<div dir="ltr"><p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">New survey
reveals widespread gaps in space planning, limited use of utilization data, and
uneven adoption of measurement tools across academic libraries</span></strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black"></span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">Primary Research Group
has released a new research report, <strong>Survey
of Academic Library Facilities Management: Space Use Plans, PartTwo,</strong>
offering an in‑depth look at how academic libraries plan, measure, and manage
physical space in an era of hybrid study environments.</span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">Based on a nationwide
survey of academic libraries of varying size, age, and institutional type, the
report examines space planning practices, utilization measurement methods, data‑driven
decision‑making, zoning policies, and signage effectiveness. The findings
reveal a sector in transition—balancing growing demand for collaborative space
with limited planning frameworks and largely manual data practices.</span></p>
<h3 style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><strong><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black;font-weight:normal">Five Key Findings from the Study</span></strong><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black;font-weight:normal"></span></h3>
<p style="margin-left:36pt;margin-right:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">1.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">
</span></span><strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">Nearly half of academic libraries operate without a space plan.</span></strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">\ <strong>44.44%</strong> of libraries report
having no current space plan, while only <strong>15.56%</strong>
have one updated within the past two years, leaving more than <strong>70% without a current, actionable planning
framework</strong>. </span></p>
<p style="margin-left:36pt;margin-right:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">2.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">
</span></span><strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">Utilization data informs decisions—but rarely drives them.</span></strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">\ Just <strong>17.78%</strong> of libraries say
seating and space decisions are guided by utilization data “to a great extent,”
while over <strong>40%</strong>
rely on it only moderately. </span></p>
<p style="margin-left:36pt;margin-right:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">3.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">
</span></span><strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">Manual headcounts remain the dominant measurement method.</span></strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">\ <strong>77.78%</strong> of libraries rely on
manual sweeps or headcounts, far outpacing advanced approaches such as
occupancy sensors (<strong>8.89%</strong>)
or Wi‑Fi analytics (<strong>2.22%</strong>).
</span></p>
<p style="margin-left:36pt;margin-right:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">4.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">
</span></span><strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">Most libraries describe their space as hybrid—but often
fragmented.</span></strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">\
A majority (<strong>51.11%</strong>)
describe their space mix as balanced between quiet and collaborative use, while
<strong>40%</strong> report
strong variation by floor or zone. </span><a style="color:blue;text-decoration-line:underline"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">1</span></a><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black"></span></p>
<p style="margin-left:36pt;margin-right:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">5.<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">
</span></span><strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">Only 40% have clearly defined and enforced zoning policies.</span></strong><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">\ While quiet and collaborative
zones are common, just <strong>40%</strong>
of libraries report having policies that are clearly defined and consistently
enforced. </span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black">Overall, the study
finds that larger, multi‑branch, and newer libraries demonstrate stronger
planning capacity and more consistent data use, while smaller and space‑constrained
institutions rely more heavily on anecdotal judgment.</span></p>
<p style="margin-right:0cm;margin-left:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="color:black">To view a table of contents, excerpt and
participants list, follow this link: </span><span style="font-family:Cambria,serif;color:black"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0cm;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria,serif"><a href="https://www.primaryresearch.com/AddCart.aspx?ReportID=881" style="color:blue">https://www.primaryresearch.com/AddCart.aspx?ReportID=881</a></p>
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