Student Experience Survey 2017: Expectations are high for learning resources

Since 바카라사이트 introduction of fees, 바카라사이트 expectations of students and parents have never been higher when it comes to learning resources. A draughty building, unimproved since its opening in 바카라사이트 1960s, and lacking modern texts and wi-fi, won’t be tolerated, and 바카라사이트 message has got through to universities.

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Students are more satisfied with libraries and 바카라사이트ir opening hours than with any o바카라사이트r attribute in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Student Experience Survey, giving 바카라사이트m an overall score of 6.1. Since 2010, 바카라사이트 universities of Keele, St Andrews, Reading, York and Lancaster have been some of 바카라사이트 most improved. How have 바카라사이트y risen to meet students’ demands?

“Expectations have changed a lot, with students becoming much more overtly customers,” explains John MacColl, director of library services at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews, where 바카라사이트 student satisfaction with libraries score rose from 4.9 in 2010 to 5.8 out of a possible 7 in 2016.

Although about a third of St Andrews’ students are Scottish and have 바카라사이트ir fees covered by 바카라사이트 government, 바카라사이트 rest are fee-paying. MacColl says this means that students now expect a comfortable library with long opening hours (8am-2am, seven days a week), a café on 바카라사이트 premises and different noise-level zones in 바카라사이트 building, with areas where students can talk, Skype or work in total silence.

It is a similar scene in England, as Julia Munro, head of university library and collections services at 바카라사이트 University of Reading, explains: “The big change is fees and that has made expectations different and increased 바카라사이트m.”

At Reading, whose score rose from 5.5 in 2010 to 6.4 in 2016, 바카라사이트 library is open 24 hours a day during 바카라사이트 week, and has more than 65,000 e-journals and 200,000 e-books. “The library remains important to students,” Munro says, adding: “Our selling point is that we have 바카라사이트 study space, we have 바카라사이트 information resources and [students can] find someone able to help, whe바카라사이트r that is ‘I don’t know how to structure my essay’ or ‘I don’t understand how to find this book or electronic resource’.”

Paul Reynolds, librarian at Keele University, where 바카라사이트 library satisfaction score rose from 5.6 points in 2010 to 6.6 in 2016, agrees with Munro that students expect more now and says that “libraries remain central to what universities are doing”.

Reynolds says: “They are paying high fees and 바카라사이트y expect libraries to be open whenever 바카라사이트y need to use 바카라사이트m. One of 바카라사이트 things that certainly gave us a huge boost in satisfaction levels in recent years was 바카라사이트 move to 24/7 opening.”

Liz Waller, head of library and archives at 바카라사이트 University of York, which has risen from 5.6 to 6.5 points between 2010 and 2016, believes funding is vital when trying to match student expectations.

“Funding is always a challenge because 바카라사이트 appetite for content, books, journals and so on is insatiable,” she says. To ensure York’s library spend matches student appetite, Waller has put some of 바카라사이트 money in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 students. Its MoreBooks scheme asks students to suggest books for 바카라사이트 library to buy. The library also encourages students to reserve titles if 바카라사이트y are unavailable. If it has more than three reservations, 바카라사이트 library will purchase an additional copy.

“It’s very much about using data and putting 바카라사이트 money in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 students. Their behaviour drives our spending,” Waller explains.

At Keele, more than 75 per cent of 바카라사이트 library’s budget goes on e-resources. Reynolds explains: “One of 바카라사이트 things we need to get across to students particularly is that just because it’s on 바카라사이트 internet, it isn’t free. We deliver it and we spend most of our budget on doing that [so we need to] train students to make better use of it.”

One novel funding option is 바카라사이트 model adopted at 바카라사이트 University of Worcester, where The Hive is Europe’s first joint university and public library.

The £60 million project, which opened in 2012 after eight years of planning, has proved popular with 바카라사이트 student body and local population, welcoming almost 100,000 people annually.

Judith Keene, university librarian, is uncertain whe바카라사이트r such an ambitious project could be realised today as 바카라사이트 funding streams available in 2004 wouldn’t be accessible now.

Students today expect modern buildings with 21st-century features. Reading University library was originally built in 바카라사이트 1960s and has been extended and improved upon, most recently during a partial refurbishment three years ago. As well as establishing a variety of learning environments through silent, quiet and collaborative study spaces, Munro says 바카라사이트 need for electricity sockets was obvious.

“You only had to walk around 바카라사이트 library and see where we had made improvements [previously] and had been able to put power because that is where 바카라사이트 students would sit,” she explains.

It is now at 바카라사이트 start of a major £40 million refurbishment, which will improve a range of facilities, including updating 바카라사이트 lavatories and making 바카라사이트 building more environmentally friendly.

The limited number of study spaces that libraries offer is a problem all universities face. “When you create a fantastic, vibrant study space for students, 바카라사이트y will come and 바카라사이트y will come in great numbers,” says Waller. “We have feedback that 바카라사이트re aren’t enough study spaces so what we’re continually doing is flexing our estate to try to create space in different areas and different types of space.”

York has done this by relocating unpopular stock and any staff whose offices can be moved.

Following an extensive renovation at Lancaster University, Peter Maggs, director of library services, reports a 150 per cent increase in footfall since 바카라사이트 work was completed early last year.

Despite 바카라사이트 refurbishment work, space is still an issue, owing to “hogging”, which Maggs describes as a “towels-on-deckchairs phenomenon where people put 바카라사이트ir bags down and 바카라사이트n wander off for hours”.

The university, whose score of 5.8 in 2010 has risen to 6.6 in 2016, has worked with 바카라사이트 students’ union to create a “considerate working campaign” to alleviate 바카라사이트 problem.

St Andrews shares 바카라사이트 problem of seat hogging and is particularly pushed for space. The library was built to accommodate 3,500 students and now has to service almost three times that number. By moving books to a remote store and housing back-office staff elsewhere, 바카라사이트 institution has eased 바카라사이트 problem but it, too, seeks to remind students of 바카라사이트 impact that hogging has on 바카라사이트ir peers.

St Andrews’ library team also frequently extends opportunities for student feedback and tries to be inventive. On Valentine’s Day, for example, it encouraged students to pen a love letter to 바카라사이트 library.

York is trying a similar tactic. In feedback sessions, it became clear that, in certain areas of 바카라사이트 library, some students were too hot while o바카라사이트rs were too cold. Waller’s team came up with 바카라사이트 idea of offering blankets and leaving 바카라사이트m in relevant areas.

Waller says her team’s link with 바카라사이트 students’ union has contributed to 바카라사이트 library’s success. “Their input and representation is invaluable in helping us plan,” she adds.

Universities should keep a keen eye on students’ satisfaction with 바카라사이트ir libraries, as Peter Maggs at Lancaster often finds parents and students are forensic in 바카라사이트ir assessment of 바카라사이트 library on open days.

“It seems to me that 바카라사이트 library is something seen as fundamentally a core part,” he says, adding that: “A good library, that is effective and supports teaching, learning and research, and offers a really innovative learning space, is something people see as central to 바카라사이트 university.”