Health Sciences Library Plan of Action

One thing in particular that impressed me about the staff at the Health Sciences Library of the University of Calgary was their ability to communicate with their patrons. The library maintains an online archive of quarterly newsletter (available at http://library.ucalgary.ca/branches/hsl/hslnewsletters) which informs patrons of any changes to the library, available resources, and other pertinent information. During the construction, this newsletter provided informative updates, giving patrons a better idea of what to expect during the coming months. I feel that this likely helped ease some of the frustration and inconvenience experienced by patrons during the renovation, as the entire process took about a year and a half. Following the completion of the initial survey, the newsletter was published to the main library website to inform patrons of the specifics of the renovation project and to provide a general timeline. Some of the main objectives of this renovation project identified from the survey included augmenting study space, increasing the number of electrical outlets for laptops, providing more informal seating, building six reservable collaborative rooms, creating a 50-workstation classroom, and providing more public access computers (Powelson, 2009). Additional information and photos of the renovation were made available on a library blog and through Facebook. Below are some of the before, during, and after photos of the project made available on the library website.

Before Construction

Photos courtesy of the University of Calgary, Health Sciences Library

During Construction

Photos courtesy of the University of Calgary, Health Sciences Library

After Construction

Photos courtesy of the University of Calgary, Health Sciences Library

Overall, I felt that this was a very successful renovation that focused on user needs. The end results were in line with patron feedback obtained through the surveys. The library now has more space devoted to group and individual study. More electrical outlets for laptops and other personal electronic devices are available throughout the library, particularly in patron study areas. And the library now has more comfortable and inviting sitting areas. While not all patron requests were realized (the library does not have a café) the library made a conscientious effort to incorporate those most frequently voiced by patrons. In any library renovation project, it is important to identify those patron concerns that are most important and that can actually be reasonably ameliorated. I felt that the Health Sciences Library at the University of Calgary did an excellent job identifying user needs and translating these needs to productive changes in their renovations.


References

Powelson, S. (2009, Spring). Renovation, what renovation? Health Sciences Library News 2(2),1. Retrieved from http://library.ucalgary.ca/branches/hsl/hslnewsletters

University of Calgary. (2010). HSL Newsletters. Retrieved from http://library.ucalgary.ca/branches/hsl/hslnewsletters

University of Calgary Health Sciences Library

In an effort to retain relevancy in an ever changing world, libraries must adapt to user expectations. This applies to the physical spaces of libraries as well as the many services and resources they provide. Areas that have long been devoted to the stacks are now being re-purposed for various uses in an effort to meet patron needs. While overall trends exist in how library spaces are being used, libraries should actively seek out input from their own patrons before making any drastic changes.

An example of a library that has recently undergone drastic changes to meet user needs is the Health Sciences Library at the University of Calgary. The Health Sciences Library is used by faculty and students in medicine, veterinary medicine, and nursing (University of Calgary, 2010). Initially, the idea for this renovation developed from a space reallocation request by the medical school to use portions of the library for undergraduate instruction (Vaska, Chan, & Powelson, 2009). The Health Sciences Library decided to use this reallocation as an opportunity to renovate the entire library space to meet current user needs. The library sought user feedback through the use of surveys. Survey questions asked for patrons to explain their preferences regarding the types of study areas, potential changes to physical spaces, technological needs, and the types of information sources they find most useful (Vaska et al., 2009). From the survey results, several themes emerged. These include increasing group and individual study areas, enhancing the number of electrical outlets for personal electronics, and using new technologies to improve patron research potentials (Vaska et al., 2009). While these themes are not unique to patrons at the University of Calgary, the Health Sciences Library found ways to incorporate these themes in their renovations to meet specific needs of their patrons. In general, I was impressed with how this library addressed these concerns by seeking feedback from patrons before any changes were made. In my next entry, I will discuss some of the specific changes that occurred in the library and how these changes address these patron identified themes.


References

Vaska, M., Chan, R., & Powelson, S. (2009). Results of a user survey to determine needs for a health sciences library renovation. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 15(2), 219-234. doi:10.1080/13614530903240635

University of Calgary. (2010). Health Sciences Library. Retrieved from http://library.ucalgary.ca/branches/hsl