libqual + surveying the library’s users supervisor’s meeting march 17, 2004
TRANSCRIPT
The culture of assessment
“Assessment efforts should not be concerned about valuing what can be measured, but instead about measuring what is valued."-A.W. Astin
LibQUAL+
Developed by the Association of Research Libraries & Texas A&M University and based on a business model called SERVQUAL
Identify the key elements that determine a customer’s satisfaction
Adapt service quality measures to libraries
Quantify results so that they can be compared over time and shared with other libraries
LibQUAL+
Pilot at Texas A&M
2000-03 test the LibQUAL questionnaire at 400 academic and special libraries
Collect a pool of responses large enough to demonstrate the validity of questions
2004 LibQUAL+ program standardizes questions and survey form
LibQUAL+ Gathering user feedback
27 questions to measure 3 factors:The affect of service (e.g. empathy, responsiveness, assurance)
The library as a physical space
Information control (e.g. scope, timeliness, convenience, ease of use).
General demographic information for each respondent
LibQUAL+ at ChicagoSome reasons to invest our time now on a user survey
Assess the effect of recent library & university changes
Learn more about user expectations
Respond to SPG & SPG focus group suggestions
Information for a new library director
LibQUAL+ at Chicago
January 2004 decision to use LibQUAL+Form a survey teamIdentify pool of participants (to sample or not to sample?) Establish survey address and web pageSelect optional questions & pretest surveyCommunicate to library staffAnnounce LibQUAL+ to university community
LibQUAL+ at ChicagoApril 12-May 3 survey period
Invite selected participants & provide them with the web survey URL
Respond to survey problems, bounced e-mail addresses, informational questions
All survey responses are managed at the LibQUAL survey center in Texas
All personal information is disaggregated from survey responses
LibQUAL+ at ChicagoFollow-up
Analysis of LibQUAL+ results by LibQUAL + survey center provided in Summer
User comments
Printed reports
Data
Interactive web site with graphs & charts
July ALA follow-up meeting
LibQUAL+ at ChicagoFollow-up
Chicago activities
Study reports and draw some preliminary conclusions
Work with Library’s Assessment Group to communicate work to staff & user community
Determine further local analysis needs
In Summary
Survey user expectations about the library with the LibQUAL+ standard surveyConduct survey Spring Quarter 2004Assess, analyze and, communicate resultsIntegrate LibQUAL+ information with other library assessment work
For more information
LibQUAL + at Chicago web site www.lib.uchicago.edu/staffweb/groups/libqual/Contact the survey group
survey @lib.uchicago.eduSurvey team
David LarsenSheri LewisRebecca StarkeyAndrea Twiss-BrooksKathleen Zar