REFERENCE MODE PREFERENCES
OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND
FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS
John Carey, MLS, AHIP
Ajatshatru (A.J.) Pathak, MLS, MPH
Hunter College Libraries
Purpose of the study
2
To explore
and compare
the
preferences
of students
at two-year
and fouryear colleges
when seeking
help from a
librarian
Setting of the study
3
Queensborough Community
College, CUNY




2-yr institution
Associate degrees,
certifications
@16,000 students
One campus, one
library
Hunter College, CUNY




4-yr institution
Bachelors and Masters
degrees
@23,000 students
Three campuses, four
libraries
Methods and instrument
4


Paper questionnaire, administered face-to-face
13 closed and 2 open questions

Conducted during Summer 2015
79 participants

$1 incentive

Characteristics of participants
5
62% Hunter,
24% QCC
81%
undergrad,
6.3% grad
63% female,
37% male
79% aware
of reference
services, 54%
have used
Most preferred reference modes,
all participants
6
Least preferred reference modes,
all participants
7
Community college students
8
Most preferred reference modes
Least preferred reference modes
Four-year college students
9
Most preferred reference modes
Least preferred reference modes
Preferences by gender
10
Most preferred reference modes
Least preferred reference modes
Most preferred modes, by age group
11
Least preferred modes, by age group
12
Limitation: part-time vs full-time
13
Queensborough Community
College, CUNY

Spring 2015:
Hunter College, CUNY

11,234 FT > 3,970 PT
8,706 FT > 4,566 PT

Summer 2015

Fall 2015
9,252 FT > 4,440 PT
Summer 2015
152 FT < 4,846 PT
58 FT < 4,747 PT

Spring 2015:

Fall 2015
11,942 FT > 3,523 PT
Major findings
14
Overwhelming preference for face-to-face
service, regardless of other factors
 No marked difference between community
college and four-year college students
 Too many respondents (21%) unaware of
library’s reference services

Sources
15


Carey, J. and Pathak, A.J. (2017). Reference mode
preferences of community college (two-year) and four-year
college students: A comparison study. Evidence Based Library
and Information Practice 12(1) [scheduled for publication
March 2017].
Slide 13: CUNY Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. (2016).
Undergraduate enrollment by degree/non-degree status, full-time/part-time
attendance, and college. Retrieved from
http://www.cuny.edu/irdatabook/rpts2_AY_current/ENRL_0020_DSTAT_F
TPT_HIST.rpt.pdf.