How Well Do We Know Our Students? A Comparison of Students' Priorities for Services and Librarians' Perceptions of Those Priorities

Perception gaps measure the disparity between the current state and the expected or desired state for a particular phenomenon. This research study examined the perception gaps between how undergraduate students at the University of Mississippi prioritized adding prospective services and how librarians at the University of Mississippi thought students prioritize those services. Card sorts completed by students during a prior study were compared to cards sorts completed by librarians to calculate the perception gap for sixty different services and spaces. The perception gaps for technology-related services were analyzed based on findings from the authors' prior study. The perception gaps revealed several services that librarians either notably underestimated (extended hours, natural lighting) or overestimated (3D printing, removing bookshelves to add study space). The perception gaps for items which students had the most and least interest were also analyzed.