: Informing Innovation: Tracking Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies at Ohio University C h a r B o o t h F o r e w o r d b y J o a n K . L i p p i n c o t t A s s o c i a t i o n o f C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s A D i v i s i o n o f t h e A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n C h i c a g o 2 0 0 9 Copyright © 2009 by the American Library Association. Portions of this publication may be copied for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Sample survey instrument Creative Commons licensed by Char Booth. You are free to share, adapt, and revise. Printed in the United States of America ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-8526-7 T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s - P a r t I - L o c a l I n s i g h t t o L i b r a r y P r a c t i c e : I n f o r m i n g I n n o v a t i o n T h r o u g h U s e r R e s e a r c h Foreword by Joan K. Lippincott ……………..………………………………...….……….….……...…...…. i Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………..…..…………….….…....... iii Introduction: Testing Technolust …………………..………………………...…..…………….…...…........ 1 1 Change and Response...…………………………….…….……………………….………..…...….…..…. 7 2 Literature Review…………………………..………..….….….……..….………………….…………...... 15 Generations in Transition……………………………..…...…………………….…………….….... 15 Student Technology Use and Ownership…….....…..….…………….……….………..……….. 17 The Demographic Divide…………..……….…….…...……………….…………….…………..….. 18 Shifting Literacies ………..………………..……….……….…….……..………………………..…. 18 Technology Integration in Higher Education…….….….…………..……….…...….….………. 19 Library Use and Perceptions….…………….……….……………..……….…...….……..………. 20 3 Homegrown Research: Design, Implementation, and Analysis……….……………..…..………… 23 - P a r t I I - A C a s e S t u d y i n E n v i r o n m e n t a l S c a n n i n g : F i n d i n g s a n d I m p l i c a t i o n s 4 Participant Demographics………………….……….……….……………………..……………….……… 45 5 Findings: Student Technology Cultures.………………..…...…………..…….…..…….……….…… 51 5.1 Ownership.…………….....………….………………..……………….….……….……………... 51 5.2 Use……….……………....………..…………………..….…………………….….………………. 55 5.3 Skill………………....……..……….……………….….………………………………..…..……... 63 5.4 Adoption……..….…………..………..…………….….….……….….……………..………..….. 64 6 Student Library Cultures.….……………………………………..………....………………….…..….…. 67 6.1 Use.…..…………..……….……………………….………………….……………..……….…….. 67 6.2 Perceptions….….….……………………………………….………………….…..………….….. 77 6.3 Skill……………….…………….…………………….………...…….…………………..……….... 79 6.4 Technology Receptivity…..…………………….…………..…….….………..……..…………. 81 7 Trends in Technology Receptivity………………………..……………….………………….…………… 87 8 Conclusion…….………………….………………………………………….……………………..……….. 101 References..………………..……………………..………..……………………………………….…………. 105 Appendix A…………………………………………………………..…………….……………….………….… 109 Appendix B…………………………………………………………..…………….………….……….………… 120 Appendix C…………………………………………………………..…………….………….……….………… 135 L i s t o f I l l u s t r a t i o n s F i g u r e s Figure 1.1 A Patron Taunts the Skype Kiosk ….………………………………...………………….…… 12 Figure 3.1 Promotional Blog Post Featuring Incentive Winners ………..…..………………….…… 37 Figure 3.2 SPSS Crosstabulation Analysis……………………….……………….………………………. 41 Figure 4.1 Participants by Age ..………….….….……….……..….…………….…..….………………… 46 Figure 4.2 Participants by Status .………….….……….……….…………….………..…………..….… 47 Figure 4.3 Participants by Gender..………….….……….……….…………….……….………………... 47 Figure 4.4 Participants by Discipline .…..……….….…..…….…………….………………………….... 47 Figure 5.1 Student Technology Ownership by Device..…………………….……………….…………. 51 Figure 5.2 Number of Devices Owned by Digital Status…………………….……….………………… 52 Figure 5.3 Ownership of Gaming Devices …………………………………….…………..………………. 51 Figure 5.4 Weekly Internet Use ..……………………..……….……….……….………….………………. 55 Figure 5.5 Relative Student Unfamiliarity with Emerging Technologies ….……………..…..……. 59 Figure 5.6 Time Online Spent on Academic Activities ……………………………..……….…..…….. 60 Figure 5.7 Self-Assessment of Library, Research, and Technology Skills …..………..………….. 63 Figure 5.8 Rates of Technology Adoption ……………………………………………...……………...... 64 Figure 5.9 Technology Adoption by Digital Status …………………..……….……….…………….…. 65 Figure 6.1 Library Facility and Website Use ………………….…………….…..………………….……. 67 Figure 6.2 Library Website Use ……….………………………….…………….………………….…..…… 68 Figure 6.3 Library Website, Facility, and Computer Use by Academic Status ….…………..…… 68 Figure 6.4 Library Visits by Major …………….….……..….……...…………….…………………..……. 70 Figure 6.5 Library v. Web Information Resources ….……..….………….…………………..………. 71 Figure 6.6 Rating Library and Web Information Resources.…………….……….……………..….… 73 Figure 6.7 Positive and Negative Feedback by Category ……….…………….…….…………..…… 73 Figure 6.8 Negative Perceptions of the OU Libraries ……….……….……………………………..… 74 Figure 6.9 Positive Perceptions of the OU Libraries…….…………….……………………………….. 75 Figure 6.10 Awareness of Library Services ..…………...……….…………….…..…………………… 77 Figure 6.11 Self-Assessment of Overall Library and Technology Skills …………………….…….. 79 Figure 6.12 Self-Assessment of General and Library-Specific Research Skills …….…………… 80 Figure 6.13 Preferred Library Blackboard Services …………………………………….….………….. 84 Figure 7.1 Relative Interest in Specific Library Technologies ….…………….……………..….…… 87 L i s t o f I l l u s t r a t i o n s T a b l e s Table 3.1 Comparing Research Methodologies ....….…….……………………..……………………… 31 Table 4.1 Correlation of Academic Status with Digital Status…….……….…………….…………… 49 Table 4.2 Cross-Tabulation of Academic Status with Digital Status….….………….……………… 49 Table 5.1 Device Ownership b Digital Status ....….……….…….…………….…………..…………… 53 Table 5.2 Use of Gaming Devices by Gender …………………………….….………………………..… 54 Table 5.3 Weekly Internet Use by Digital and Academic Status ……………………….…......……. 56 Table 5.4 Use of Google Products by Age …..…..….……….….…….………………………..….…… 56 Table 5.5 Use of Social Sites by Age ………………………..………..….…….…….….……..………… 57 Table 5.6 Use of Emerging Technology Formats by Age …….…………….…….………….………… 59 Table 5.7 Time Online Spent on Academic Activities by Status ………….………………..………… 61 Table 5.8 Use of Classroom Blogs by Major …..…….….……….…………….………………………… 61 Table 5.9 Receptivity to Tutorial Features by Age ….……….……………….……………….………… 62 Table 5.10 Technology Adoption by Major ………..….……….……………….…………………………. 62 Table 6.1 Library Website Use by Academic Major ..…...….…….………….………………………… 69 Table 6.2 Weekly Library Computer Use by Academic Status ….………….…………..…….……… 71 Table 6.3 Self-Assessment of General Research Skills by Academic Discipline ………..………. 80 Table 6.4 Receptivity to New Library Technologies by Digital/Academic Status ...……………… 81 Table 6.5 Receptivity to Blackboard Services by Academic Status ……..………………..………… 85 Table 6.6 Receptivity to Emerging Library Services by Major….………….……………………….… 85 Table 7.1 Relative and Absolute Library Technology Receptivity by Academic Status……….… 88 Table 7.2 Correlations Among Emerging Library Technologies..………….…….…………………… 90 Table 7.3 Correlations Among Age, Academic Status, Library Use, Technology Use, Adoption and Receptivity .…………….…………………………………………………………………….……..………. 92 Informing Innovation F o r e w o r d I believe that this Research Report is a “must read” for academic librarians. Char Booth has succeeded in providing us with a snapshot of the major issues involved in thinking through Web 2.0 services in academic libraries, as well as a model for implementing a local research design in order to better understand your own institution’s users’ needs. On first reading this manuscript, the two words that came to mind were “insightful” and “thoughtful.” Booth has a keen understanding of social networking technologies, especially in the context of library services, and she does not accept platitudes or surface perceptions of their value or success. She examines the implementation of new technologies in libraries in a way that makes us see them with fresh perspective. Her critical view elucidates why some efforts have succeeded and why others have failed. She delves into issues deeply in order to improve our understanding of the relationships between library users, information, and technology. How much of what we know about and read about the current generation of students and their use of technology is hype and stereotype, and how much is based in fact? Do undergraduates or Net Gen students on our campuses have a special relationship with technology that we need to address in the services we offer in libraries? Char makes the case that much of the way we develop services should be based on a genuine understanding of our local user populations. The broad context that Booth illustrates includes a candid description of the range of library implementations of various Web 2.0 services and the successes and failures that have resulted. Her analysis of the literature of Net Gen students, technology use in higher education, and library use would make excellent background reading for an academic library retreat for strategic planning. She brings all of this knowledge to bear in her description of the student-focused environmental library and technology scan she spearheaded during her time at Ohio University. I hope that many institutions will benefit from the way in which Char describes the thought process that went into developing the methodology for her study. It is all too easy for librarians in academic institutions to embark on putting together a survey without