A decade of personalized research assistance

Abstract

PurposeThe University of Idaho Library's Research Assistance Program has offered personalized research consultations to more than 1,150 students over ten years. This article aims to study the usage data compiled over the past decade to determine if the service still meets the needs of users effectively.Design/methodology/approachTen years' worth of quantitative and qualitative data were examined, using Excel to generate comparative figures/tables and to categorize user comments.FindingsIssues explored include consistencies in usage patterns (e.g. female to male ratio, undergraduate to graduate student ratio, on‐campus to off‐campus users), the average amount of librarian time spent in preparation for and in discussion with the RAP users, the point in the research process that RAP was requested, the types of assignments and sources, and challenges such as “no‐shows” and communication problems. The assessment revealed that students from a wide range of departments and classes continue to benefit from this program, and it is sustainable.Practical implicationsOther libraries can use this study to realistically estimate staff time and effort involved in individual appointments with a librarian in order to decide if they can offer such a service.Originality/valueNo other study of individual research assistance programs in academic libraries has studied ten years' worth of continuous data.