Leaders in higher education often have a strong belief system regarding students' needs from the library. It is difficult to address these beliefs which are typically based on personal experience or articles that espouse what students need from the academic library but may not pertain to the students a specific academic library serves. The myriad beliefs and opinions that exist at the University of South Carolina Beaufort frequently drive how resources are prioritized and distributed. To address the anecdotal opinions about students' library needs, the USCB library conducts a one-week in-person intensive needs assessment survey of its students, faculty, and staff. The survey provides data that demonstrates what students need and provides support for the library's financial investment in services and provides data that demonstrates why the library prioritizes certain investments and how they support student success. The needs assessment is also used as the basis for requesting new resources for the library in the annual budget cycle and shows how the investment in resources addresses what students stated they want from the library. The needs assessment survey reduces reliance on personal opinions, and the process shows students that the library is interested in their opinion and wants to respond to their needs to support their success and comfort in the library.
