Olin Library

Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 Annual Report

The library focused primarily on increasing marketing for resources and services to increase student engagement through in-person academic sessions and community outreach events.

Instruction & Outreach

Librarians taught a wide range of courses as well as orientations this academic year, totaling 185 classes, a 19% increase from 2021-22. Librarians also interacted with a total of 3,102 students, a 24% increase from 2021-22. Out of all surveyed, students rated their librarians excellently*:

*Measured on a 1-5 scale rating

During this academic year, Olin librarians and the TWC switched over to different appointment scheduling systems from EAB for a more streamlined user experience: LibCal and Microsoft Office forms, respectively.

While the number of instruction sessions continued to increase from the previous two reporting periods, the number of consultations did not change, with a total of 145 Research Assistance sessions held. Despite implementing the new scheduling system, LibCal, for Spring 2023, the overall amount of consultations may be attributed to changes in staffing and librarian sabbatical periods.

There were 3,125 Tutoring & Writing Sessions held, an 8.9% decrease. Despite the decrease in overall sessions, there was a 25.4% increase for in-person sessions.

In the Collection

With gaps in staffing throughout the year within the Collections department, priority shifted to attaining and cataloguing digital materials.

7,181 total materials were added to the collection:

612 total physical materials
6,569 total digital materials, a 32% increase

In total, 11,549 materials (including equipment) and reserves were circulated throughout the year, a 26.87% increase from the previous year. In addition, 1,973 items were borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, a 5% decrease from 2021-22. This may be attributed to staffing gaps and changes during this time, as well.

Virtual Resources Usage

Several online systems underwent a cosmetic update, specifically Olin's Research and Subject Guides, new appointment scheduler, and library FAQ. Links to these resources were promoted multiple times within e-newsletters throughout the year.

The library's resources were accessed through:

190,397 Primo (Catalog) sessions, a 19.2% decrease
149,185 Primo searches, a 7.39% decrease
39,889 Research and Subject Guides page views, a 12.2% increase (nearing pandemic numbers)

The public-facing Olin Library FAQ was added to various spots on the website and promoted through e-newsletters for added visibility, with a total of 683 total FAQ views, a 1607.5% from the previous year. A total of 19 new FAQ entries were also added to the knowledge base.

Within the Archives digital resources, a total of 534 new works were posted to the Rollins Scholarship Online collection, now totaling up to 6,252 unique works, an 8.5% increase in the number of total items.

There is recorded amount of 73,657 page views of RSO digital collections, a 9.8% increase in the amount of online engagement with our digital collection content compared to the previous year.

Inside the Building

Olin faculty and staff promoted in-house events to encourage students to visit and increase student engagement during the academic year.

During the academic year, there was a counter of 81,810* door openings, although this number does not include the total amount of patrons going through an open door.