RESULTS: FAQ | Summary
report | Respondent comments
| Data notebook | 2004
survey
2007 Survey results FAQ
What is the LibQUAL+ survey?
LibQUAL+(http://libqual.org) is
a survey developed by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) which helps
the Library:
• Better understand the respondents' expectations and perceptions about
library service quality and help identify areas for improvement.
• Provide benchmarks that help measure service quality improvements
over time.
• Provide benchmarks that help us understand how well we are doing compared
to our peers.
What does the survey measure?
The survey is designed to gauge user perceptions of service quality in three areas:
• Information control: The scope and accessibility of the Library's collections
• Affect of Service: The quality of staff assistance
• Library as Place: How well the library spaces meet users' needs
Each of the 22 core service statements are rated on three measures: the minimum
acceptable level of service, the desired level of service, and
the perceived level of service.
The survey includes five locally-chosen questions, asks about general satisfaction, and provides an optional comments box (review comments).
Who took the survey?
In Spring 2007, a total of 1,334 faculty & students responded to the LibQUAL+ survey:
• Faculty: 15.3%
• Doctoral: 35.8%
• Masters: 17.1%
• College: 31.3%
• 69% of the surveys were completed by those who listed Regenstein as the library they use most often
• 20% of the surveys were completed by doctoral students in the social sciences and humanities divisions
What are the 2007 survey results?
Faculty gave positive scores (perceived service level above the minimum) for
20 of the 22 core questions, but negative scores on the issue of the adequacy
of our journal collections and web site. The combined results for the 41 research
libraries that participated in the 2007 survey also show faculty giving negative
scores for journal collections and website, along with negative scores on
four other items related to information control.
Graduate students gave positive scores for 21 of the core questions but agreed
with faculty that the Library is not meeting their minimum needs when it comes
to journal collections. Graduate students also gave the Library negative scores
on three of the five items related to Library as Place. Clearly, the fact
that multi-year renovation projects were underway at the time of the survey
had an impact on users' perceptions.
Undergraduate scores were all positive but reflect the high value they place
on information control issues and the importance of the facilities. The most-improved scores among the undergraduates were all related to
their interactions with Library staff.
Read the summary report for more detailed
analysis of the results.
How is the Library responding to these results?
The Library is addressing the perceived indadequacies of the journal collections, the website, and the Library's facilities by conducting focus groups and usability studies. If you would like to participate, please fill out this
form. Moreover, the survey
results are informing the Library's strategic planning
process.
The comments also led to a number of service and collection improvements, including:
• Changing the renewal policy to allow unlimited renewals for PhD candidates.
• Developing process to acquire frequently-recalled research materials.
• Making sure that all collections can be found through online search tools.