The Measureable Effects of Closing a Branch Library: Circulation, Instruction, and Service Perception

Abstract

This article explores the closing of the Howard Ross Library of Management at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. We hypothesized that closing a branch library would result in a decline in the use of library services. We measured library service using circulation statistics, library instruction workshop statistics, and data from the online survey LibQUAL+®. Our hypothesis was supported for instruction but was not proved for circulation statistics nor for service perception as evaluated using LibQUAL+®.