Student Survey: Improving the Discovery Experience

As the COVID-19 pandemic affects the way students utilize library spaces, we continue to learn about library user behavior through our survey of 180 college students across the US. In our last post regarding this survey, we discussed students’ expectations for spaces; this time we have some interesting feedback about how students interact with the library catalog or discovery layer.

“I had to be taught about the library and the catalog because of a class I took last fall, but not everyone gets that.” - Sophomore at University of Minnesota-Duluth

Although many students expressed apprehension about using the catalog, there are ways to tackle their fears and help them get the resources they need. You may wonder, how can I make the catalog/discovery more approachable? One way is by adding tools that empower students to successfully retrieve materials independently and build the confidence to keep researching on their own. Students at Dartmouth College used StackMap for the first time and this is what they had to say about their catalog experience:

“I’ve never used the library catalog, so when I heard about [StackMap], I was WAY less intimidated to use it… honestly made finding what I needed easier than expected” - Sophomore at Dartmouth College

Over 73% of students said they would use StackMap if their library had it. In addition, many individuals indicated that having this sort of tool would help reduce their apprehension towards catalogs:

“If there was a tool like [StackMap], it would make my life SO MUCH EASIER!!! I’ve literally spent hours looking for books and still can’t find them because the catalog only gives me so much information about the location of things.” - Junior at Columbia University

Let’s not forget, while librarians want to help everyone, there are some students that will likely never approach the information desk. “[StackMap] would save people with social anxiety disorder so they could avoid interactions and just get what they need” - Sophomore at Dartmouth College

By incorporating StackMap into your catalog, you can empower your patrons with the confidence to find whatever they need on their own. In times where social distancing and efficiency are key, StackMap can aid to ensure both in your library.