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Raamatukogu koostöö TÜ majandusteaduskonnaga

Introduction

Raamatukogu koostöö tÜ majandusteaduskonnaga. TÜ raamatukogu ja majandusteaduskonna koostöö uurib kolme aasta jooksul külastajate käitumist äriantropoloogia meetoditega, pakkudes väärtuslikku tagasisidet teenuste arenduseks.

Abstract

UT Library’s Cooperation with the Faculty of Economics of the University of TartuFor three years, the UT Library has cooperated with the Faculty of Economics of the University of Tartu to study the behaviour of users in the library. For all three years, the collaboration took place within the framework of a subject that introduces research and analysis methods in the economic and social sciences. In the first year (2020), it was an undergraduate subject, and in 2022 and 2023, it was already a Master’s subject. The aim of the cooperation is to offer students of the Faculty of Economics the opportunity to experiment with business anthropology, which helps to identify the natural behaviour of library users through observation accompanied by interviews. As part of the course, students form research groups and concentrate on specific research topics, i.e. the area in the library, where they have to find the answer to a specific question: what are the library visitors’ patterns of consumer behaviour? The 2020 survey took place in the spring semester when the COVID-19 crisis began in Estonia; the library was, therefore, first closed for a few weeks and then only partially open to visitors. Due to the crisis, it was not possible to conduct observations, and the students solved the task with interviews. That year, 304 library users were interviewed individually or in focus groups. The overall results for 2020 showed that relatively little was known about library services and facilities. Suggestions for improvement were made for services that already exist in the library. Following the suggestions for improvement outlined in the 2020 study, the library introduced several changes. Another study took place in 2022, this time carried out by Master’s students. Overall, 700 people were observed, and three participatory observations and two introspections were also carried out. Master’s students conducted 160 interviews. The library implemented some smaller and quickly achievable changes during the year after the research. The research projects for 2023 were carried out in eight groups, each of which had eight members. The topics covered included the visiting habits, the help-seeking experiences, guiding signs and pointers, the White Hall, places most preferred by the visitors, reading rooms, ways of conducting information search, and the lobby environment. The project submission deadline was the end of December 2023, and the results were presented in the library in early January 2024. The library has received valuable feedback on its services and its environment from a large number of users while, hopefully, the students have gained an exciting experience for the future and thus also found their way to the university library.

Review

The article "Raamatukogu koostöö TÜ majandusteaduskonnaga" (UT Library’s Cooperation with the Faculty of Economics of the University of Tartu) presents a compelling case study of a sustained, multi-year collaboration between an academic library and a university economics faculty. This initiative, spanning from 2020 to 2023, uniquely integrates real-world user research into a course on economic and social science research methods, evolving from an undergraduate to a Master’s level subject. The primary objective is to offer students practical experience in business anthropology, enabling them to investigate library user behaviour through observation and interviews, ultimately aiming to identify patterns of "consumer behaviour" within the library environment. This pedagogical approach is highly commendable for its innovative merger of academic learning with practical, actionable research for an institutional partner. The abstract details the progressive development of the research methodology and scope over the three years. The initial 2020 study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, relied solely on 304 interviews, revealing low user awareness of services and leading to immediate library improvements. Subsequent studies in 2022 and 2023, carried out by Master’s students, expanded significantly, incorporating extensive observation (700 people observed in 2022) alongside interviews, participatory observation, and introspection. The 2023 projects further diversified into specific thematic areas, yielding a rich dataset on various aspects of library use. Crucially, the abstract underscores the tangible benefits for the UT Library, which received valuable feedback and implemented both immediate and longer-term changes based on the student findings. Concurrently, students gained invaluable hands-on research experience, bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application. This paper offers a robust example of how inter-faculty collaboration can mutually benefit both academic departments and institutional services, contributing significantly to evidence-based library management and student skill development. The multi-modal research approach, particularly the inclusion of business anthropology concepts, is a notable strength. While the abstract highlights that "several changes" were introduced and "valuable feedback" received, the review would benefit from more concrete examples of these implemented changes and, ideally, their measured impact on user experience or library efficiency. Future publications based on this work could also delve deeper into the pedagogical outcomes for students – what specific skills were enhanced, how did it influence their understanding of research, or potential career paths? Further exploration of the identified "consumer behaviour patterns" themselves, beyond just feedback and suggestions, would also enrich the academic contribution. Nevertheless, this initiative stands out as an exemplary model for fostering practical research skills while simultaneously enhancing an institution's service delivery.

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