Abstract
Background
The born-digital library on the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus – Phoenix is approaching its two-year mark serving its new regional campus. The librarian sought to evaluate current support as well as to understand student perceptions and needs regarding the satellite library. Existing satellite campus literature – particularly centering their libraries – is outdated, leaving little guidance for this born-digital model. The body concerning student information needs and perceptions of library support tends to focus on medicine and nursing; the broader spectrum of professional health sciences, not to mention those on regional campuses, are largely unstudied.
Objectives:
1. Determine students’ perceptions of the services and resources provided by the Health Sciences Library – Phoenix.
2. Identify internal and external factors that enhance or hinder students’ use of services and resources (and perceptions and attitudes).
3. Establish areas of foci to improve student library usage and thus perceptions and attitudes.
Methods
The satellite librarian devised and disseminated an online survey to the Phoenix student body in the Spring 2023 semester. This was inclusive of all active cohorts from the medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and physical therapy programs. The survey consisted of 11 questions, including both closed and open-ended questions. Of the 524 students, 12% (n=63) responded to the survey. Data analysis has begun and will include thematic analysis for the qualitative data resulting from the student’s open responses.
Conclusion
This poster will demonstrate the process of designing and implementing a survey instrument for the many disparate cohorts and programs – the first student-centered survey for the campus – as well as share initial findings on use and perceptions of the born-digital satellite library. Considering the gaps and lack of guidance in current literature, this project may be beneficial to the broader conversation on the unique contexts and cultures of satellite campuses, their libraries, and their students, particularly in this increasingly technologically hybrid era.