Survey on Libraries desktop computer use

Libraries IT staff had been wondering why desktop computer environments in the Hill and Hunt Libraries were so often rearranged by users—monitors and peripherals moved aside and unplugged. Rather than jump to conclusions, we asked the Libraries User Research Team to help us learn more about user behavior. 

In June 2022, we surveyed patrons to ask why they chose the particular workstation they did that day, what they were looking for, what they need more of, whether they have ever had to rearrange a workstation setup to make it fit their needs, and other related questions. We received 95 survey submissions.

The survey results point to an increasing need for laptop-friendly workstations, which may reflect the upward trend in student-owned laptops at NC State.

Conclusions

• Close to 50 percent of respondents said they had rearranged a workstation setup to fit their needs. This indicates a need for change.
• We need more laptop workstations, places where a user can connect a laptop to a monitor and mouse. 
  • When asked what type of computer they wanted, 13 percent (18 percent at the Hunt Library and 9 percent at the Hill Library) indicated they were looking for a monitor only. 
  • Nine percent of users at the Hunt Library and 10 percent of users at the Hill Library reported they chose to sit at computing workstations because "I just needed a table for my laptop."
• We should provide more prevalent and more convenient access to electrical outlets. This would prevent a lot of the unplugging we observe. Fifty-six percent of students reported using an electric outlet while they were working at a workstation (49% at Hill and 66% Hunt).
• As we increase the quantity of laptop workstations within a finite set of workstations, we will reduce the number of Mac and PC desktop workstations. As we do that, we will slightly increase the ratio of PC workstations to Mac workstations. 
  • When asked what type of computer they wanted, 35 percent said Windows and 23% said Mac.
• In the future, the Explore Spaces feature on our website should help users find laptop workstations. 
• Computer workstations on floors 4–9 of the Hill Library are underutilized compared to other locations. We should find ways to make users aware of these resources and continue to improve the environment around the computer workstations on these upper floors, or we should consider moving the computers to other locations.