Re-Visioning the Future of University Libraries and Archives through LIBQUAL+ Cynthia Akers Associate Professor and Assessment Coordinator ESU Libraries and Archives ESU Assessment Forum Poster Session February 18, 2011
Why Consider Assessment at This Time? Physical renovations of the WAW Library building in the last decade Changes in student populations (from primarily Emporia-based to distance education, nontraditional students, international students, etc.) Faculty and staff turnover in Libraries and Archives (new faces, new perspectives) New Libraries and Archives Dean as of mid (another perspective to see about resources and services)
Timeline Leading Up to LibQUAL+ 2006: Administration of “home-grown” student satisfaction survey with ULA services and resources December 2008: Assessment Coordinator accepted to ACRL Immersion Literacy Institute for assessment “immersion” program : Research begins to find standardized library service assessment measures as well as funding for such tests Spring 2010: Assessment Coordinator receives a grant of $ to fund LibQUAL+ from Kathrine White research grant program, ESU Foundation
Why LIBQUAL+? Administered by Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Since 2000, more than 1,000 libraries of all types (nationally and internationally) have used LibQUAL+ Designed to solicit, track, understand, and act upon patrons’ perceptions of library service quality Standardized approach facilitates benchmarking of results against peer institutions Web-based survey; little to no technical expertise needed to run the survey
How Does LibQUAL+ Work? Long (original) Version used by ULA: 22 core survey items, or statements, measure user perceptions of library service quality in the areas of: Affect of Service Information Control Library as Place For each item, patrons indicate: –Minimum service level of satisfaction –Desired service level of satisfaction –Perceived service performance at that point in time
Sample LibQUAL+ Statements Affect of Service Employees who instill confidence in users Employees who have the knowledge to answer user questions Employees who deal with users in a caring fashion Information Control A library Web site enabling me to locate information on my own The printed library materials I need for my work The electronic information sources I need Library as Place Library space that inspires study and learning A comfortable and inviting location Community space for group learning and group study
Additional LibQUAL+ Information Place at the end of the survey for open-ended comments (optional; we received 108 comments) as well as adding address for an incentive drawing, an iPad Option to add five local questions from a standardized list; we added: –Ability to navigate library Web pages easily –Ease and timeliness in getting materials from other libraries –Informing me of useful library services –Online course support (readings, links, references) –Teaching me how to access, evaluate, and use information
Administration of LibQUAL+ Technology and Computing Services staff helped to create address lists for random samples of: 1200 undergraduate students 600 graduate students 600 faculty and staff (included unclassified non-teaching personnel and adjunct faculty) Web-based survey URL link sent to these groups three times in a three-week period (first three weeks of November 2010) Total of 344 surveys were completed; 313 of those were valid
Next Steps Results notebook of data outlined by radar charts for targeted groups Identification of national and international “peer institutions” (we are considering various definitions for peers; 101 institutions did LibQUAL+ in 2010) Report pending to ULA Advisory Committee Analysis of data through SPSS Other assessment measures in Spring 2011 and beyond (focus groups for library services and resources?) Key: Do NOT forget the continuous cycle of assessment! Evaluate; modify/change as needed; assess again…