Libraries

Dal Libraries Surveys

 

2019

 

Dal Libraries Survey 2019 Table of Recommendations

Recommendations - Dal Libraries Survey 2019 Report Status
Group study spaces – Prioritize providing more group study spaces at all locations except the MacRae and Law libraries. On hold pending new space assessments (2023).
CHEB and Killam – Monitor seating availability during peak times to follow up on complaints that both buildings lack enough study space. Scheduled for fall 2023.
Law Library – Consider solutions for improving the quiet and replace troublesome furniture with ergonomic options. Began closing doors to quiet study spaces & installed new signage. Furniture upgrades dependant on budget.
Sexton Library – Build anew or redesign with user needs assessment and design input.  
WMLC - Improve laptop facilities (desks, outlets, etc.).  
Hours – Extend hours in one Halifax location to satisfy demands from all groups, particularly from Law students and first generation students. We continually monitor our hours and traffic in library spaces to determine the optimal hours. Budget constraints make it increasingly difficult to offer more hours than we currently do.
Electrical outlets – Conduct an accessibility review of electrical outlets for each library location. Upgrades carried out at Sexton Library in Summer 2022. The EDIA committee is conducting an accessibility review of outlets in all library locations (2023).
Printing – Review survey comments and conduct usability tests of printing procedures and instructions to improve ease of use and printer reliability.  
Website and mobile site - When redesigning our website and mobile site, ensure that assessment activities (UX/user needs/design input/feedback) include representation from groups identified in this report.  
Search box – Improve UX and functionality of the search box beginning with discussions with subject liaisons regarding its efficacy and suitability.  
Information resources – Review two types of Insync comments: those concerning weaknesses in our collection to determine exactly in which research areas respondents feel it is deficient, and comments bemoaning the lack of access to online resources that other Novanet institutions have access to. If our e-resources can’t be expanded to provide the same access then we must improve upon the UX of our search and access functions. Improved user experience with Alma implementation.
Under-represented students - Insync data for under-represented students should be consulted and further analyzed when considering changes to, or redesign, of services, tools and spaces. Working with the EDIA committee, further assessment activities with these groups is also recommended.  
Users with a (dis)ability - Create or assign a liaison/representative role to keep this group’s needs in the forefront. All new/redesigned services, tools and spaces must have the input of members of this user group.  
Interdisciplinary studies - A liaison should be appointed to ensure this group is adequately served and represented and to investigate their dissatisfaction with course-specific resources.  
Awareness and UX – Improve outreach and ease of use, possibly by redesigning our services, tools and spaces with UX in mind, employing principles of human-centred design and UX-based assessment.  
Use of comments – The Insync comment files provide insight beyond the quantitative data and should be reviewed by all units/departments for potential further action. This dataset should also be consulted for user feedback when considering changes to services, spaces and resources.  
Next Libraries Survey – The next survey should be conducted in winter 2023. The survey tool chosen should include questions pertaining to weaknesses identified in this survey and other assessment studies. Further refining the list of under-represented students should be considered