1. June 9, 2017
Stephanie Fletcher and Karen Stafford
Evaluating User Experience and Access Data to Reveal Patrons’ Print and Digital Serials Preferences

2. Introduction

3. Ryerson & Burnham Libraries
Over 500,000 items
10,000 items added yearly
Just under 6,900 print serial titles
700 current serial subscriptions

4. What Do We Know? Art library patrons have unique needs
We need to understand our patrons' diverse needs
Circulation statistics are problematic

5. AIC/SAIC Resource Sharing

6. Our Patrons Diverse research population Museum curators
Research associates and docents
Interns and volunteers
Students and faculty
Museum visitors
Outside researchers
10,827 research visits last year, plus 17,706 visitors to the library exhibitions
Up 2% over the last three years

7. Staff and Student Seasonality

8. Seasonality of Staff and Student Visits with Digital Resource Access

9. Digital Usage Since 2014
Strong spikes during “final paper season” (April and November)
July 2016: Chicago Tribune spike
8% overall decrease in electronic serial usage since 2014

10. Discovery Tools and Introduction of Summon at SAIC

11. EBSCO Decline

12. Circulation of Bound Periodicals Since 2013

13. Preliminary Conclusions
Difficult to retrieve data
Our e-resources are being used, but we still have questions about who is using them
We want to know more about decisions that drive print or e-use

14. The Survey
When do patrons use e-resources and when do they use print resources?
How do School patrons influence our e-journal usage?
How do patrons access e- resources?

15. Survey Responses All respondents have visited the library in person
86% have stack access

16. Respondents by Area of Specialization

17. Research Habits

18. Preferred Workspace

19. Preferred Workspace by Research Area

20. Research Habits

21. Comfort Level with Electronic Resources
82% of respondents have a stronger than neutral level of comfort with electronic resources; 3% have a less than neutral level of comfort
Respondents at level 5 included AIC staff, SAIC staff/faculty, and SAIC graduate students

22. Top Uses for Electronic Resources
Locate specific journal articles (88%)
Browse online journals (77%)
Search archival collections (71%)
Find digital images (70%)
Locate materials in the public domain (53%)
Locate newspaper articles (52%)
Read e-books (44%)
Other (10%)
Top Uses for Electronic Resources
"Other" responses:
Artist life dates/biographies
Dissertations
Search artists
Request ILL

23. First Steps for New Research

24. Preferred Databases

25. Starting Point for Library Materials
Even though electronic resources are preferred in many preceding questions, patrons started their research with the catalog of print resources, a disconnect we hope to resolve with the implementation of Alma/Primo

26. Preferred Information Format Depends on the Project
Respondents approach each research project on an individual basis and adjust research practices accordingly

27. Likert Scale of Preference

28. Factors Influencing the Decision to Use Electronic or Print
Three main response types:
Electronic resources are convenient, faster, and/or easier to access than print (51%)
Electronic resources are faster, but one still needs to view the print, either for original context or due to inadequate scans (33%)
Print is preferred for original context (16%)
79% of respondents wrote a response
Answers assigned to categories by the researchers

29. Quotes about the Decision to Use Electronic or Print
I would do almost anything to avoid using an electronic version if a print version is available.
I'm perfectly happy using electronic, but as mentioned above, every library seems to have its own interface and its [sic] a labyrinthine hell to figure them out.
I would prefer to consult certain visual materials, like maps, in person. Almost everything else, including photographs, I would prefer to first look at online before adding to a list of materials I might consult in person.
Quotes about the Decision to Use Electronic or Print

30. Interaction with Electronic Resources Once Found
Download a copy to laptop/desktop/mobile device (74%)
Print it out (64%)
Save a digital and print copy (55%)
Other (5%)
Interaction with Electronic Resources Once Found

31. Interaction with Print Resources Once Found
Read it in the print source (81%)
Scan it and/or print it out (79%)
Scan it and print it out (62%)
Scan it and read it on the computer (41%)
Other (3%)
Interaction with Print Resources Once Found

32. I like to underline and highlight when I read so I xerox.
Browsing is very important to me. Looking for material and encountering new materials
I prefer to read using a print copy, but Digital is helpful for Images and to archive materials
Interlibrary loans are extremely important and cannot be replaced by electronic scanning / distribution.
I wish that we had a central repository for scanned articles, either those obtained through ILL or scanned by patrons from fragile print sources
Often decide on print vs. electronic based on image quality for illustrations
Shelf browsing of real books is very important, you see all sorts of stuff and connections that the electronic completely misses.
I love underlining
Open Comments

33. Interview Results Patrons use both electronic and print
Patrons prefer print materials for provenance research
Research begins with electronic resources; print is next step

34. Interview Quotes about Electronic Resources
I love a keyword search; I don’t have the luxury to read a book.
I’m never gonna read a full book digitally.
It’s mainly because I’m lazy.
Online is always welcome.
Interview Quotes about Electronic Resources

35. Interview Quotes about Print Resources
I’m in the stacks for provenance research.
I often refer to historic art supply catalogs and artists’ manuals. I will always come to the Ryerson and look at these books that we own.
Get out of today and go back to the mindset of New York.
Researching people are book people anyway.
We are visual people.
There’s something about a book.
I need the context.
Interview Quotes about Print Resources

36. Conclusions and Next Steps: “Both are Essential”
Streamline discovery services
Reach out to School patrons
Connect with Museum staff and bring our expertise to them
Track usage statistics in Alma