This study presents data from a survey of 118 high level executives of academic libraries in North America about their views on 24-hour library access. In addition to data on the number of institutions that offer 24-hour access, the extent of access, and what survey participants think of the importance of this access - the study also offers detailed commentary and advice from major academic library executives about how to implement and manage 24-hour library access, and important considerations in its development.
About half of the sample are library directors and the rest are predominantly deans and university librarians and their immediate associate or assistant officers, as well as major department heads and directors. Data in the report is broken out by many criteria including work title, age, gender and academic background of the survey participant, as well as Carnegie class, tuition, enrollment size, regional location and public/private status of the survey participants’ college or university.
Just a few of the report’s many findings are that:
- Research universities were much more likely than other institutions in the sample to offer at least some 24-hour access some or most of the time, while only 20.59% of the executives at research universities surveyed said that their institutions did not offer any kind of 24-hour access at all.
- A variable that correlated strongly with the tendency to want to initiate or increase 24-hour access was library high level executives with degrees in law or business vs those with the more traditional library science degrees.
- Those a bit lower down on the administrative totem pole, such as associate and assistant deans, associate and assistant library directors, and department heads and directors, were more likely than library directors or full deans or university librarians to want to increase 24-hour access.
Table of Contents
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATIONS OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
Characteristics of the Sample
SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
Current Library Policies on 24-Hour Access
Does the Library Plan to Initiate, Rolle Back or Increase 24-Hour Access?
Staffing for 24-Hour Library Access
Opinion on the Value of 24-Hour Library Access
Advice for Peers About 24-Hour Library Access
List of Tables
Table 1.1 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies?
Table 1.2 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by professional title of the survey participant
Table 1.3 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by field of study of the survey participant
Table 1.4 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by age of the survey participant
Table 1.5 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out for public and private colleges/universities
Table 1.6 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution
Table 1.7 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by enrollment
Table 1.8 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by undergraduate tuition, $
Table 1.9 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by regional location of the institution
Table 1.10 Which phrase best describes the library’s 24-hour access policies? Broken out by gender of the survey participant
Table 2.1 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library?
Table 2.2 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by professional title of the survey participant
Table 2.3 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by field of study of the survey participant
Table 2.4 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by age of the survey participant
Table 2.5 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out for public and private colleges/universities
Table 2.6 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution
Table 2.7 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by enrollment
Table 2.8 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by undergraduate tuition, $
Table 2.9 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by regional location of the institution
Table 2.10 Do you plan to initiate roll back or increase 24 hour access to the library? Broken out by gender of the survey participant
Who staffs the library for off-hours access? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution
Table 3.1 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access?
Table 3.2 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by professional title of the survey participant
Table 3.3 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by field of study of the survey participant
Table 3.4 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by age of the survey participant
Table 3.5 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out for public and private colleges/universities
Table 3.6 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution
Table 3.7 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by enrollment
Table 3.8 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by undergraduate tuition, $
Table 3.9 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by regional location of the institution
Table 3.10 How would you best describe your impressions of 24-hour access? Broken out by gender of the survey participant
What advice would you have for peer libraries about 24-hour access? Broken out by Carnegie class or type of institution
Sources / Contributors
- Arkansas Tech University
- Boise State University
- Bowling Green State University
- Bradley University
- Brenau University
- Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo
- California State University Channel Islands
- Chippewa Valley Technical College
- Coastal Carolina University, Kimbel Library
- Drexel University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Iowa State University
- Longwood University
- Louisiana State University
- Macalester College
- Manhattan College
- Marist College
- Marquette University
- McGill University
- Mercer County Community College
- Mississippi Valley State University
- Missouri State University-West Plains
- The New School Libraries and Archives
- Oral Roberts University
- Panola College
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Roberts Wesleyan College
- Saint Louis University School of Law
- State Fair Community College
- Stetson University
- SUNY Oswego
- Syracuse University
- UNC Charlotte, Murrey Atkins Library
- University of Arkansas Fayetteville
- University of California Riverside
- University of California San Francisco
- University of Central Arkansas
- University of Detroit Mercy
- University of Kansas Libraries
- University of Kentucky Libraries
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- University of Michigan - Flint
- University of New England
- University of North Dakota
- University of Northern Colorado
- University of Rochester
- University of South Carolina Upstate
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- University of Texas Arlington
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- University of Vermont, Dana Medical Library
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
- West Virginia University Parkersburg
Methodology
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