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

[Ron Gilmour]

A few of us from Ithaca College have written a paper detailing a usability
study of our subject guides (both traditional guides and those designed for
specific courses). It's been (provisionally) accepted for publication, but
I don't know what the projected publication date is.

We use SubjectsPlus, not LibGuides, but the general principles are the same.


Ron Gilmour
Web Services Librarian
Ithaca College Library


On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 11:23 AM, Popp, Mary Pagliero <popp at indiana.edu>wrote:

> 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 ar!
>  e 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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