Assessment (Internal Use Only)

To decide if it is okay for us to close at 10 pm, except for mid-term and finals weeks, during FALL23 & SPG24

Data and information used include:

• Avg. gate count by week and by hour (Trafsys)
• Avg. # of self-checkout sessions or items by week and by hour (MeeScan)
• Avg. # of checkout items via the library services desk by week and by hour (Alma)
• Avg. printer usage by semester/hour
• Feedback from staff and student employees
• Information about other facilities on campus (e.g., Maucker Union with 24-hour open spaces, IT printing stations on map)

All comparable datasets are set up like this sheet (i.e., by week and by hour) for us to triangulate all data sets in making our final decisions.

TrafSys

• The highest weekly average gate count between 10 PM and 12 AM was about 20, except for 42 between 10:00 - 10:59 PM during Week 17 (May 7 - May 13. 2022)

MeeScan

• The average number of self-checkout sessions between 10 PM and 12 AM was very low (less than 1).
• The highest number of sessions (17) was on Monday and Wednesday, whereas the lowest number of sessions (0 or 1) was on Friday and Saturday.

Checkout (Alma)

• The average number of checkouts between 10 PM and 12 AM was low, ranging from 1 to 5 only with a few exceptions.
• The highest number of checkouts was on Monday (3797), Tuesday (3888), Wednesday (3943), Thursday (3862), and Friday (3319) whereas the lowest number of checkout was on Saturday (435) and Sunday (1308).

• If we consider 20 high weekly average traffic, we'd better not close at 10 PM between Sunday and Thursday.
• It is likely that patrons have come to the library to use it as a space to stay rather than to use library resources, such as physical books.
• If we decide to close the library at 10 p.m. between Sunday and Thursday, it is recommended that we post a sign/announcement on the door directing patrons to an alternate location on campus, such as the Maucker Union, where they can stay late to print and use computers.
• As an alternative, the library closes at 11 pm instead of 10 pm between Sunday and Thursday, except during midterm and final exam weeks, since the number of gate counts drops dramatically after 11 pm.

Hours:  https://library.uni.edu/about-us/hours

Print stations on campus: https://servicehub.uni.edu/docs/display/SH/Printing

Academic calendar: https://registrar.uni.edu/calendars/academic-calendars

To decide if it is okay for us to close at 10 pm, except for mid-term and finals weeks, during FALL22

Trafsys gate counts by week & hour

• A link to a spreadsheet
  • Traffic during the first few weeks is pretty low, but the following weeks, after the first few weeks, are not low any longer.
• A link to a spreadsheet prepared by the Access unit
  • It looks like we'll recommend hours very similar to last year, however there is definitely a decline in use after 10 pm- especially in the Spring term.

• If we consider 20+ high traffic, we'd better not close at 10 pm.
• The only suggested change we'll have is to open later on Easter Sunday.