Survey Responses

Oh, yeah. During week 3, I conducted mini intervierws with some college students about their library usage. My email was like this:

Hi!
This is Cindy! I'm doing a project for my grad year at Emily Carr University. I am researching out answers for my subject: why the Vancouver Public Library isn't getting enough feedback from young adults. So here's my 4 questions:

1) How old are you?
2) Do you use the Vancouver Public Library?
3) If so, do you think the library could use some improvements?
4) Do you provide user feedback to the library?
5) If you haven't given user feedback, how come? (don't know where the forms are, not motivated, no time, etc.)

That's all! Long or short answers are fine.

I got a few responses back.

1. 20

2. I don't really use the Vancouver Public Library on a regular basis. If I do, it's just to use their facilities, but I usually don't borrow any books from them. I go there maybe around once a year... This is mainly because I use the UBC libraries.

3. I don't go to the libraries often enough to suggest any huge improvements. In general, my experience there has been fine.

4. I do not provide user feedback.

5. I did not know that there was such thing as a user feedback for the Public Library and even if I did, I don't have any major complaints, so there is no reason for me to use it.

1) 23
2) No
3) ???
4) No
5) Cuz i never use the library... i use the internet!!!

1) 19
2) Yes, maybe 1-2 times a month.
3) Yes
4) No
5) I don't feel that I use the public library enough to feel the need to make suggestions. Also, since the public library is a free public service, I feel less comfortable giving them my ideas for what I think they could do better... kinda like the "beggars can't be choosers" mentality. =/

1) 21
2) yes
3) the navigation is confusing, and there are also books missing even in the online catalouge says that they're "in"
4) no
5) didn't know they have feeback forms, not very motivated to do it either

1) 24
2) yes i go to public library
3) no i do not think there needs improvement
4) i didnt fill out their survey b/c i didnt not find it necessary
5) i dont go to library often

I personally talked to a few others.

One was a 21-year old male who responded that he visits the library 3 times a month, depending how busy he is. As a student he uses the library for research. He isn't aware that the library has survey forms because if so, the forms are not clearly visible. Also, the library is a free service to him.

Another was a 29-year old female who uses the VPL library only 4-5 times a year. She uses the public library to borrow DVD movies or materials for school research. Mainly she uses her school library. Improvement is a probable, because there is not enough new material in the library. If there is, she doesn't know where they are. She doesn't use the survey forms because she isn't aware of them.

Finally, I talked to a 21-year old male student. He rarely uses the library, but definitely think the library could be improved if they carried more variety of books, expecially newer titles. He, again, isn't aware of survey forms or suggested purchase forms because he isn't aware of them.