Is everything all right at night? Measuring user response to overnight library services.

A multiple methods study was conducted over three academic terms during the 2015 fiscal year at Santa Clara University Library to assess the impact and value of overnight library hours. A survey was conducted after midnight during times the Library was open 24 hours, five days a week (24/5), the last two weeks of the quarter. The survey was further informed by patron counts conducted hourly by library floor and type of activity. Survey questions were based on Sowell and Nutefall's study (2014); activity counts used categories similar to Johnson and McCallister's overnight study (2015). This SCU research queried service needs in overnight hours, finding, as others studies have, that late-night users are primarily seeking a quiet space with comfortable amenities conducive to concentrated study. This conclusion was supported by patron count data that documented user activity between midnight and 7 a.m. showing patrons overwhelmingly working on personal laptops (53%) or library PCs (14%). Over 90% of respondents strongly agreed (66%) or agreed (27%) with the statement that “having the ability to use the Learning Commons/Library during the overnight hours (midnight-7 a.m.) has made a positive difference for me academically.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]