Why Users Come to the Library: A Case Study at a Mid-sized State Institution

Researchers have employed various methods to study the use of the library’s physical space in order to better understand the ways in which it is used. However, while much research has been done on the use of the various spaces within the library, an observational study of the initial destination of library visitors has not been done, nor has a survey seeking to find the primary purpose for the visit itself. The presenters will share the process and results of a research project examining the initial destination and primary purpose for the visit of patrons in a mid-sized state university library. We’ll explore the alignment between initial destination and primary purpose, core services versus service point locations, and the impact of external services in the library. We will also discuss the qualitative research design and the multiple research methods we employed to answer our research questions