Primary Research's Library Use of LibGuides and LibGuide Effectiveness for Users

James Moses primarydat at AOL.COM
Thu Sep 26 11:37:55 EDT 2013


Alas it is true that the most important question is: what is the impact on the students?  Unfortunately this will have to wait for a survey of students themselves which we do every few years or for academic studies, two of which you cite.  This study does offer some data from survey participants about end use;  data on frequency of use offers at least some insight into ultimate worth, as do, for example, journal use and journal citation statistics. However, this study is more about the immediate operational impact on library management which is quite considerable and not generally covered in library science studies, and more our niche.

James Moses, President
Primary Research Group Inc.
www.PrimaryResearch.com

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Popp, Mary Pagliero <popp at INDIANA.EDU>
To: WEB4LIB <WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU>
Sent: Thu, Sep 26, 2013 11:23 am
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Primary Research's Library Use of LibGuides and LibGuide Effectiveness for Users


Hello!  This work sounds as though it is all about making the provision of 
resource information easy for librarians.  In fact, the full description from 
the PrimaryResearch web site says:

The study looks the impact of LibGuides on 57 libraries. largely academic. The 
study explores how many LibGuides libraries are making, what is their rate of 
growth in LibGuide creation, and how extensively are the LibGuides used.  The 
report also covers the estimated time it takes to make LibGuides, the number of 
librarians in an organization who use LibGuides, the support that they receive, 
and the marketing of LibGuides to faculty and students, among many other issues.  
The study also points out the most admired LibGuides, the most used, and gives 
hard data on the number of LibGuides from institutions other than their own that 
libraries are using.  The study helps its readers to answer questions such as: 
how many libraries are using LibGuides as their library website? What are 
library plans for LibGuides in the future? Have libraries considered 
alternatives to LibGuides? How satisfied are libraries with LibGuides? What 
kinds of LibGuides are libraries developing and how are they encouraging 
students and faculty to use them?

Efficiency is certainly an important issue and is an issue at my institution as 
well.

But it misses an important question.  What objective evidence do we have that 
LibGuides are effective at presenting information to users?  Do they increase 
student learning?  Does this study cover such questions?  So far as I can tell, 
it does not. 

Have libraries actually measured LibGuide learning outcomes and usability?  I 
know there is a recent Against the Grain article (v. 24, issue 1, 2012) from 
Delaware State University showing increased use of library services and a very 
nice recent study in the Journal of Web Librarianship (v. 7, issue 1, 2013) 
talks about results of usability findings.  Are there other similar studies not 
yet published?  

Mary
_____________________
Mary Pagliero Popp
Immediate Past President, 2013-2014
Reference & User Services Assn., American Library Assn.

Research & Discovery Services Librarian
Discovery & Research Services Department (DRS)
Indiana University Libraries, Wells Library W501
1320 E. 10th Street
Bloomington, IN  47405
812-855-8170    FAX: 812-856-2062   popp at indiana.edu




-----Original Message-----
From: Web technologies in libraries [mailto:WEB4LIB at listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf 
Of James Moses
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2013 10:43 AM
To: WEB4LIB at listserv.nd.edu
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Primary Research Group has published Library Use of 
LibGuides, ISBN 978-157440-257-5

Primary Research Group has published Library Use of LibGuides, ISBN 
978-157440-257-5

The study explores how many LibGuides libraries are making, the rate of growth 
in Lib Guide creation, and how extensively LibGuides are used.  The report also 
covers the estimated time it takes to create a LibGuide and its impact on 
library productivity.  The study furnishes insights on the number of librarians 
in an organization who use LibGuides, the support that they receive, and the 
marketing of LibGuides to faculty and students, among many other issues.  The 
study also points out the most admired LibGuides, the most used, and gives hard 
data on the number of LibGuides from institutions other than their own that 
libraries are using.  The study helps its readers to answer questions such as: 
how many libraries are using LibGuides as their library website? What are 
library plans for LibGuides in the future? Have libraries considered 
alternatives to LibGuides? How satisfied are libraries with LibGuides? What 
kinds of LibGuides are libraries developing and how are they encour!
 aging students and faculty to use them?

Just a few of the study’s main findings are that:
•	The growth rate over the past year in the stock of LibGuides for the private 
colleges in the sample was an astounding 63%.
•	College libraries with a budget in excess of $3 million maintained a mean of 
109 LibGuides.
•	42.11% of the libraries sampled have one or more individuals whose primary job 
it is to create LibGuides or other kinds of research guides.  
•	Only 3.51% of the libraries sampled have measured or studied how much staff 
time it takes to develop a typical LibGuide.  
•	31.58% of the libraries offer courses, seminars, or otherwise provide formal 
training in use of LibGuides to library staff.  

For further information view our website at www.PrimaryResearch.com.

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