Results of last year’s library survey

survey word cloud Last spring, almost 1,000 of you responded to the library’s survey evaluating the use and quality of the our collections, services, and facilities. That’s 584 WOU students, 143 faculty, 128 members of staff, and 100 graduate students. Thank you so much for your participation!

We’ve crunched the numbers and created an executive summary with the results and some info about what we’re going to do with your feedback. It’s available in WOU’s digital repository, Digital Commons@WOU.

Pages 1-3 summarize the survey itself, basic demographics, overall results, improvements made since the survey, and what’s next. Pages 4-7 are single-page reports of results from specific groups: undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff.

Meet your Hamersly staff: Jackson Stalley

Each term, we introduce you to a few of the people who work to make Hamersly your favorite place on campus to do research, study, print your papers, meet with a group, or simply kick back and read in a quiet place.

This week, meet Jackson Stalley. He is an elusive, behind-the-scenes type library employee, but if you have ever used an online resource through the library you’ve benefitted from his hard work. Here’s more about him:

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What do you do in the library? I work with the serials and electronic resources helping the Collection Management Librarian ensure our serial and electronic collections are accurate and available when patrons want them. I also assist in creating local solutions for data normalization, manipulation and collection needs.

How long have you worked in the library? I’ve worked at Hamersly Library for 8 years and I’ve moved work areas within the library as much as anybody. I started on the second floor in Collection Management then shifted to a different location there before heading to the first floor as a part of Collection Development. I moved back upstairs to my old work area as a member of the merged Tech Services/Collection Development unit a few years ago. Sometimes I am not sure what unit I’m really in…I think it is Collection Management.

What is your education and professional background? I grew up in a small Idaho town and fled the cold for college in the sunny southwest. I debated at the University of New Mexico before moving with my partner to the University of Utah and later WOU where I took computer science and biology classes. I also worked as a student employee in the library. Before moving to Oregon, I worked in beer (worked I said) and later in the outdoor industry specializing in canyoneering and climbing and as an instructor in primitive navigation/survival.

What is the last good book you read? The last book I read that wasn’t about fly fishing was The Political Economy of Human Rights by Noam Chomsky.

What is one thing about the library you think everyone should know? Printed books are power.

What was your favorite book as a kid? My favorite book as a young person was Das Kapital by Karl Marx, or the Bhagavad Gita.

Tell us a fun fact about you! Here are three:

I don’t have a cell phone or home computer and I don’t want one. Join me, you’ll love it.
I save every penny possible so I can fly fish for incredible fish in amazing places.
I recently participated in a university service learning project in an indigenous community in Central America and I organize and help community food/clothing drives, the WOU holiday toy drive, Food Day, the WOU Staff Hardship Fund, and the WOU Food Pantry.

Meet your Hamersly staff: Dr. Allen McKiel

This week, meet Dr. Allen McKiel, our Dean of the Library:

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What do you do in the library? As dean of the library I am responsible to the university through the Academic Vice President for the administration of the library. My responsibilities include overseeing the library’s budget, coordinating its planning, operations, and personnel, and acting as liaison to the Academic Vice President and his management team.

How long have you worked in the library? A little over 7 years

What is your education and professional background? My undergraduate is in English Literature from Purdue University; the Master is in Library and Information Technology from Indiana University; and the Ph.D. is in Higher Education Administration from Indiana State University.

My first professional job after my Master was as a programmer for a large software development firm in Los Angeles, CA. Libraries were not hiring at the time because Proposition 13 had destroyed the tax base in California. Programming eventually took me back to libraries with programming jobs at companies that serve libraries, OCLC and then Notice at Northwestern University. Stepping out of the library realm, I worked for a few years as the Senior Systems Analyst for Planning at the Indiana Toll Road. From there I found my current career as an academic librarian, first as the Director of Libraries for Region 2 of Ivy Tech State College, then as Director of Libraries for Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, finally landing here in the most delightful of all my professional experiences at Western Oregon University.

What is one thing about the library you think everyone should know? Libraries are the collective efforts of society to provide equitable access to its intellectual and cultural heritage. They will continue indefinitely into the future albeit in forms integral to society’s evolving information and communication infrastructure.

What is the last good book you read? Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire.

What was your favorite book as a kid? The Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon.

Tell us a fun fact about you! I have a 2-year-old grandson that loves anything with wheels. He goes “beep, beep, beep!” when he backs up.

Meet your Hamersly staff: Stewart Baker

This week, meet Stewart Baker, our Systems & Institutional Repository Librarian. He was an integral part of the team that made the switch to our new library system, Primo, over the summer. And if you take classes in Computer Science, Social Sciences, Modern Languages, or Philosophy your class may get a visit from Stewart at some point. Here’s more about him:

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What do you do in the library? I work on our website- and catalog-related things, including the recent migration to our new library system, Primo. I also provide reference services and teach library instruction sessions.

How long have you worked in the library? Since late October, 2013.

What is your education and professional background? I have a BA and MA in literature (with a focus on Medieval Europe and critical theory) and an MLIS in library science. I had a long and varied undergraduate career, taking courses in computer science, graphic design, art history, philosophy, and linguistics. Prior to starting work at WOU last October, I worked for 5 years as a reference and web services librarian at California State University, Dominguez Hills, located on the outskirts of the urban sprawl that is Los Angeles.

What is one thing about the library you think everyone should know? Librarians like answering questions, anything from the ones that seem too easy to ask about to the ones that seem impossible and weird. Please bring them all to us!

What is the last good book you read? I’m always reading, so there are too many to list. The last book I read which I really couldn’t put down was Ha Jin’s In the Pond.

What was your favorite book as a kid? As a younger kid, anything by Roald Dahl. As a teen, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, parts of which I can still quote from memory. (“Life? Don’t talk to me about life!”)

Tell us a fun fact about you! I am semi-fluent in Japanese, and spent half a year living and studying in Japan in 2005.

Meet your Hamersly staff: Valerie Latham

This week, meet Valerie Latham. If you’re a night owl, you’ve probably seen her at the Information desk where she works during the term until the library closes (usually at midnight!) She also works behind the scenes to make sure the book you’re looking for is put on the shelf in the right place so that it’s there when you need it.

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What do you do in the library? I supervise the Stacks Department and work the evening shifts at the Reference Desk until midnight.

How long have you worked in the library? Six years.

What is your education and professional background? I started at Hamersly in the Library Administration Office as an Office Specialist II, and then I moved to the Stacks Department in Public Services at the same time as continuing my college education.

What is one thing about the library you think everyone should know? That the library has so many useful resources for studying. Take full advantage of the Reference desk, Information desk and the Checkout desk for any questions. We have our Chat that is available and we have librarians here during the day that would benefit you greatly. Come and visit us, we welcome you any time and any day! We are here for YOU!

What is the last good book you read? Divergent by Veronica Roth.

What was your favorite book as a kid? The Hiding Place by Corrie Boom.

Tell us a fun fact about you! I love to read textbooks, history books especially. And I love dogs and cats. I also change my hair a lot, so you might or might not recognize me. It’s a girl thing!

Meet your Hamersly staff: Elaina Glasscock

This week, meet Elaina Glasscock. You won’t see her at the library’s busy first floor desks, but if you visit the WOU Archives or enjoy one of our quarterly exhibits on the 2nd and 3rd floors, you are benefiting from her hard work.

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What do you do in the library? I work in Archives and Exhibits, most of my time is spent filing newspapers, finding information for exhibits, and going through the archives to help answer reference questions.
How long have you worked in the library? Since August 2013.
What is your major and year in school? I’m majoring in Art with an emphasis in painting, and I am currently in my Freshman year.
What is one thing about the library you think everyone should know? That there is a community puzzle on the third floor! Also, there is more than one set of Encyclopedia Britannica on the second floor, which is awesome.
What is the last good book you read? The last good book I read on my own time was A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge. She’s an incredible writer and I adore her work.
What was your favorite book as a kid? Oh gosh, there are too many. Can I list three? The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and the entire Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery. But there are so many more that could be on this list.
Tell us a fun fact about you! I read all seven Harry Potter books in one week (spring break, my Sophomore year of high-school).

The library is offering a new course starting Fall Term

Attention students! Starting next fall (Fall Term 2014) your favorite librarians are teaching a new course.

LIB 225: Advanced Research for College, Work, and Life bridges the gap between the basic-level research you did in you 100-level introductory courses, and the advanced-level research that is expected of you in 300 and 400 level courses. [wpspoiler name=”More about new library course” ]

In this class you will:

Develop advanced research techniques specific to your major
Prepare yourself for today’s information-driven workplace
Build information-seeking skills you will use after college and for the rest of your life

For Fall Term, LIB 225 will be offered on Monday and Wednesday from 12-1:50pm. If you have any questions about the course, get in touch Elizabeth Brookbank at brookbanke@wou.edu. [/wpspoiler]

Meet your Hamersly staff: Robert Monge

This week, meet Robert Monge, one of our Instruction Librarians. If you take courses in the College of Education, there’s a good chance your class will get a visit from Robert at some point. Here’s more about him:

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What do you do in the library? I am an Instruction Librarian. I teach students how to do research, and I create digital tutorials. I am also the library liaison to Teacher Education, Special Education, Health and Physical Education, Interpreting, and Rehabilitation Counselor Education.
How long have you worked in the library? Six years
What is your education and professional background? I have a Master of Arts in English Literature and a Master of Library and Information Science. I taught college composition courses in Colorado and Virginia for five years before going back to school to get my library degree. I worked as an instruction librarian at the University of South Dakota prior to coming to Western.
What is one thing about the library you think everyone should know? The library at its core is about information and access. It is a place that connects people with the information they need in order to understand, create, and change the world.
What is the last good book you read? The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
What was your favorite book as a kid? And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss
Tell us a fun fact about you! I once won 3rd place in The Dirtiest Kid in America Contest

Meet your Hamersly staff: Jonathan Hillerich

This week, meet Jonathan Hillerich, one of the friendly faces you will often see at the library Information Desk.

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What do you do in the library? I work at the Information/Reference Desk.
How long have you worked in the library? I started working here in Spring 2012.
What is your major and year in school? Pre-pharmacy (a WOU pre-professional program), and I’ll be done after this term.
What is one thing about the library you think everyone should know? That not all the computer and printing problems that happen in the library are our fault (most of them aren’t)! And that we have amazing librarians and staff that will do anything and everything they can to help you.
What is the last good book you read? Tweak by Nic Sheff
What was your favorite book as a kid? Loved me the Goosebumps series
Tell us a fun fact about you! I own over 100 hats

Meet your Hamersly staff: Samrid Aryal

This week, meet Samrid Aryal, the student employee who has been with us the longest in our current batch!

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What do you do in the library? I work at the Information Desk. I help patrons with technical troubleshooting, general questions, and help them with finding research materials/articles.
How long have you worked in the library? About three and a half years
What is your major and year in school? Information Systems major, Senior
What is one thing about the library you think everyone should know? That they can check out board games, video games, projectors, laptops, and other equipment from us.
What is the last good book you read? The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
What was your favorite book as a kid? The Arabian Nights
Tell us a fun fact about you! I am the first international student from Nepal to attend WOU.