Student and staff perceptions of university library usage: Comparing reality to interpretation of space usage

Abstract

Abstract The role of the academic library, student library usage, and faculty perceptions of student learning have been ongoing discussions for many years. The purpose of this study was to bring those conversations together and illustrate how students at a mid-size university are currently using their library, preferences for library space usage, and faculty/staff perceptions of usage. This study was conducted to determine how to effectively bring the expectations of students and library faculty/staff together. Data results show library faculty/staff perceptions of student usage did not always align with the actual student usage, especially concerning traditional library services and resources.