Faculty and staff use of academic library resources and services: A University of Iowa libraries' perspective

The current economic and social conditions of the nation have affected significantly the amount of federal funding for higher education. With the prospect of dwindling budgets, potential layoffs, and cutbacks, what can libraries do to continue to support and improve services for faculty and staff (professional and merit/support staff)? One approach is to identify what resources and services faculty and staff currently use for research, teaching, study, and work, in addition to planning for their future needs. Only then can we begin to set priorities and plan for the future. The University of Iowa Libraries developed and implemented a faculty and staff needs assessment with this in mind. The results not only gave the Libraries the empirical support required to justify requests for increased fiscal allocations, but also pinpointed the areas, services, and resources faculty and staff want and expect from the University Libraries. Contrary to popular sentiment, the results revealed that faculty and staff would like the Libraries to invest more in the acquisition of print books and journals, in addition to electronic journals and expanded remote access. Even though faculty and staff are independent users, they rely on and prefer human contact and individual assistance. This study also revealed that faculty and staff underutilized many of the Libraries' resources and services simply because they were not aware of their existence. Like undergraduates and professional students, faculty and staff want expanded study space and improved physical facilities.