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Welcome to the second in a series of posts about the LibQual Survey results. Today we are talking about group study rooms in the library.
You had a lot to say about the group study room situation! Of the 664 comments that we received, 158 of them indicated we should have more group study rooms. This was the #1 comment that we received.
Additional recurring comments (26) asked for library employees to monitor/enforce the number of people in the rooms or asked to have a reservation system (16). Other comments suggested giving preference to larger groups in the rooms, putting a time limit on the rooms, and creating a system to let you know which rooms were taken.
Believe me, we have thought a lot about the group studies in the library. The truth is that we are at the limit of group study rooms that we can have. The library has 32 group study rooms. This is the highest number of group study rooms in the entire PASSHE system. Millersville University Library has the next highest number of group study rooms, with 14 (and they have 8,000 students compared to our 10,000 students). We even have more group study rooms than much larger universities. Towson University Library--with 22,500 students--provides only 1 group study room.
So, while we understand that the high number of group study rooms leads to correspondingly high expectations of finding one, it’s not possible at this time to add additional rooms.
What we can promise is this:
If you have questions about the LibQual survey comments, please contact Katie Yelinek.
You had a lot to say about the group study room situation! Of the 664 comments that we received, 158 of them indicated we should have more group study rooms. This was the #1 comment that we received.
Additional recurring comments (26) asked for library employees to monitor/enforce the number of people in the rooms or asked to have a reservation system (16). Other comments suggested giving preference to larger groups in the rooms, putting a time limit on the rooms, and creating a system to let you know which rooms were taken.
Believe me, we have thought a lot about the group studies in the library. The truth is that we are at the limit of group study rooms that we can have. The library has 32 group study rooms. This is the highest number of group study rooms in the entire PASSHE system. Millersville University Library has the next highest number of group study rooms, with 14 (and they have 8,000 students compared to our 10,000 students). We even have more group study rooms than much larger universities. Towson University Library--with 22,500 students--provides only 1 group study room.
So, while we understand that the high number of group study rooms leads to correspondingly high expectations of finding one, it’s not possible at this time to add additional rooms.
What we can promise is this:
- While groups have priority in the rooms, we do want them to be used as much as possible. So, a single person is welcome in the rooms but may be asked to leave if a group needs the space. Be sure to ask at the Circulation Desk if you are a group in need of a room, and we will do our best to find a room for you.
- We know that study spaces are at a premium especially during midterms and finals. Over the past two years, the Director of Library Services has worked with the Office of Student Affairs to make additional study spaces available during finals, in such places at Monty’s and the Student Union. We will continue to work to make additional study spaces available outside of the library during finals, and are investigating ways to make additional study spaces available at other times during the semester.
If you have questions about the LibQual survey comments, please contact Katie Yelinek.
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