Student Success Focus Group Results

In the spring of 2024, the Library surveyed students (undergraduate and graduate) regarding how they interact with the Library as a space, the services, and/or resources. The Library then followed up by running focus groups with students to dig deeper into how the Library plays a role in their academic activities and ultimately their success (as they define it) within the University.

In the initial survey, we had 98 respondents. Of those, approximately 25% were first-year students, 55% were sophomores, juniors, or seniors, and 20% were graduate students. Of those students, 79% said they visited the Library either a few times a week or every day! We also asked about usage of our online resources (the website, databases, research guides, etc.) and 78% indicated they used those resources at least a few times a month, a few times a week, or even every day. Our final question in the survey was about if and how the students interact with our social media presence. Of those students who follow the Library’s activity, 37% do so through Instagram.

We followed the survey up by conducting focus groups with the aim of trying to understand how students feel the Library plays a role in their success. We asked a series of six questions and we will highlight some of the results here. The first question we asked was, “What words come to mind when you think about the Library?” Some common words/themes that emerged include “peaceful,” “calm,” “collaborative,” “helpful,” “friendly,” and “resourceful.” The Library was very excited to know the students feel this way about us, but there were some weaknesses that stood out as well, such as “dark” and “outdated.”

Another question was “How does the Library help you with your classroom work or assignments?” It had the following responses: “provides space to focus,” “provides resources (technology, whiteboards) for presentations,” has “a relaxing energy,” “respectful atmosphere,” and “cultivates positive/studious mindsets and motivates.” All of these themes are great to discover and reflect our hopes within the Library.

We then asked about how the Library could have helped students be successful (as a student defines it) in the past. Students indicated that they would like to see more textbook reserves, more recreational reading, and introductions/ tutorials on how to use our various databases and resources, among other responses. The Library is pleased to note that we are continuing with our textbook reserve collaboration with the Student Senate to bring more materials into the Library and that we are working on incorporating more “how to” tutorials for assistance with resources.

We asked the students what services they find the most valuable for their future success. Students mentioned the research librarians, study rooms, and databases, but they also mentioned less traditional Library services such as the Bike Lackawanna program.

The final questions had to do with the future of the Library and pointing out areas for improvement or innovation. Suggested improvements included better promoting our resources and services, finding ways to accommodate larger groups, expanding the EdLab collection, and rethinking the Heritage Hunt so that it better acquaints students with our services. Ideas for new or innovative things included adding more “how to” videos and offering skills-based workshops.

The Library is very happy with the results of the focus groups. Although students didn’t explicitly connect these questions to specific initiatives, their responses—describing the Library as inviting, comfortable, friendly, and supportive—reflect our efforts to create a welcoming environment. These results also give the Library the opportunity for reflection on how we might be able to improve and continue to support students and their success at the University.

Thank you to all the students involved! Your feedback is invaluable and does help inform our decision making.

— Assistant Professor Kate Cummings Student Success Focus Groups Co-Chair Research & Instruction Librarian for Business