To help “grease the wheels”, we discussed offering some kind of participation incentive which would increase our focus group numbers while at the same time providing an additional benefit to others.  We felt this kind of incentive would have a broader appeal than say $10 gift cards or other small monetary rewards.

We centered on an organization called Trees for the Future  http://www.treesforthefuture.org which plants trees in some of the world’s most challenged environments.  We settled on West Africa as a good place for our incentive,  checked with a Peace Corps volunteer who works there who spoke very highly of Trees for the Future, and announced we would plant 25 trees for each participant, up to 500 trees total.

The involvement of 12 participants translated into 300 trees.  We were so thrilled by the quality of their responses, however, we increased our donation to 500 trees which is a “grove” according to Trees for the Future.  The grove will be planted in the Kaolack district of Senegal — a very hot and dusty place much in need of shade  according to the Peace Corps volunteer who assisted us.

A green arrow points to Kaolack, Senegal

Please join with us in celebrating the outcome of our Virtual Focus Group and the good it has done both locally and in a very far off place  http://www.treesforthefuture.org/projects/senegal/.

William Uricchio — Library Director

The Virtual Focus Group, still somewhat experimental,  is a process which uses internet based blog software to emulate an in-person focus group discussion (but with everyone getting a chance to “talk” without that interrupting big mouth at the table who seems to be part of every in-person focus group).

The focus groups were designed several weeks ago and were implemented at about the same time at each of the five regional campuses.  A few days after the Greater Campus effort began, we received a surprise announcement that plans were underway to move the campus to downtown Hartford.  This made the collection of library space information more pressing because, almost immediately following the announcement, our gears shifted from attention to improving our present facility to designing a new one from the ground up, a daunting task to say the least.

Responses Summary (By Question):

What is your favorite place to study by yourself in the library?  The glass-wall Quiet Study Room has a large number of fans who tout not only its quiet but also that it tends to draw others who like and respect the quiet atmosphere.  A number of respondents wanted to see more computers in the Quiet Study Room.

When you study with a friend do you choose a different space to study than when you are by yourself?  This depends on the kind of studying being done.  Quiet study people gravitate to that dedicated space.  Students working with others like the group study rooms which often are reasonably quiet even with groups in them.

If you are in a group project, where does your group choose to work in the library?  The large and small Group Study Rooms, the Social Work History Room, and the individual study rooms all have fans who generally praise them.  Some use each of these spaces depending on what kind of project they are working on.  Several comments criticized the claustrophobic nature of the smaller, individual rooms and the lack of chairs/tables in the Small Group Study Room.

Do you like to visit the library to socialize with others?  Most respondents were firm that they generally do not socialize in the library and that they wish others would not socialize also.  Quiet is valued very highly. The campus cafeteria was mentioned as the proper place to socialize.

Do you have any comments/suggestions about library spaces?   Popular comments were for more computers and more electrical outlets.

The following were among desired items:  A Husky Bucks machine; cleaner tables especially in the group study rooms; regularly updated computer software; DVDs and media which are more visible; and more instructions in the Media Room.

Sample Comments Included:

“I like to study in the Quiet Study area when it’s for a midterm or final but I like working in the group study area mainly because there are more people to study with and the chairs are comfortable. It would be better if there were more computers.”

“I like the individual study rooms but I’m a bit claustrophobic and they are kind of small. I like the rooms because it is quiet and I can actually get work done. If they were bigger that would be more helpful because then I can spread my work out. The rooms should be big enough for one person but small enough where it isn’t a group study room.”

“The group study rooms upstairs are ideal for studying with a friend because students are allowed to talk and the noise volume isn’t overwhelming.”

Socializing is an “absolutely inappropriate use of the library. If you want to socialize, go to the undergrad building. Real students have work to do, and don’t need you being obnoxious.”

I “used to meet up with a friend in the room to the left on the second floor. Also meet with my English teacher for peer editing sessions in the private rooms off of that room.”

“I want beanie chairs so I can comfortably relax and read!!!!”

Next Steps:

The information gathered via the Virtual Focus Group is already being put to use in initial planning for the new campus library.  In particular, based on focus group results and other source materials, attention is being  placed on the number and variety of learning/study spaces as we consider square footage allocations.

Down the road, we hope to be able to provide other opportunities for the voices of our clientele to be heard as we consider the best ways to meet your personal and academic needs.

– William Uricchio,  Library Director

Bill Uricchio, Library Director
william.uricchio@lib.uconn.edu

D

The Trecker Library is beginning a new series of brief information sessions on a variety of topics.  Sessions are about 40 minutes long and will cover the history of the campus, introductions to free or low cost software, tips on database searching, and other subjects.  The overall program is tentatively called:  “Information Universe @ Trecker Library”.

The first three sessions, listed below, are being held in the Library’s Social Work History Room, directly opposite the Library’s main doors.  They will happen from 12:45 pm to 1:20 pm.  Due to the nature of the room, seating is limited.

The first sessions are:

“The History of the Greater Hartford Campus:  A PowerPoint Show”.   Over 100 pictures are used to trace the colorful history of the campus, including its championship sports teams,  beginning in 1939.   Wednesday, February 22 & Thursday, February 23.

“Searching the Hartford Courant Historical Database, 1764-1986”.  This session will show how to key-word search articles, advertisements, photos, obituaries, and more,  in our country’s “Oldest Continuously Published Newspaper”.  Wednesday, February 29 & Thursday, March1.

“An Introduction to Photofiltre”.  An experienced user will show the basics of this popular and free graphics program which can to used to edit photographs, create graphics from scratch, make flyers, and more.  Wednesday, March 7 & Thursday, March 8.

If the weather is dicey on the day of one of the sessions please call the Library at 860-570-9024 to confirm the schedule.

We will send campus e-mails to announce upcoming sessions and also list them on this blog.  If you have topics of particular interest which we should consider, please let me know!

Bill Uricchio, Library Director
william.uricchio@uconn.edu

All in a Day’s Work:
Photographs of Women in Connecticut Industry from the collections of the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center

Women in Connecticut have a long and rich history as workers. Their traditional place was in their own homes, where nearly all household goods and services produced were done so through women’s labor. The Industrial Revolution ushered in a new role, that of paid worker, and women entered the workforce in significant numbers. Economically disadvantaged women augmented their household income by working in the textile mills and industrial factories that proliferated across Connecticut. By 1900, 1 in 5 females over age 10 were paid workers, and 25% of them worked in manufacturing.

The influx of southern and eastern Europeans between 1880 and 1920 to Connecticut brought thousands of immigrants into the workforce, including women, eager to contribute to newly established households. As did their American-born counterparts, immigrant women employed in manufacturing faced grueling workdays, hazardous working conditions, and substantially lower pay than men. Yet, work brought with it a sense of empowerment and wage-work provided the immigrant woman a new found freedom that was often not tolerated in the old country.

War accelerated opening the gates to women’s work in industry. During World War I the need for war goods and the absence of men of fighting age gave women new opportunities. But the gains did not last. After the war, returning soldiers expected their jobs back and there was enormous pressure for women to return to their domestic sphere. Most of them did. That pressure remained through the Depression when national sentiment strongly favored men holding the few jobs that were available.

World War II again brought women into industry in large numbers, many becoming skilled factory workers in jobs previously held only by men. The prohibition of married women holding paid jobs faded only as women reassured the country that they were still maintaining their homes and families. The home was still very much the woman’s responsibility, but it was increasingly possible for women to hold down a day job as well.

African-American women forged an alternate path in the workforce. In the late 19th century African-American women worked outside the home in higher percentages than white women, but they were less likely to gain employment in factories. Most worked in agriculture or as domestics. Manufacturing jobs were for the most part racially segregated until the Civil Rights era.

About the Photographs

The photographs in this exhibit were from the Business History Collections in Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center of the University of Connecticut in Storrs. These collections illustrate Connecticut’s rich history as a leader in business and industry, and represent the diverse nature of the state’s industries, ranging from textile mills to complex technology. Many of the companies had their start as family-owned and operated small businesses and evolved into nationally known producers of such products as brass, hardware, machine tools, cutlery, clocks and watches, silk and other textiles, and toiletries. The collections are composed of a wide variety of materials including administrative and financial records, maps and facilities drawings, and advertising samples, as well as thousands of photographs depicting the diversity of workers and their work.

“We Can Do It”

was a short video slide show highlighting women who worked in Hartford area defense industries during World Wars I & II.  Produced by the Trecker Library, it saluted both the “All In a Day’s Work Exhibit” and also the fact that UConn’s Hartford Campus played a significant role in the education of thousands (literally) of men and women moving from civilian to defense occupations during the war years.

Responses covered a number of topics which will be made part of planning sessions for the 2011-2012 academic year.  Suggestions for service improvements were made for 1.  The building;  2.  Copying, faxing and printing;  3. Furnishings;   4.  Group and Quiet Study Rooms;  5.  Hours;  6. Marketing and increasing library usage; 7. Printed and electronic resources; and  8. Technology.

The virtual focus group concept developed from an effort to host an in-person session with volunteer attendees.  Respondents to the initial survey were asked to indicate interest in participating in a subsequent meeting.  Twelve of the original fifty-four respondents said they were willing to do so, but efforts to gather even a subset of that number of busy people in one place at one time proved fruitless.

Instead of working with two or three members of the campus community, a library staff member used online blog software to develop an experimental “virtual” focus group.  In a nutshell, eight questions were to be posted on a specially designed blog and respondents would be invited to comment on either the questions or on the comments of others.

Six of the twelve agreed to participate and over a three week span provided some 90 useful comments and ideas, vastly extending the library’s depth of knowledge of issues to be addressed in future planning/funding cycles.  The large number of comments compared very favorably to the 12 somewhat general statements received as part of the original survey instrument.

At the conclusion of the virtual focus group,  “themes” (similar remarks from more than one respondent) within each of the categories noted above were identified.  For example, several respondents felt that students, as well as the library, would benefit from an expansion of orientation sessions to include all new students, not just incoming freshmen, as part of Trecker marketing efforts.  Library staff will now investigate the feasibility of implementing this, and a number of other very interesting suggested service improvements, in the months ahead.

Regarding the virtual focus group process itself, five of the six students who participated indicated that they found it preferable to in-person focus groups.  The one person preferring the in-person approach still rated it eight on a scale of nine for its value.  All six found the process easy to use and one commented that “I enjoyed the virtual medium so much, it gave me time to think about my answers and give good responses. I would love to answer more questions online”.

We are grateful to the six students who took time to participate.   We gained a large amount of valuable information which helps provide context to the numbers resulting from the online survey.  And we may have also discovered a relatively painless and yet productive way to inform our future planning efforts.

– Bill Uricchio, Library Director

Although our strategies to improve the usability, look and comfort of the library appear to have us moving in the right direction, we are always wondering if we can still make improvements for our users.

To this end, we joined with the other four regional campus libraries (Avery Point, Stamford, Torrington and Waterbury) to develop an online survey process.  Although slightly different at each location, the surveys were designed to poll our campus communities about how our spaces and furnishings are being used and in support of planning for future upgrades.

Our online survey was conducted in late February and early March.  Along with questions about specific usage, we included an open ended comments box and an invitation to respondents to join us for a focus group to provide further context to the survey results.

A future blog entry will summarize the results of the focus group.  This posting is to provide an overview of the findings of the survey process itself.

Beginning with some demographics, we received 54 responses with the vast majority of respondents being master’s degree students from the University’s School of Social Work, which is headquartered here, and undergraduates from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  These two groups  represent the largest elements of our overall campus population.  We also received twelve comments and, while mostly positive, they pretty much “covered the map” and there were no obvious themes that emerged from them.

Regarding space use, the following pie chart summarizes responses:

Observation:  The general seating areas are all frequently used, less so the two specialized areas for videos and multi-media.

The following pie chart provides an overview of which furnishings are used:

Observation:  The variety of furnishings are all in used in similar manner.

The following bar chart provides more specific  information on what is used, and what isn’t used:

Observations:  Soft chairs are the most popular seating type.    The main floor seating to the right of the entrance, which we call “The Parlor”, and the Quiet Study Room have the heaviest usage.  Least used, as noted earlier, are the video and media rooms.

This table indicates which items listed in our survey were “unknown” to respondents:

Observations:  The fact that many respondents seem unaware of the existence of the video and media rooms is consistent with the previously reported lower usage of both of those spaces.  This probably means the library needs to do a better job of marketing those services.  The same can be said for the main floor lobby room, also known as the Social Work History Room, which is directly across from the library’s entrance and which contains one of our two hi-tech Media:scape workstations.  It may also be that terminology like “Media-scape” is not descriptive enough to let users know what it is and what it does.

Finally, comments about space use included:

“It would be nice for more large chairs. Sometimes they are a turn off though because they have stuff spilt on them.”

“The study spaces upstairs doesn’t seem to receive as much attention in terms of design the way the area downstairs does. Better, updated design would aid in more students choosing to study upstairs.”

“Our study group used the room directly across from entrance on the main floor for co-writing an assignment together. It was extremely helpful to see our work on the large screen.”

In conclusion, we are happy to learn that, speaking generally, our new spaces and furnishings are in steady use by library visitors.  That said, we most likely need to ramp up publicity about our many services so we can reduce the percentage of library users who responded “Don’t Know About”  on the survey form.  Hopefully, we will learn more when the focus group convenes.

Our many thanks go to those who responded to the survey.

Bill Uricchio – Library Director

Door counts jump at the busy Trecker Library

The reasons for the declining counts are many and have affected other academic libraries as well.  Among the most significant is the ongoing movement away from paper and to digital resources which can be accessed without visiting libraries at all.   At Trecker, an additional factor has been the physical condition of the library which hardly has been an inducement for someone to want to come and, especially, to spend time here.

A post on this blog from a year ago, “New Furnishings Arrive”, signaled the fact that the University Libraries, with support from the University administration, was making a significant effort to improve the Trecker Library.  To make it, if you will, a “destination” for comfortable research and study, and not just a place to visit when required to do so.

In the interim between October and now, another round of equipment (some of it reported in “Time to Collaborate” below) and furnishings has been completed.

How have these upgrades been received?  We are looking forward to what we hope will be positive responses to questions about our “library as place” as part of a significant satisfaction survey being conducted by the Libraries this fall.  For now, though, we have already received some very good news about the door counts mentioned above:  Our 2009-10 counts are 33% higher than the same time period last year!  For us, given the door count’s history here , this is very exciting news indeed.

There is, of course, a downside to such a fantastic increase in usage:  more noise, fewer available seats, occasional waiting for SuperHomer computers, and so forth.  Rest assured, though, that we are already planning for improvements to alleviate some of those situations.  In the meantime, please continue to visit the library.  Your presence here is what “makes our day” in so many ways.

Bill Uricchio — Library Director

Diversity banners adorn the Trecker Library

we are the University’s most diverse location with a population of over 40% drawn from ethnic and other minority groups.  In tribute to this cultural mosaic, which enlivens our campus community in many positive ways, Social Work Librarian Jan Lambert, assisted by Access Services Coordinator Claudia Lopes and Humanities and Sciences Librarian Marsha Lee, lead a project to install colorful banners bearing words encouraging multicultural fellowship.

The campus community was asked to submit proposed wording which supported our diversity theme.  Staff who had this project as a goal reviewed the words and made the final selection: Enrichment, Encouragement, Worth, Belonging, Respect, and Individuality. The banners, installed at the end of August,  hang on the main floor of the library.

For more information:  jan.lambert@uconn.edu

Bill Uricchio – Library Director

One of Trecker's new Media:scapes in action

If you find you learn better when studying and working with others, you are not alone.  One of the exciting newer trends in higher education is emphasis on collaborative learning which encourages studying and doing research in group settings.  For libraries, this means hosting  learning environments, including both quiet and group activity spaces, meeting a variety of educational needs.

To improve our group study capabilities, the staff of the Trecker Library spent the spring and summer planning, ordering and finally implementing advanced group study equipment and furnishings.  Two developments are especially noteworthy:

Media:scapes.  Two workstations offer state-of-the art technology for library clients with wireless laptops.  Six people  can separately connect the VGA video ports on computers to the Media:scape and one laptop image at a time will appear on a 42″ color monitor.  Each person has a switching device so the laptop images can be quickly rotated  as work progresses.  Check the video from the Media:scape people at this link for more information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRATg7gJgMo

Media Room.  Anyone who has watched videos at the library in the past knows about the 3 chair Video Viewing Room.  It houses a 20″ CRT television and is on the third floor adjacent to rooms once holding the video collections.  Recently, a new Media Room was constructed on the Library’s main floor and the video collections were moved nearby.  The new room, which can be used as a group study space when videos are not being watched, contains a 46″ HDTV serving as either a computer or video monitor.  Fourteen headphones, some wired and some wireless, are available for group use.  The old Video Viewing Room still exists but individuals are welcome to watch videos in the Media Room as well.

Important Note: Media:scape users, and those intending to hook a laptop to the monitor in the Media Room, should visit ahead of time to be sure that they have the correct cable for the linkage to occur.

Bill Uricchio — Library Director
william.uricchio@uconn.edu