Enhancing Library Services Through User Feedback: The LibQUAL+ Approach
This meeting summary from March 17, 2004, explores the importance of understanding library users through assessment tools such as LibQUAL+. Developed jointly by the Association of Research Libraries and Texas A&M University, LibQUAL+ aims to measure user satisfaction across key dimensions: service quality, library physical space, and information control. The summary highlights the methods used, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews, to gather meaningful data. It advocates for continuous evaluation to align library services with user expectations, ensuring they remain relevant and responsive.
Enhancing Library Services Through User Feedback: The LibQUAL+ Approach
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Presentation Transcript
LibQUAL+ Surveying the Library’s Users Supervisor’s Meeting March 17, 2004
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
Choosing an assessment approach • Survey questionnaires • Focus groups • Observations • Interviews
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 Chicago • Some 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 team • Identify pool of participants (to sample or not to sample?) • Establish survey address and web page • Select optional questions & pretest survey • Communicate to library staff • Announce LibQUAL+ to university community
LibQUAL+ at Chicago • April 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 survey • Conduct survey Spring Quarter 2004 • Assess, analyze and, communicate results • Integrate 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.edu • Survey team • David Larsen • Sheri Lewis • Rebecca Starkey • Andrea Twiss-Brooks • Kathleen Zar
Thanks • Photographs Beverly Sperring & Barbara Kern • Design and technical adviceDiana Cole
