By Hannah Gascho Rempel, Uta Hussong-Christian and Margaret Mellinger, Oregon State University, August 16th, 2011 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0099133311001583?via%3Dihub
Focus group methodology was used to investigate graduate students’ cross-campus technology, space and service needs. Although the library provides valued services and spaces, graduate students need enhanced and more equitable support for their roles as teachers and scholars.
- Research into graduate students’ use of library spaces found they visited the library for specific tasks, such as carrying out research or using specific resources, and that fewer students used the library for extended study periods.
- we found graduate students need cross-campus efforts to support them in their multiple roles of student, researcher, teacher and future academic or professional.
Spaces
- Participants wanted both social and private spaces.
- Social spaces were mentioned as a way to help build community, something that many graduate students feel is lacking in their departments.
One student shared that she “misses having a connection in another department, I don’t find there are other forums to meet other grad students.”
- Participants thought it would be beneficial to have a space where you know others will be going to work on similar projects — a community built around common classes, research or teaching.
- All four of the focus groups mentioned it would be nice to have a place where they could relax alone or with others and have a snack, drink, or a meal; one group called it a graduate student lounge.
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This article is beneficial for my research because it explains graduate students’ cross-campus technology, space and service needs in University Libraries. This article also provides quotes from feedback from graduate students explaining their desires for spaces to work in University Libraries.
