“Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester”, published by the Association of College and Research Libraries, tells the story of how the University of Rochester conducted a ground-breaking examination of how undergraduates work and live. A number of different techniques were used to identify study patterns and tools used. Some students were given campus maps and asked to mark every place they went on a typical day. Other students were given disposable cameras to photograph items from both their academic and social life. Staff also interviewed students in their dorm rooms on a typical week day night. The results surprised the staff and were utilized to make a number of changes within the library.
One of the project librarians, Katie Clark, associate dean for public services & collection development at the University of Rochester, discusses the findings.
Contact: Celia Walker