Ithaka Survey Results for Drake University

The faculty and staff of Cowles Library are committed to a process of continuous improvement in services. 

Profound changes are taking place in the structure of access to scholarly information, research processes, and approaches to learning.  In order to sustain appropriate access and utilization of services and resources for Drake, Cowles Library seeks to identify emerging trends and apply them to enhanced library services.

In the Fall of 2018, Cowles Library implemented the Ithaka S+R Faculty Survey. The nationally recognized questionnaire covered topics in several key areas, including: how faculty members discover and access materials for research; faculty members’ usage of scholarly communication services; faculty members’ research practices, including data management needs; faculty members’ perceptions of students’ research skills; the role of the library in supporting faculty's needs; instructional practices, including Open Educational Resources (OER) and learning analytics; and faculty members' impressions and usage of support services. 

This site includes both a summary and in-depth results of the survey, as well as initial action steps on the part of the Library.

How Do Drake Faculty Value the Library?

1. As a starting point or information gateway for research.
2. As a primary provider of needed academic journals, books and electronic databases.
3. As a repository of resources (archiving, preserving, tracking).
4. As a supporter and facilitator of faculty teaching activities.
5. As a partner in helping students (both undergraduate & graduate) develop research, critical analysis, and information literacy skills.
6. Many faculty are interested in using and/or creating OER. Faculty feel that it is difficult to locate OER, that Drake doesn't offer training & support for OER, and that Drake doesn't recognize or reward faculty for taking the time & effort to integrate OER into their teaching.