Burke Library Wayfinding Study Report

The purposes of this assessment project were to measure the effectiveness of the (1) directional and locational signs at the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary and (2) Burke Library’s orientation session for incoming students at Union Theological Seminary (UTS). In particular, we were interested in identifying points of failure in the process of finding people, places, and things as users navigate the library building without any assistance from staff at service desks. Library staff recently revised a location guide and temporarily updated some signage within the library. Before investing in permanent signage, we wanted to make sure that the new, temporary signage was clear and helped users. To that end, a visitor wayfinding study was conducted. The results of this study will inform (1) the design of a coherent signage program to direct library users to people, spaces, and library materials, and (2) changes to the library’s orientation session for incoming UTS students