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Survey: Assisting library users with technology

Question: Assisting Library Users with Technology: How comfortable are you doing the following? 

Please rate the statements on this scale: 1= not comfortable | 2 = neutral | 3= comfortable | 4= N/A

  • Teaching users how to use basic hardware (e-readers, mobile devices, etc.): 
  • Assisting users with using email or social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter): 
  • Helping users with basic software (Adobe Suite, Microsoft Office, etc.): 
  • Helping users with periodical and/or research databases:
  • Helping users with subscription learning tools (Lynda.cm. language learning software, etc): 
  • Helping users with access technologies (DAISY readers, CELA and/or NNELS, etc): 
  • Helping users with subject-specific software (data visualization sites, citation management software, etc): 
  • Helping users navigate the online catalogue: 
  • Helping users search the internet: 
  • Helping users with specialized maker technology (sound editing software, self-publishing, etc): 

We know these responses aren’t able to shed light on the why behind these ratings. For example, we don’t know if discomfort with subscription learning tools comes from the respondent’s irregular interaction with the tools, the design of the tool itself, the respondent’s discomfort with instruction in general, or simply the lack of these tools at their institution. However, the answers with higher percentages of ‘not comfortable’ or ‘neutral’ may suggest areas where library workers could use more support in order to be more prepared and confident when assisting users with technology. N/A answers may also indicate areas for institutional development or expansion.

We’ve arranged these results in descending order according to the ‘comfortable’ percentage.There’s a clear delineation in comfort levels between the top majority of the list and the final three questions at the bottom.

Helping users search the internet: 

2% not comfortable
1% neutral
97% comfortable

(Of the 142 responses to this question, 35 respondents (25%!) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculation above.)

Helping users navigate the online catalogue: 

2% not comfortable
2% neutral
96% comfortable

(Of the 143 responses to this question, 32 respondents (22%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculation above.)

Assisting users with using email or social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter): 

7% not comfortable
12% neutral
81% comfortable

(Of the 142 total responses to this question, 30 respondents (21%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculations above.)

Helping users with periodical and/or research databases: 

4% not comfortable
19% neutral
77% comfortable

(Of the 143 total responses to this question, 19 respondents (13%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculations above.)

Teaching users how to use basic hardware (e-readers, mobile devices, etc.)

8% not comfortable
16% neutral
76% comfortable

(Of the 143 total responses to this question, 24 respondents (17%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculations above.)

Helping users with basic software (Adobe Suite, Microsoft Office, etc.): 

5% not comfortable
23% neutral
72% comfortable

(Of the 143 total responses to this question, 20 respondents (14%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculations above.)

Helping users with subscription learning tools (Lynda.cm. language learning software, etc): 

12% not comfortable
20% neutral
68% comfortable

(Of the 142 total responses to this question, 24 respondents (17%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculations above.)

Helping users with subject-specific software (data visualization sites, citation management software, etc): 

35% not comfortable
44% neutral
21% comfortable 

(Of the 143 total responses to this question, 16 respondents (11%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculations above.)

Helping users with access technologies (DAISY readers, CELA and/or NNELS, etc): 

50% not comfortable
32% neutral
18% comfortable

(Of the 143 total responses to this question, 22 respondents (15%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculations above.)

 Helping users with specialized maker technology (sound editing software, self-publishing, etc)

53% not comfortable
30% neutral
17% comfortable

(Of the 143 total responses to this question, 15 respondents (11%) chose N/A; these were removed from the population prior to the calculations above.)