Co-creating Solutions with Students: Development of an Anonymous Problem-Reporting System

Objective: Traditionally, at the Mulford Health Science Library, if a student had concerns about other students’ behaviors, they would walk down the main staircase to the circulation desk. After making the report, they would walk back up the staircase, followed by a staff member, who would ask the students in question to modify their behavior. It was clear to everyone which student reported the issue, which led to animosity. Student representatives on the Mulford Library Advisory Committee asked for an anonymous way to report concerns in the library. Methods: Technical requirements for a solution included (1) the ability of a student to report an issue anonymously, without drawing attention to themselves; (2) to avoid circulation desk staff members having to learn another platform; and (3) to use available technology to avoid requesting additional funds. Options considered and rejected included using an IM chat service already used by the library, and text messaging. Results: TellMulford was implemented in August 2024, using an existing survey platform to gather necessary information from the student, which is then mailed to a newly created email account. This account forwards the report to the email accounts of all circulation employees. Thus, all requirements were fulfilled. Conclusions: Since the service was implemented and promoted in the library, usage has been steady. As expected, noise complaints are most commonly reported, with facilities and security issues reported much less frequently. Both students and library staff members are satisfied with the performance of the system.