Community Needs Assessment Process Group
Meeting: #26 (July 30, 1996)
Present: Jane Britton
Amos Lakos
Sharon Lamont
Wendy Macpherson
Ann Naese
Shabiran Rahman
Mary Stanley
Guests:
Margaret Hendley
Susan Routliffe
Absent: Laurie Strome
- Margaret Hendley, on behalf of
Client Services Process Group, asked for help in doing a survey of the
information needs of users on Sunday afternoons.
Informed, and primarily anecdotal reports by Porter Information
Desk Staff shows that much of this use is by Community users.
Some data was developed comparing Sunday demand with the open or
close status of Waterloo Public Library.
Client Services discussed this, broadening the question to both
the Information Desk and the User Services Desk, and for both weekend
(Saturday & Sunday) and evening hours.
The fundamental question is "WHO are our clients?"
Shabiran has drafted a brief survey. Faculty she consulted
thought actual interviews would be more informative than a survey.
CSPG would like to develop information as early in the fall term
as possible.
Their concern is whether we are putting our resources into our
highest priority goals - through the hours of services offered, and the
week during each term when service is offered. Would changes in these
lead to a need for new orientation service or materials.
CSPG and Porter Reference Staff need more than anecdotal evidence
on which to make decisions. User Services could be affected by these
decisions.
- Susan Routliffe distributed information comparing privileges
and rules at Waterloo, Laurier and Guelph. She answered questions and
clarified notations.
Susan would like something done this fall.
As a project is developed to help the Tri-Universities Group
harmonize the lending policies, some undergraduate user input is wanted.
It is in gathering this student input that CNAG help is desired.
- (a)
Workload of CNAG
- We must finish the report on information gathering behaviour.
- Library Council asked us to examine study space needs
- Client Services Process Group asks us today to examine weekend
information services
- TUG User Services Policy Harmonization project
asks us to help with getting student opinion.
(b) Do we (CNAG) want to use focus group as a way to gather information.
1. There can be either formal (theory based) or informal
(use a group and prepare some, we hope, good questions)
2. We have no experience with this
3. We have no funding for a formal process with an outside
facilitator
(c) Shabiran will draft a survey on weekend service.
- The minutes of
the meeting (#25) of July 16, 1996 were approved.
- Survey of Information
Gathering
Sharon has been working with all parts of the report to bring
some consistency to the whole. Her efforts are for style and
readability, and are almost complete. This will be put in the CNAG
drop-box. Before our next meeting, Ann will go over all the numbers and
mark any that need verification. Shabiran and Amos will do whatever
further checking is needed.
- NEXT MEETING - September 10 at 9 a.m. Amos will
facilitate
