Making The Case For High Quality Academic Library Buildings
According to a new study about the role the campus physical environment plays in students’ enrollment decision making, the quality of the academic library building is near the top of the list in what factors into a student’s decision. In an article titled “The Impact of Facilities on Recruitment and Retention of Students” that appeared in the March/April 2006 issue of Facilities Management, the academic library was second only to “facilities in major” when students were asked what buildings were extremely or very important in the selection decision process. The library was rated higher than classrooms, recreational facilities, and even the residence halls. But the survey results reported in this article also suggest that for most students an inadequate library building might not be a deal breaker. When students actually rejected an institution it was most frequently owing to inadequate residence halls. In terms of retention, the library is also important to keeping students satisfied once they are enrolled.
I don’t doubt that our academic library community has always known that being able to offer an academic library building with quality facilities for research, study, interaction, browsing and learning makes a significant difference in the lives of our students. For one thing, it can make all the difference in the world in whether or not the students actually use the library. A great facility, or even an adequate one, can attract students who might otherwise end up doing their research and writing in computer labs, dorm rooms or even off-campus cafes. Now we may actually have some useful research data to support our anecdotal evidence of the need for high quality library facilities. I hope that some of our colleagues will be able to use this new information to convince academic administrators that an investment in a great library facility is just as important – if not even more important – than those buildings with social or recreational amenities that are often thought to be the ones that encourage students to enroll.
Posted: May 30, 2006 by StevenB
in Buildings.
Comments
Comment from Eric Schnell
Posted: June 1, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Am I the only one that is concerned when libraries as “facilities” are viewed as a institutional strength? I will cheer when I see a report that students value the library as a center of learning.
Comment from Helen
Posted: August 10, 2006 at 3:50 am
Any standard or formula for measuring library facilities?
Pingback from A Top Twenty Academic Library List From The Same Folks Who Rate Party Schools
Posted: August 23, 2007 at 12:59 pm
[...] Though it is probably not as eagerly sought after by prospective (and even active) college students as their top party schools list, the folks at Princeton Review may have noticed this and decided that students would also want to know more about the best libraries. You can get to the list via a post at LISNews (they supply an account so you don’t have to register – thanks LISNews) if you’d like to see which libraries made the top twenty. Apparently there is but a single criterion for making the list. The Princeton Review makes it clear at the top of the list that the rankings are based “on students’ assessment of library facilities”. I haven’t visited nearly all of these libraries, but I could understand why Valparaiso – which I have visited – would make the list if it is based on how much students like the library building. [...]
Pingback from The Admissions Game Shifts | From the Bell Tower « Columns and Op-Ed
Posted: October 21, 2011 at 4:02 am
[...] general appeal of the facility, and highly visible, smiling staff just waiting to help can all leave the right impression. However, a new report on the state of the admissions office suggests that the role of the [...]
Pingback from The Admissions Game Shifts | From the Bell Tower
Posted: December 21, 2011 at 3:43 am
[...] general appeal of the facility, and highly visible, smiling staff just waiting to help can all leave the right impression. However, a new report on the state of the admissions office suggests that the role of the [...]
Pingback from The Admissions Game Shifts
Posted: December 21, 2011 at 3:59 am
[...] general appeal of the facility, and highly visible, smiling staff just waiting to help can all leave the right impression. However, a new report on the state of the admissions office suggests that the role of the [...]
Comment from Barbara Fister
Posted: May 30, 2006 at 11:22 am
You beat me to this one, Steve. I was quite cheered by this finding – and feel as if these students have their priorities straight, more so than we might give them credit for!
Now, I wonder what role libraries play in faculty recruitment? The need to attract and keep the best faculty is one we may not think about very often, but it’s key to an institution’s strengths.