Throughout the autumn, we'll be posing new questions every week. Curious about how others have responded to this week's question? On this page, you can track results and opinions over time, and later also read the library's comments.

Week 47 and 48: Do you read e-books through the library? Does it work well, or do you sometimes encounter issues?

E-book usage is steadily increasing, as we can see in the statistics, but statistics don't reveal your opinions on reading on screens. Therefore, we wanted to investigate this a bit further.

Do you usually read e-books from the library?

  • Yes: 17
  • No: 37

Some examples of comments:

  • It often works quite well, but I also encounter issues sometimes. Some services have very strict loan times and cumbersome DRM (copy protection). Epub files are also a gamble since few books have page numbers programmed, making it impossible to reference correctly.
  • It works very well because my course literature in book form is often checked out, and I don't always have the opportunity to sit and read reference literature on-site.
  • It works well, but I would much rather have the book physically; I find it easier to read that way. The text flows differently when I read a book via the computer.
  • It works very well.
  • There are often not up-to-date editions, even though syllabuses require them.
  • Yes, for school.
  • Yes, when it's assigned as course literature.
  • No, mostly non-fiction and children's literature.
  • No, I read real books.

Week 45 and 46: Which databases or search services do you most often use when looking for texts?

  • Google Scholar
  • Pubmed
  • Scopus
  • Cochrane
  • Malmö University Website
  • Web of Science
  • Internet Archive
  • Libris
  • Eric
  • Primo
  • synonymer.se

Weeks 43 and 44: What gadgets, apps, and programs do you use for your studies?

Computer

  • MacBook, stationary PC, iPhone
  • Mobile + Chromebook + personal computer
  • A computer for note-taking and information search

Web browser

  • Firefox x2
  • Google Chrome x2
  • Safari

Programs/apps

  • Notion for gathering information x2
  • Legimus for reading
  • Google Docs x4
  • Zoom
  • Messenger
  • Google Share
  • Microsoft Word
  • VS Code (for coding)
  • SimpleMind - an app for creating mind maps. It's available for both Mac and iPhone/iPad. In the app, you can color-code, add notes, and get a better overview of concepts and their relationships. It can sometimes be nice to have a change from producing text in your notebook or a document.

Other

  • Headphones for listening to music.

Weeks 41 and 42: Do you miss any type of furniture or technical equipment in the library?

During these weeks, we asked you to tell us about furniture or other items that are missing or not working well in our libraries. Several of the comments relate to seating. Unfortunately, the number of seats and group rooms is somewhat challenging to expand due to the available space, but we are constantly exploring better solutions to make the seating functional and to provide various types of workspaces.

Here is the list of your suggestions:

  • More large desks and functional workspaces x 6
  • Additional seating
  • Desks and worktables
  • Need more seating, chairs, and tables
  • Lack of overall study spaces, especially individual seating. It's common to see one person sitting alone at a large table, so having more smaller individual spaces could address this issue. It also seems that there might be an excess of stationary computers in the library as most people use their own laptops at these workstations.
  • Dividers for the large tables with six seats in the quiet section. Unpleasant to sit directly across from someone when studying individually.
  • I find that the library computers at HS (Health and Society) would benefit from either higher tables or the ability to lower the chairs further. I sit at these computers almost daily and often feel hunched over. The inability to adjust the height has contributed to some back discomfort. It would be desirable if HS had furniture similar to that used at Orkanen Library.
  • Small, foldable tables for the armchairs in the quiet section would be useful, making it easier to study with a laptop there.
  • More wide armchairs, possibly without armrests, as the ones in the corner of the quiet area at Orkanen Library are somewhat uncomfortable. Mini tables for them would also be nice.
  • The sunshade is not functioning (northwest)
  • DO NOT LOWER the sunshade
  • More coat hangers (in the quiet section)
  • Glass doors between the quiet section and the rest of the library
  • More whiteboard markers in the group study rooms
    Library's comment: It's challenging to keep track of the markers in all the group study rooms and the whiteboards throughout the library. However, there are markers available at the library's information desk!
  • More group study rooms
  • Soft chairs, please! (or bean bags)
  • The ability to borrow a drawing tablet
  • More water dispensers in the library would be greatly appreciated.
  • Keep up the good work ❤️

Week 40: Is the signage in the library clear? Can you find your way around the library?

This week, we wanted to investigate the clarity of signage in the libraries. As the Orkanen Library is the largest of our libraries, and therefore the most challenging to navigate, we received the most feedback about finding one's way there. Pleasingly, a significant majority responded affirmatively to the question and felt they could locate what they needed. Here's how the responses were distributed:

  • Yes — 19 
  • No — 8
    Of these, 3 individuals specified they find it challenging to locate lecture halls, 2 people feel group rooms are hard to find, 1 person feels the toilet locations are unclear, and another struggles to locate books. In addition to this, we received a comment about the Orkanen Library's overview map being very unclear. We acknowledge that the map is not particularly lucid, and we are aiming to find an alternative solution in the future.

Week 38 and 39: What types of activities would you like to participate in at the library?

The vast majority of you visitors seem to enjoy events at the library that go beyond studies or work. We at the library feel the same way. Here's a list of the most popular activities and those you've suggested:

  • Knitting, crocheting, embroidery evening — 30
  • Book flea market — 22
  • Board game night — 16
  • Clothes swap — 13
  • Book club — 10
  • Language café — 9
  • Extended opening hours — 8
  • Lunch lecture — 8
  • Author evening — 5
  • Poker night — 1
  • New book presentation — 1
  • Book club where one reads an article instead of a book — 1
  • None of the above — 1
Biblioteket på hälsa och samhälle Malmö Universitet

In response to the first week's question, we received varied answers about different favourite spots. However, it's evident that many appreciate the Bersån area in the Orkanen Library and the views from several of the library's study spaces.