ASSESSMENT OF LIBRARY SPACE

Julie McKennaDeputy Library Director, Regina Public Library

ABQLA, Montreal, QCMay 9, 2013

BACKGROUND & INTROo Who am I?o What have I done?o What do I know?o What have I learned?o Why is library space assessment

something that we should all be doing (all the time)?

THE PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT IN LIBRARIES

1. To understand user interaction with library resources and services; and

2. To capture data that informs the planning, management and implementation of library resources and services.

Bertot, 2004

TRADITIONAL DECISION-MAKING• Conventional wisdom or gut feeling• Casual benchmarking• Anecdotal evidence• Doing what (seems to have) worked in the

past• Following deeply held ideologies (“sacred

cows”)• Best guess

Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-based ManagementPfeffer & Sutton (2006)

CULTURE OF ASSESSMENT

is an organizational environment in which decisions are based on facts, research and analysis

where services are planned and delivered in ways that maximize positive outcomes and impacts for customers and stakeholders

exists in organizations where staff care to know what results they produce and how those results relate to customers’ expectations

where organizational mission, values, structures, and systems support behavior that is performance and learning focused.

(Lakos, Phipps and Wilson, 1998-2002)

EVIDENCE BASED DECISION MAKING

• Considers context of day to day decision making: not pure research

• Outcome: improving the quality of the professional practice

• Pragmatic focus: the “best available evidence”

• User perspective is key• Incorporates a wide range of

quantitative and qualitative methods

(Booth, 2002)

BIG IDEA #5:

WE KNOW THAT WE ARE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO VISIT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

RPL Service Plan (2009)

LIBRARY SPACE CHALLENGES

Just in time Collections Mediation Bricks and Mortar Quiet space Custom created

experience Cosmetic improvement Librarian role

Just in case People Independence Hybrid with virtual Social space Future flexibility Infrastructure issues Architect role

FUNCTIONAL AREAS

oUser servicesoLibrary operationsoMaterials storageoEvent & exhibition space

11 CRITERIA FOR SPACE ASSESSMENT

1. Functional2. Adaptable or flexible3. Accessible4. Varied5. Interactive

(McDonald, 2000, 2003, 2006)

11 CRITERIA FOR SPACE ASSESSMENT

6. Conducive7. Environmentally suitable8. Safe and secure9. Efficient10.Suitable for IT11.“Oohmph”

(McDonald, 2000, 2003, 2006)

TOP CUSTOMER SPACE-RELATED ISSUES REPORTED BY EPL STAFF:

• More spaces are needed for collaboration • High demand for community use space• Accommodation of different noise levels is

a challenge• Teens don’t use the designated teen zones • Demand for digital colour copiers/printers

and more laptop plug-ins • Flexible spaces and flexible furniture are

important • Libraries need more space. Period.

LIBRARY COLLECTIONS – SPACE ASSESSMENT

Size of collection & rate of growth Shelving

Height, density of storage & footprint Mobility High or low visibility

Use: by subject area, volume and time In house Check out

Turnover rate Percentage on shelf Amenities needed to support Classification scheme

LIBRARY USERS – SPACE ASSESSMENT

o How many of them are there?o Where are they coming from and why are

they travelling?o What are their expectations and

perceptions -- service quality?o Who are they comparing you to?o What amenities do they expect? o How are they currently using the space?o What do they value?o What would they change?

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PUBLIC LIBRARIES - LIBSAT

Satisfaction

Quality

Usage

Importance

Referral

Expectationhttp://www.countingopinions.com/

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LIBSAT QUANTITATIVE

o Demographic information & Postal Code

o Location used most often & whyo Activities undertaken; services usedo Importance & satisfaction• Facilities• Collections• Technology• Activities, events or programs• Hours

LIBSAT QUALITATIVE

• What do you value most about this location?• What would you improve about this location?

SPACE: IMPORTANCE & SATISFACTION

o Plenty of seatingo 75% indicate important or very importanto 78% indicate satisfied or very satisfied

o Quiet comfortable spaceo 76% indicate important or very importanto 73% indicate satisfied or very satisfied

o Engaging and inviting environmento 92% indicate important or very importanto 88% indicate satisfied or very satisfied

EDMONTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Library Spaces Customer Survey (2012)Beth Wortman, 21st Century Library Spaces Intern Librarian

http://www.epl.ca/sites/default/files/library_spaces_customer_survey_public_report.pdf

OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

Ethnographic approachBehavioural mapping “Sweeping Seats” methodology• Leckie & Givens

Used in both public and academic Libraries

RPL and EPL each just completed studies at every branch

‘‘SWEEPING’’ THE LIBRARY: MAPPING THE SOCIAL ACTIVITY SPACE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Lisa M. Givens & Gloria J. LeckieLibrary & Information Science Research

25 (2003) 365–385

http://www.ugr.es/~alozano/Translations/SweepingtheLibrary.pdf

SUCCESSFUL NEW SPACES

1. Understand your community, their expectations, perceptions, and aspirations

2. Analyse requirements for new services & functionalities

3. Assessment of all existing services4. Get & use standards & guidelines to

Define current & future shelving needs Define user spaces, adjacencies and amenities

1. Design an experience to meet all of the above2. Commit to post-occupancy evaluation and

space assessment to measure success

ISO TECHNICAL REPORT 11219 (2012)

Qualitative conditions & basic statistics for library buildings – Space, function & design

GREAT LIBRARIES

BELIEVE THEY CAN BE BETTER

THAN WHAT THEY ARE.

Karen Hyman, 2007RPL Staff Conference

JULIE MCKENNA 

Deputy Library Director, Regina Public Library

t. 306.777.6074m. 306.539.6203e. jmckenna@reginalibrary.caLinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/julie-

mckenna/3/730/668Skype:  julie.mckenna64Twitter:  juliemckennaFacebook:  facebook.com/juliemck

SELECTED RESOURCES 1

Bryan, Cheryl. Managing Facilities for Results: Optimizing Space for Services. Chicago: American Library Association, 2007.

Dahlgren, Anders C. Public Library Space Needs: A Planning Outline. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Public Library Development, 2009.

Given, Lisa M. and Gloria J. Leckie. “‘Sweeping’ the Library: Mapping the Social Activity Space of the Public Library,” Library & Information Science Research 25 (Winter 2003): 365–385.

ISO TR 11219. Qualitative conditions and basic statistics for library buildings – Space, function and design. 2012.

Latimer, Karen and Hellen Niegaard (Eds.). IFLA Library Building Guidelines: Developments & Reflections. Munich: K.G. Saur, 2007

Leckie, Gloria J. and Jeffrey Hopkins. “The Public Place of Central Libraries: Findings from Toronto and Vancouver,” Library Quarterly 72 (July 2002): 326–372.

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SELECTED RESOURCES 2

May, Francine and Fiona Black. “The Life of the Space: Evidence from Nova Scotia Public Libraries.” Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 5.2 (2010) 5-34.

McDonald, A.C. “Planning academic library buildings for a new age: some principles, trends and developments in the United Kingdom”. Advances in Librarianship 24 (2000), 51-79.

McDonald, A.C. “Creating good learning space”. In: Libraries with oomph: PFI for higher education libraries. Papers delivered at a Seminar. London: Nabarro Nathanson, 2003. pp 4-8.

McDonald, A.C. The ten commandments revisited: the qualities of good library space, Liber Quarterly, 16 (2) (2006), 104-119.

Most, Linda R. “The Rural Public Library as Place in North Florida: A Case Study.” Diss. The Florida State University College of Communication and Information, 2009.

Pfeffer, Jeffrey and Robert I. Sutton. Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-Based Management. Harvard Business School Press, 2006

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