions, libraries have no staff, not even students, at their off-hours locations A few staffed it only with campus

security Some used part timers and/or student workers Some staff it with full time librarians and offer an array of services; others rely on graduate students; still

others on adjunct librarians While some staff only with a campus security officer, others rely only on card swiped access with security monitoring closed circuit

cameras

Opinion on the Value of 24-Hour Library Access

We asked: How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? We gave four possible answers to this multiple choice questions; these are: 1) Too much trouble to serve too few people 2) A good idea to a limited extent 3) Only

during special periods, such as exam time 4) An excellent idea that extends library service and serves the clientele

Nearly 23% felt that it was “too much trouble to service too few people”, while a bit more than 22% chose “a good idea to a limited extent” and 23.7% picked “only during special periods such as exam time” and 29.66% thought 24-hour library access “an excellent idea that extends library service and serves the clientele.” Support was clearly lowest among library directors; 31.15% felt that it was “too much trouble to serve too few people” and only 26.23% felt it was “an excellent idea that extends library service and serves the clientele.”

Librarians whose primarily field of education was law or business had a much more favourable impression of 24-hour access than those librarians with an MLIS or other degrees For those trained in law or business, none felt it was “too much trouble to serve too few people” and 55.56% felt it was “an excellent idea that extends library service and serves the clientele.” Once again those from public colleges were more enthusiastic than those from private colleges about 24-hour access; only 18.67% of the former felt that 24-hour library access for patrons was “too much trouble to serve too few people” while 33.33% thought it “an excellent idea that extends library services and services the clientele” while for private colleges the corresponding data was 30.23% and 23.26%

More than any other characteristic, institutional type was the best predictor of library upper management support for 24-hour library access for patrons For survey respondents from junior colleges, only 6.25% thought 24-hour access “an excellent idea” and this figure rose to 11.11% for BA-level colleges, and 28% for

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MA/PHD level schools; for research universities, it was 52.94% The largest colleges also were very supportive of 24-hour access; 63.16% of those interviewed from colleges with more than 20,000 students thought it “an excellent idea.” Very high tuition schools were also very supportive; more than 48% of those with annual tuition exceeding $30,000 annually through it “an excellent idea.”

Advice for Peers About 24-Hour Library Access

We asked: What advice would you have for peer libraries about 24-hour access?

The range of advice offered was broad but a few themes came up often First, know your numbers How many students are likely to use the service? And what library services, if any, would they use Two, get buy-in from all necessary players,

including campus security and police Three, conduct tests to compile the needed likely traffic info Think through the safety issues in particular but in general Most respondents noted that the policy is very popular with students and that the library has no regrets – but there were notable exceptions!

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities virtually all

of the time

Have extensive 24-hour access

to many facilities virtually all

of the time

Entire

Table 1.2 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour

access policies? Broken out by professional title of the survey participant

Answer Have no 24-hour

access at all

Have hour access to limited facilities

24-in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access to limited facilities virtually all of the time

24-Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all of the time

Associate & Assistant

Library Directors &

Deans

Department Heads &

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Table 1.3 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour

access policies? Broken out by field of study of the survey

participant

Answer Have no 24-hour

access at all

Have hour access to limited facilities

24-in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access to limited facilities virtually all of the time

24-Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all of the time

Table 1.4 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour

access policies? Broken out by age of the survey participant

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities virtually all

of the time

Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all

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Table 1.5 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour

access policies? Broken out for public and private

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities virtually all

of the time

Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all

of the time

Table 1.6 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour

access policies? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities virtually all

of the time

Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all

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Table 1.7 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour

access policies? Broken out by enrollment

24-hour access at all

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities virtually all

of the time

Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all

Table 1.8 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour

access policies? Broken out by undergraduate tuition, $

Undergraduate

tuition, $ No Answer Have no 24-hour

access at all

Have hour access to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access to limited facilities virtually all of the time

24-Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all

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Table 1.9 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour

access policies? Broken out by regional location of the institution

Have no 24-hour access at all

Have hour access to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access to limited facilities virtually all of the time

24-Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all

24-to limited facilities in exam periods or other limited times

Have hour access

24-to limited facilities virtually all

of the time

Have extensive 24-hour access to many facilities virtually all

of the time

If so describe the form and extent of access?

1 24 hours 5 days a week in the main library building

2 Full facility is open from 2 pm Sunday until 5 pm Friday Saturday only open from 10 am until 5 pm

3 Online access is 24/7 but physical access is never 24-hour

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4 24 hour access to card catalog journals and other databases

5 7:30 a.m until 2 a.m

6 Access to main library is available with activated ID card access to library building, recording studio and study rooms Although available for 24 hour access, security would prefer that students leave the library at midnight with

an escort to their dorm However, access is not restricted

7 24-hour access limited to a three-day period during exam periods during the fall and spring semesters

8 Several libraries are 24 hour badge access The main library has a 24 hour badge access room

9 24-hour access to online resources is available through the library’s website

10 Mostly 24-hour access to our Main Library during two weeks each spring and fall (leading up to finals) Graduate students and faculty in Physics have 24 hour key access to the Physics Library

11 24/7 computer lab and study area

12 Three days before and throughout finals week of the fall winter and spring quarters one of our libraries is open 24/7 There are no in-person services between midnight and 7:30am besides security personnel

13 We are open 24/5 for the weeks of Dead Week and Final Exams

14 24 hour access is limited to currently enrolled medical students

15 The Library has a 24-hour study cafe and computer lab available 7 days a week (Christmas-New Year is the only time it is shut down completely)

16 24 x 5 Sunday- Thursday First floor only All floors open 24 hours during exams

17 1st floor of 5 floor building is 24/7/365

18 full access to all of library 24 hours 5 days a week during study week and finals

19 24-hour access to the library facilities during last two weeks of Fall and Spring semesters

20 We have 24/5 access to the entire library during academic semesters ID swipe between Midnight and 7:30 a.m The building is open 24 hours during exams

21 Our facilities are not open 24 hours but patrons can access the library

remotely 24 hours per day

22 We have an area outside the library main doors on a second level that is accessible for students 24X7 during the academic year

23 Three libraries out of eight have 24/7 during exam times

24 Main building is open until midnight (S-Th) There is a separate space in the building that stays open until 2am (3am the last week of classes and final exam week)

25 Online resources are available 24/7 Key holding faculty have access

26 Considering 24/7 during finals bit dependent of staffing/funding

27 24/5 service for lower three floors Higher floors close at midnight

28 Staffed by library staff; access to all resources services and physical facilities 24/7 throughout each semester

29 24 hours during final two weeks of semester

30 I am assuming you mean access to physical resources (the building and print collections etc.) rather than access to online resources This is an important distinction which your questions should reflect

33 Online collections are available when the library closed

34 24-hr access to limited part of main library building during regular sessions and an increased area during finals

35 Access through back door to a general study room and a quiet study room as well as bathrooms

36 Most of the libraries are open 8am to 3am but we have one large unstaffed area that stays open 24 hours It does not include access to the stacks We are open 24 hours on a larger scale during exam periods

37 One location 24hours five days per week

38 building open 24 hours during finals week

39 The library is open 24 hours at the end of the two major semesters This is for about 1 week each semester

40 24/7/365 Access is limited to institution ID holders through card swipe access

41 The last two weeks of each semester we are 24 hours The only services available are circulation Only access to facilities are the main stacks and the study floors

42 24X7 during dead and finals week

43 There is a 24 hour area in the basement with a computer lab and a study room

44 Computer lab is available 24/7 when school is in session

45 We provide access to periodical databases eBooks streaming music and video

46 The first floor is open 24-5 during the Fall and Spring Semesters There are printers, tables, and study rooms available

47 plus also to full library during exam periods

48 The library is virtual We only have an information desk now Anyone

enrolled in a health science degree minus nursing has 24 hour access to the School of Med and Health Sciences (SMHS) building The whole building is their library

49 24 hour access to entire library building the last 2.5 weeks of each semester

50 2 weeks of 24/7 access to two computer labs (45 seats) and 7 carrels at the end of each semester Adjacent to but not part of the library

51 Both campus library buildings are open 24 hours a day (5 days a week)

during academic semesters Sun.: 8 a.m.–Friday 10 p.m Sat.: 8 a.m.–10 p.m 24/7 during final exam periods

52 One of our 3 library locations is open 24 hours a day 5 days a week during the academic year

53 The building in which the law library is located is open from 6am to midnight Students and faculty are able to access the law library all hours the building is open even when no library staff are present If the building were open 24 hours so would the law library

54 24 hour access is granted to the Central Library during the long semesters to all affiliates Affiliates have to swipe their campus id card to gain building access

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Table 2.1 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library?

and don’t plan

to implement

it

Roll back or decrease such access

Answer Don’t have it and don’t

plan to implement

it

Roll back

or decrease such access

Initiate Increase

such access

Associate & Assistant

Library Directors &

Deans

Department Heads &