LibQUAL+⢠Survey 2006
LibQUAL+™ Survey 2006 Pius XII Memorial Library Results Summary
The Pius Library LibQUAL+ Team Georgia Baugh Kevin Connor Jane Gillespie
July 21, 2006
LibQUAL+™ Background LibQUAL+™ is a suite of services that libraries use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon users’ opinions of service quality. These services are offered to the library community by the Association of Research Libraries and Texas A&M University. The program’s centerpiece is a rigorously-tested Web-based survey bundled with training that helps libraries assess and improve library services, change organizational culture, and market the library. The goals of LibQUAL+™ are to • • • • • •
Foster a culture of excellence in providing library service Help libraries better understand user perceptions of library service quality Collect and interpret library user feedback systematically over time Provide libraries with comparable assessment information from peer institutions Identity best practices in library service Enhance library staff members’ analytical skills for interpreting and acting on data (ARL, p.6) LibQUAL+™ Survey LibQUAL+™ is a web-based survey (see Appendix A). The standard survey includes 22
core questions about library service quality. The 22 questions are designed to measure • • •
Affect of service Information control Library as place
Additional questions gather demographic information and library usage data. Survey participants have an option of writing additional comments. In 2006, Pius Library participated in the survey as part of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) consortium. The consortium elected to add an additional five questions relating to the Jesuit mission. Since one of these questions asked respondents about the 24-7 AJCU online reference service, which Pius Library does not provide, the Library elected to replace that question with a broader
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question from LibQUAL’s pool of additional questions. The selected question asked about online help. The LibQUAL+™ survey measures a library user’s perceptions. The survey participants report their minimum, desired and perceived service levels on a scale of 1 to 9. The survey is administered remotely by a team at the Association of Research Libraries. This team provides analysis of the quantitative data and a list of the qualitative comments.
LibQUAL+™ Process and Response Rates The LibQUAL+™ Survey (Appendix A) was administered at Pius XII Memorial Library from March 27 through April 16, 2006. Participants included three user groups: undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members from the North end of campus except for the Law School faculty. Each participant was invited to complete the survey via their Saint Louis University e-mail account. A notification of selection, an invitation to complete the survey, and three reminders were sent to each participant. Using SQL queries, Information Technology Services (ITS) identified all full-time faculty members (except Law) on the North end of campus and drew random samples of undergraduate and graduate student user groups from the North end of campus. ITS provided e-mail addresses for each potential participant. A total of 1,800 undergraduate students plus 300 replacement undergraduate students was selected so that a sample of 1,800 undergraduate students could be surveyed. A total of 600 graduate students plus 200 replacement students was selected so that a sample of 600 graduate students could be surveyed. Since the number of full-time faculty on the North end of campus (457) was less than the recommended 600 faculty
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members, the entire population of full-time faculty members minus Law School faculty were included. This process yielded 357 responses at the end of survey. Overall response rates were 7.5% (135/1800) for undergraduates, 11.5% (69/600) for graduate students, and 32.6% (149/457) for faculty members. Of the 357 surveys received, 333 were usable. Surveys were not usable due to incomplete data, defined as missing responses on the 27 questions, excessive NA responses, defined as more than 11 NA responses, or inconsistent responses, defined as surveys with more than 9 instances where the minimum acceptable rating was higher than the desired rating (ARL, p. 13). The response rate after removal of unusable surveys was 7.1% (128/1800) for undergraduate students, 10.2% (61/600) for graduate students, and 30.6% (140/457) for faculty members. Of the 333 useable surveys, 38.4% were completed by undergraduate students (n =128), 18.3% by graduate students (n= 61), and 42.0% by faculty members (n=140). Four participants self identified as library staff or university staff, even though these user groups were not included in the sample. These four participants had to be undergraduate or graduate students who were also employed by Saint Louis University.
LibQUAL+™ Quantitative Results and Analysis The Pius XII Memorial Library LibQUAL+™ Team summarized the quantitative data and analyzed the qualitative data. The gap theory was used to interpret the quantitative data. Users report their minimum, perceived and desired levels of service. The gap between the minimum mean and the perceived mean is the service adequacy gap. The gap between the desired mean and the perceived mean is the superiority gap. For this analysis, statements are made based on the adequacy and superiority gaps seen in the quantitative data.
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LibQUAL+™ Gap Theory Desired Service Mean Rating
Superiority Gap
Perceived Service Service Adequacy Gap
Minimum Service
Service Dimension
Figure 1 Figure 1 provides a graphical representation of these gaps. The gray bar represents the range of minimum to desired scores (the Superiority Gap) for a service dimension. The orange, interior bar represents the range of the minimum to perceived scores (the Service Adequacy Gap) for a dimension. The following graphs summarize the three dimensions of service measured by the survey by user group.
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Figure 2 (Composite of four charts from ARL, p. 31, 44, 57, 70)
Figure 2 shows service quality scores for Affect of Service for each user group surveyed. The Affect of Service dimension measures the interaction between library personnel and library users. Overall, users in all three groups report being satisfied with service provided by library faculty and staff as is indicated by the service adequacy gap. Of all user groups, faculty members reported being the most satisfied with their interactions with library faculty and staff.
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Figure 3 (Composite of four charts from ARL, p. 31, 44, 57, 70)
Figure 3 (Composite of four charts from ARL, 31, 44, 57, 70)
Figure 3 shows service quality scores for the Information Control dimension for each user group surveyed. The Information Control dimension includes adequacy of library collections (print and electronic) and ease of access to information. Perceived service quality for the Information Control dimension is below the minimum expectations for graduate students and faculty. The perceived service quality for the Information Control dimension 7
barely exceeds the minimum expectations for undergraduates. Faculty is the group that is most dissatisfied with the Information Control dimension. Among the eight survey questions that measure the Information Control dimension, the greatest service adequacy gap for both
graduate students and faculty was for question IC-8, “Print/electronic journal collections I require for my work”.
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Figure 4 Figure 4 above shows service quality forp.the as Place dimension for each (Composite of four charts scores from ARL, 31,Library 44, 57, 70) user group surveyed. The Library as Place dimension focuses on the library environment. As shown in the graph, undergraduate students clearly have a higher minimum standard that they will accept and a higher desired standard than either graduate students or faculty members. However, the perceived mean for undergraduates falls below their minimum acceptable service mean. Graduate students have slightly lower minimum and desired service means than undergraduates but their perceived mean is above their minimum desired service level. Minimum desired service means for faculty for the Library as Place dimension was similar to that of graduate students while their desired standard is lower than both graduate students and undergraduates. Trends that emerged from the quantitative data are •
Perceived means for all service groups fell between each group’s minimum and desired levels of service on the Affect of Service dimension. Of the groups surveyed, faculty members are the most satisfied with this dimension.
•
Perceived means for graduate students and faculty members fell below their minimally acceptable levels for Information Control. The Library barely met undergraduate students’ minimally acceptable level of service for this same dimension. All groups desire greater information control than their current perceived level. The faculty perceived mean was well below the minimum expected service level for this dimension with the print/electronic journal collection identified as a primary concern.
•
The desired mean score for the Library as Place dimension was the highest for the undergraduates but their perceived mean score was below their minimum
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expected service level, indicating that undergraduates place a high value on the physical library.
LibQUAL+™ Qualitative Data Results and Analysis In addition to answering survey questions, participants could give written comments if they chose. A total of 159 written comments were received. Comments were received from each user group as follows: • • • •
73 from faculty – 2 not usable 36 from graduate students – 2 not usable 49 from undergraduate students – 6 not usable 1 from staff members Even though Saint Louis University staff members were not invited to take the survey,
one respondent indicated their user group as “Staff”. This means the staff member completing the survey was also an graduate or undergraduate student. Due to the fact that the staff member was also a member of one of the surveyed groups, their responses were coded and included. The LibQUAL+™ Team reviewed the comments and identified six categories. These are 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Information Control Affect of service Library as place Refers to the Health Sciences Center Library (now Medical Center Library) Comments about the LibQUAL+™ survey itself General comments about library
Each team member coded the qualitative comments independently. All categories except category 4 were further characterized as positive or negative. The team met to compare coded results and resolve any differences. Of the 159 comments received, 149 could be coded, yielding 268 comments across the six categories. Seventy-eight comments addressed multiple categories and 81 comments addressed a single category.
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Breakdown of Survey Comments Category
Code
Information Control Affect of Service Library as Place Refers to Health Sciences Center Library Comments about survey General comment
Positive
Negative
1 2 3 4
10 66 4
51 29 74
Total 61 95 78 6
5 6 Total
0 15
13 0
13 15 268
Key Findings Key findings from the qualitative results and representative comments are listed below. All coded comments are in Appendix B. AFFECT OF SERVICE Key Finding: Users are generally satisfied with the service provided by Pius Library across a variety of service points. Comments The librarian liaison to our department is wonderful! That's great structure that should be retained. Her assistance is invaluable to faculty and staff. We feel that she's a part of our academic program. -Faculty, Social Sciences/Psychology All in all, I am happy and satisfied with the service provided by SLU library. At all times I have always perceived the willingness to help and to provide the best materials, tools and services. Thanks indeed. I highly value Interlibrary Loan Service, electronic reserves and materials, the willingness to buy more books in my areas, and staff's polite attitude; all this definitely helps me in my research and teaching. -Faculty, Humanities I have always been very impressed by how quickly electronic requests through interlibrary loan are filled, I appreciate it. -Graduate student, Science/Math We have a fantastic library with a top notch staff, I have never been to any staff member who couldn’t help me immediately. -Undergraduate, Business
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Key Finding: Printing and photocopying are inconvenient Comment I really wish that we had a mini-copy center inside of the library like other universities do (i.e. Washington University). Too many of the copiers were taken away with the new "Billiken Bucks" pay method being instituted and it's quite inconvenient especially if you are a graduate student to find copiers in a central location that work. A copy area with say 4 or 5 copiers in a central location (one room) and a sorting table with staplers, hole punches, etc would really take our library to more equal footing with that of other research institutions. -Graduate student, Humanities INFORMATION CONTROL Key Finding: Faculty do not have access to adequate print/electronic journal collections. Comments The lack of electronic journal subscriptions in the biological sciences makes the library very close to useless for my research endeavors. It is quite frankly an embarrassment when I have to tell my incoming graduate students "yes, this is the library, no we don't take that journal (either in paper or electronically), no we don't take that journal either, yes I agree this is a problem" and finally, the phrase I hate the most is "you'll have to go to Wash U. to get this done." I am aware that this is not the fault of anyone on the library staff. In fact the staff at the library is among the most helpful and dedicated of any university library staff that I have ever dealt with. However, the lack of electronic resources is a huge problem and is truly an impediment to conducting research at Saint Louis University. I sincerely hope that we are able to fix this problem in the near future. -Faculty, Science/Math The journals in my field are highly inadequate. I don't mean inadequate, I mean disastrous. No, not disastrous, catastrophic. The library desperately (desperately) needs a bigger budget. Hard to believe the budget's been flat for what, 3, 4 years? And now they're talking about cutting even more journals? (Faculty, Humanities) The major weakness in the library at present over the past several years has been the stagnant book and journals budget. I would strongly urge the administration to significantly augment resources for academic books and journals. Spatial refurbishing should be given a much lower priority than the materials budget. -Faculty, Humanities LIBRARY AS PLACE Key Finding: The library needs renovation. The current environment does not offer an inviting
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atmosphere for learning activities. Comments If anything, the library needs to be a more inviting place to study. It is simply too dreary for me to study in for long hours. Renovations are greatly needed to upgrade from the 1950s-style decoration and atmosphere. -Undergraduate Science/Math And I feel claustrophobic when I enter Pius: it's an uninspiring and unwelcoming environment, hardly conducive to learning or thinking. Moreover, I resent being carded upon entry, and find it a nuisance as well. -Faculty, Humanities The Library needs to be remodeled!!! The fluorescent lights are terrible for studying. It needs to be all wireless. It needs to not make you come down to the first floor after a certain time at night. It needs to have a 24 hour study room with perhaps something like the bean attached. Use Fordham's library as an example--it is amazing! -Undergraduate, Business The one thing I desire more than anything in the Pius library is the use of a private study carrel. Many other fine research libraries have these. It would help my research to have a place to "hide" in the Library and work without interruption. -Faculty, Humanities Key Finding: The library is too noisy Comment I rarely study at the library because it isn't quiet enough. There is no enforcement of quiet study aside from ones peers. The quiet study only area on the 2nd floor isn't sufficient, and the general study areas around the perimeters of the stacks are not quiet. Also there is not enough space for group study in a way that isn't distracting to others, and people would be more inclined to use the breakout rooms if it weren't necessary to get a key from the main desk -Undergraduate Science/Math Key Finding: Undergraduates want the library to be open later. Comments The library should have a space that is open 24 hours a day. Numerous other universities, as I have learned through friends that attended these universities, have at least a section that is available 24 hours. The fact that each night when the library closes there are large numbers of people should be a good indication. I feel there is NO EXCUSE for the fact that the library is not open 24 hours at least during midterm and
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exam weeks. There is no where to study on campus 24 hours except Reinert banquet rooms, which are horrible. -Undergraduate, Business I really think the library provides a great service and the only reason I put low points for the service was because I believe that as a university we need to have a 24 hour library. Almost every university has at least one 24 hour library and since we do not have any other study place that is open 24 hours I do not know where to go after 1 a.m. unless I go to the BSC for just one extra hour. -Undergraduate, Science/Math Key Finding Users want more computers in the library as well as wireless. Comments WIRELESS INTERNET is essential for the library. Please provide this in the near future. -Undergraduate, Business I wish there were more computers available on all floors for use (with Internet connection). -Undergraduate, Science/Math Conclusion This was the second time that Pius Library used the LibQUAL+TM survey to assess service quality. The 2003 survey results showed no user groups with perceived levels of service below their minimum acceptable service levels on any of the then four dimensions of service. Primary concerns were •
the need for more resources, specifically electronic journals and printed books
•
the need for longer hours
•
the noise level in study areas
•
the need to upgrade the library’s physical facility
Since these concerns were not satisfactorily addressed during the intervening three years, these same concerns appeared on the 2006 survey, only more prominently. The 2006 LibQUAL+™ survey shows two areas where at least one of the user groups
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indicated their perceived service level is below their minimum desired level. •
On the Information Control dimension, Pius Library is not meeting the minimum acceptable level of service for faculty or for graduate students, primarily in access to print and electronic resources.
•
On the Library as Place dimension, Pius Library is not meeting the minimum acceptable level of service for undergraduates.
Both the 2003 and 2006 surveys highlighted several areas in which Pius Library is very successful – customer service, Interlibrary Loan service including MERLIN and MOBIUS loans, and the liaison librarian program. The surveys also provided information regarding opportunities for improvement. Some of these include the need for better funding to provide more resources, particularly electronic journals, and a more inviting and user friendly building. While the library staff should feel good about the service they provide, there is room for improvement. Our users expect the Library to move forward to provide these resources along with a more inviting environment in which they can study comfortably and find the information they need to complete research.
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Reference List Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and Texas A&M University. (2006). LibQUAL+™ spring 2006 survey: Institution results: Saint Louis University, Pius XII Memorial Library. Washington, DC: The Association.
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Saint Louis University - Pius XII Memorial Library Welcome! We are committed to improving your library services. Better understanding your expectations will help us tailor those services to your needs. We are conducting this survey to measure library service quality and identify best practices through the Association of Research Libraries' LibQUAL+(TM) program. Please answer all items. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation!
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Please rate the following statements (1 is lowest, 9 is highest) by indicating: Minimum -- the number that represents the minimum level of service that you would find acceptable Desired -- the number that represents the level of service that you personally want Perceived -- the number that represents the level of service that you believe our library currently provides For each item, you must EITHER rate the item in all three columns OR identify the item as "N/A" (not applicable). Selecting "N/A" will override all other answers for that item. When it comes to... My Minimum Service Level Is Low
1) Employees who instill confidence in users 2) Making electronic resources accessible from my home or office 3) Library space that inspires study and learning 4) Giving users individual attention 5) A library Web site enabling me to locate information on my own 6) Availability of online help when using my library's electronic resources 7) Employees who are consistently courteous 8) The printed library materials I need for my work 9) Quiet space for individual activities 10) Readiness to respond to users' questions 11) The electronic information resources I need 12) The library staff reflects and promotes the Jesuit ideals of social justice and respect for all persons 13) Employees who have the knowledge to answer user questions 14) The library collection provides information resources reflecting diverse points of view 15) A comfortable and inviting location 16) Employees who deal with users in a caring fashion 17) Modern equipment that lets me easily access needed information
My Desired Service Level Is
High Low
Perceived Service Performance Is N/A
High Low
High
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18) The library program teaches me how to access, evaluate, and use information 19) Employees who understand the needs of their users 20) Easy-to-use access tools that allow me to find things on my own 21) A getaway for study, learning, or research 22) Willingness to help users 23) Making information easily accessible for independent use 24) Print and/or electronic journal collections I require for my work 25) Community space for group learning and group study 26) The library provides access to archival materials (documents, manuscripts, and photographs) 27) Dependability in handling users' service problems
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
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Please indicate the degree to which you agree with the following statements: 2 3 4 5 28) The library helps me stay abreast of developments in my 1 Strongly Disagree field(s) of interest. 1 2 3 4 5 29) The library aids my advancement in my academic Strongly Disagree discipline. 1 2 3 4 5 30) The library enables me to be more efficient in my Strongly Disagree academic pursuits. 1 2 3 4 5 31) The library helps me distinguish between trustworthy Strongly Disagree and untrustworthy information. 2 3 4 5 32) The library provides me with the information skills I need 1 Strongly Disagree in my work or study. 1 2 3 4 5 33) In general, I am satisfied with the way in which I am Strongly Disagree treated at the library. 1 2 3 4 5 34) In general, I am satisfied with library support for my Strongly Disagree learning, research, and/or teaching needs. 1 2 3 4 5 35) How would you rate the overall quality of the service Extremely Poor provided by the library?
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6
7
8
9
Strongly Agree 6
7
8
9
Strongly Agree 6
7
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9
Strongly Agree 6
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Strongly Agree 6
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Strongly Agree 6
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9
Extremely Good
Please indicate your library usage patterns: 36) How often do you use resources on library premises?
___ Daily ___ Weekly ___ Monthly ___ Quarterly ___ Never
37) How often do you access library resources through a library Web page?
___ Daily ___ Weekly ___ Monthly ___ Quarterly ___ Never
38) How often do you use Yahoo(TM), Google(TM), or non-library gateways for information?
___ Daily ___ Weekly ___ Monthly ___ Quarterly ___ Never
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Please answer a few questions about yourself: 39) The library that you use most often: ___ Pius XII Memorial Library ___ Omer Poos Law Library ___ Health Sciences Center Library
40) Age:
___ Under 18 ___ 18 - 22 ___ 23 - 30 ___ 31 - 45 ___ 46 - 65 ___ Over 65
41) Sex:
___ Male ___ Female
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42) Discipline:
___ Business ___ Communication ___ Education ___ Engineering / Computer Science / Aviation ___ Humanities ___ Other ___ Performing & Fine Arts ___ Science / Math ___ Social Sciences / Psychology ___ Undecided
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43) Position: (Select the ONE option that best describes you.) Undergraduate: ___ First year ___ Second year ___ Third year ___ Fourth year ___ Fifth year and above ___ Non-degree
Graduate: ___ Masters ___ Doctoral ___ Non-degree or Undecided
Faculty: ___ Adjunct Faculty ___ Assistant Professor ___ Associate Professor ___ Lecturer ___ Professor ___ Other Academic Status
Library Staff: ___ Administrator ___ Manager, Head of Unit ___ Public Services ___ Systems ___ Technical Services ___ Other
Staff: ___ Research Staff ___ Other staff positions
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44) Please enter any comments about library services in the box below: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for participating in this library service quality survey!
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The Pius Library LibQUAL+ Team Georgia Baugh Kevin Connor Jane Gillespie
July 21, 2006
LibQUAL+™ Background LibQUAL+™ is a suite of services that libraries use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon users’ opinions of service quality. These services are offered to the library community by the Association of Research Libraries and Texas A&M University. The program’s centerpiece is a rigorously-tested Web-based survey bundled with training that helps libraries assess and improve library services, change organizational culture, and market the library. The goals of LibQUAL+™ are to • • • • • •
Foster a culture of excellence in providing library service Help libraries better understand user perceptions of library service quality Collect and interpret library user feedback systematically over time Provide libraries with comparable assessment information from peer institutions Identity best practices in library service Enhance library staff members’ analytical skills for interpreting and acting on data (ARL, p.6) LibQUAL+™ Survey LibQUAL+™ is a web-based survey (see Appendix A). The standard survey includes 22
core questions about library service quality. The 22 questions are designed to measure • • •
Affect of service Information control Library as place
Additional questions gather demographic information and library usage data. Survey participants have an option of writing additional comments. In 2006, Pius Library participated in the survey as part of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) consortium. The consortium elected to add an additional five questions relating to the Jesuit mission. Since one of these questions asked respondents about the 24-7 AJCU online reference service, which Pius Library does not provide, the Library elected to replace that question with a broader
2
question from LibQUAL’s pool of additional questions. The selected question asked about online help. The LibQUAL+™ survey measures a library user’s perceptions. The survey participants report their minimum, desired and perceived service levels on a scale of 1 to 9. The survey is administered remotely by a team at the Association of Research Libraries. This team provides analysis of the quantitative data and a list of the qualitative comments.
LibQUAL+™ Process and Response Rates The LibQUAL+™ Survey (Appendix A) was administered at Pius XII Memorial Library from March 27 through April 16, 2006. Participants included three user groups: undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members from the North end of campus except for the Law School faculty. Each participant was invited to complete the survey via their Saint Louis University e-mail account. A notification of selection, an invitation to complete the survey, and three reminders were sent to each participant. Using SQL queries, Information Technology Services (ITS) identified all full-time faculty members (except Law) on the North end of campus and drew random samples of undergraduate and graduate student user groups from the North end of campus. ITS provided e-mail addresses for each potential participant. A total of 1,800 undergraduate students plus 300 replacement undergraduate students was selected so that a sample of 1,800 undergraduate students could be surveyed. A total of 600 graduate students plus 200 replacement students was selected so that a sample of 600 graduate students could be surveyed. Since the number of full-time faculty on the North end of campus (457) was less than the recommended 600 faculty
3
members, the entire population of full-time faculty members minus Law School faculty were included. This process yielded 357 responses at the end of survey. Overall response rates were 7.5% (135/1800) for undergraduates, 11.5% (69/600) for graduate students, and 32.6% (149/457) for faculty members. Of the 357 surveys received, 333 were usable. Surveys were not usable due to incomplete data, defined as missing responses on the 27 questions, excessive NA responses, defined as more than 11 NA responses, or inconsistent responses, defined as surveys with more than 9 instances where the minimum acceptable rating was higher than the desired rating (ARL, p. 13). The response rate after removal of unusable surveys was 7.1% (128/1800) for undergraduate students, 10.2% (61/600) for graduate students, and 30.6% (140/457) for faculty members. Of the 333 useable surveys, 38.4% were completed by undergraduate students (n =128), 18.3% by graduate students (n= 61), and 42.0% by faculty members (n=140). Four participants self identified as library staff or university staff, even though these user groups were not included in the sample. These four participants had to be undergraduate or graduate students who were also employed by Saint Louis University.
LibQUAL+™ Quantitative Results and Analysis The Pius XII Memorial Library LibQUAL+™ Team summarized the quantitative data and analyzed the qualitative data. The gap theory was used to interpret the quantitative data. Users report their minimum, perceived and desired levels of service. The gap between the minimum mean and the perceived mean is the service adequacy gap. The gap between the desired mean and the perceived mean is the superiority gap. For this analysis, statements are made based on the adequacy and superiority gaps seen in the quantitative data.
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LibQUAL+™ Gap Theory Desired Service Mean Rating
Superiority Gap
Perceived Service Service Adequacy Gap
Minimum Service
Service Dimension
Figure 1 Figure 1 provides a graphical representation of these gaps. The gray bar represents the range of minimum to desired scores (the Superiority Gap) for a service dimension. The orange, interior bar represents the range of the minimum to perceived scores (the Service Adequacy Gap) for a dimension. The following graphs summarize the three dimensions of service measured by the survey by user group.
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Figure 2 (Composite of four charts from ARL, p. 31, 44, 57, 70)
Figure 2 shows service quality scores for Affect of Service for each user group surveyed. The Affect of Service dimension measures the interaction between library personnel and library users. Overall, users in all three groups report being satisfied with service provided by library faculty and staff as is indicated by the service adequacy gap. Of all user groups, faculty members reported being the most satisfied with their interactions with library faculty and staff.
6
Figure 3 (Composite of four charts from ARL, p. 31, 44, 57, 70)
Figure 3 (Composite of four charts from ARL, 31, 44, 57, 70)
Figure 3 shows service quality scores for the Information Control dimension for each user group surveyed. The Information Control dimension includes adequacy of library collections (print and electronic) and ease of access to information. Perceived service quality for the Information Control dimension is below the minimum expectations for graduate students and faculty. The perceived service quality for the Information Control dimension 7
barely exceeds the minimum expectations for undergraduates. Faculty is the group that is most dissatisfied with the Information Control dimension. Among the eight survey questions that measure the Information Control dimension, the greatest service adequacy gap for both
graduate students and faculty was for question IC-8, “Print/electronic journal collections I require for my work”.
8
Figure 4 Figure 4 above shows service quality forp.the as Place dimension for each (Composite of four charts scores from ARL, 31,Library 44, 57, 70) user group surveyed. The Library as Place dimension focuses on the library environment. As shown in the graph, undergraduate students clearly have a higher minimum standard that they will accept and a higher desired standard than either graduate students or faculty members. However, the perceived mean for undergraduates falls below their minimum acceptable service mean. Graduate students have slightly lower minimum and desired service means than undergraduates but their perceived mean is above their minimum desired service level. Minimum desired service means for faculty for the Library as Place dimension was similar to that of graduate students while their desired standard is lower than both graduate students and undergraduates. Trends that emerged from the quantitative data are •
Perceived means for all service groups fell between each group’s minimum and desired levels of service on the Affect of Service dimension. Of the groups surveyed, faculty members are the most satisfied with this dimension.
•
Perceived means for graduate students and faculty members fell below their minimally acceptable levels for Information Control. The Library barely met undergraduate students’ minimally acceptable level of service for this same dimension. All groups desire greater information control than their current perceived level. The faculty perceived mean was well below the minimum expected service level for this dimension with the print/electronic journal collection identified as a primary concern.
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The desired mean score for the Library as Place dimension was the highest for the undergraduates but their perceived mean score was below their minimum
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expected service level, indicating that undergraduates place a high value on the physical library.
LibQUAL+™ Qualitative Data Results and Analysis In addition to answering survey questions, participants could give written comments if they chose. A total of 159 written comments were received. Comments were received from each user group as follows: • • • •
73 from faculty – 2 not usable 36 from graduate students – 2 not usable 49 from undergraduate students – 6 not usable 1 from staff members Even though Saint Louis University staff members were not invited to take the survey,
one respondent indicated their user group as “Staff”. This means the staff member completing the survey was also an graduate or undergraduate student. Due to the fact that the staff member was also a member of one of the surveyed groups, their responses were coded and included. The LibQUAL+™ Team reviewed the comments and identified six categories. These are 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Information Control Affect of service Library as place Refers to the Health Sciences Center Library (now Medical Center Library) Comments about the LibQUAL+™ survey itself General comments about library
Each team member coded the qualitative comments independently. All categories except category 4 were further characterized as positive or negative. The team met to compare coded results and resolve any differences. Of the 159 comments received, 149 could be coded, yielding 268 comments across the six categories. Seventy-eight comments addressed multiple categories and 81 comments addressed a single category.
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Breakdown of Survey Comments Category
Code
Information Control Affect of Service Library as Place Refers to Health Sciences Center Library Comments about survey General comment
Positive
Negative
1 2 3 4
10 66 4
51 29 74
Total 61 95 78 6
5 6 Total
0 15
13 0
13 15 268
Key Findings Key findings from the qualitative results and representative comments are listed below. All coded comments are in Appendix B. AFFECT OF SERVICE Key Finding: Users are generally satisfied with the service provided by Pius Library across a variety of service points. Comments The librarian liaison to our department is wonderful! That's great structure that should be retained. Her assistance is invaluable to faculty and staff. We feel that she's a part of our academic program. -Faculty, Social Sciences/Psychology All in all, I am happy and satisfied with the service provided by SLU library. At all times I have always perceived the willingness to help and to provide the best materials, tools and services. Thanks indeed. I highly value Interlibrary Loan Service, electronic reserves and materials, the willingness to buy more books in my areas, and staff's polite attitude; all this definitely helps me in my research and teaching. -Faculty, Humanities I have always been very impressed by how quickly electronic requests through interlibrary loan are filled, I appreciate it. -Graduate student, Science/Math We have a fantastic library with a top notch staff, I have never been to any staff member who couldn’t help me immediately. -Undergraduate, Business
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Key Finding: Printing and photocopying are inconvenient Comment I really wish that we had a mini-copy center inside of the library like other universities do (i.e. Washington University). Too many of the copiers were taken away with the new "Billiken Bucks" pay method being instituted and it's quite inconvenient especially if you are a graduate student to find copiers in a central location that work. A copy area with say 4 or 5 copiers in a central location (one room) and a sorting table with staplers, hole punches, etc would really take our library to more equal footing with that of other research institutions. -Graduate student, Humanities INFORMATION CONTROL Key Finding: Faculty do not have access to adequate print/electronic journal collections. Comments The lack of electronic journal subscriptions in the biological sciences makes the library very close to useless for my research endeavors. It is quite frankly an embarrassment when I have to tell my incoming graduate students "yes, this is the library, no we don't take that journal (either in paper or electronically), no we don't take that journal either, yes I agree this is a problem" and finally, the phrase I hate the most is "you'll have to go to Wash U. to get this done." I am aware that this is not the fault of anyone on the library staff. In fact the staff at the library is among the most helpful and dedicated of any university library staff that I have ever dealt with. However, the lack of electronic resources is a huge problem and is truly an impediment to conducting research at Saint Louis University. I sincerely hope that we are able to fix this problem in the near future. -Faculty, Science/Math The journals in my field are highly inadequate. I don't mean inadequate, I mean disastrous. No, not disastrous, catastrophic. The library desperately (desperately) needs a bigger budget. Hard to believe the budget's been flat for what, 3, 4 years? And now they're talking about cutting even more journals? (Faculty, Humanities) The major weakness in the library at present over the past several years has been the stagnant book and journals budget. I would strongly urge the administration to significantly augment resources for academic books and journals. Spatial refurbishing should be given a much lower priority than the materials budget. -Faculty, Humanities LIBRARY AS PLACE Key Finding: The library needs renovation. The current environment does not offer an inviting
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atmosphere for learning activities. Comments If anything, the library needs to be a more inviting place to study. It is simply too dreary for me to study in for long hours. Renovations are greatly needed to upgrade from the 1950s-style decoration and atmosphere. -Undergraduate Science/Math And I feel claustrophobic when I enter Pius: it's an uninspiring and unwelcoming environment, hardly conducive to learning or thinking. Moreover, I resent being carded upon entry, and find it a nuisance as well. -Faculty, Humanities The Library needs to be remodeled!!! The fluorescent lights are terrible for studying. It needs to be all wireless. It needs to not make you come down to the first floor after a certain time at night. It needs to have a 24 hour study room with perhaps something like the bean attached. Use Fordham's library as an example--it is amazing! -Undergraduate, Business The one thing I desire more than anything in the Pius library is the use of a private study carrel. Many other fine research libraries have these. It would help my research to have a place to "hide" in the Library and work without interruption. -Faculty, Humanities Key Finding: The library is too noisy Comment I rarely study at the library because it isn't quiet enough. There is no enforcement of quiet study aside from ones peers. The quiet study only area on the 2nd floor isn't sufficient, and the general study areas around the perimeters of the stacks are not quiet. Also there is not enough space for group study in a way that isn't distracting to others, and people would be more inclined to use the breakout rooms if it weren't necessary to get a key from the main desk -Undergraduate Science/Math Key Finding: Undergraduates want the library to be open later. Comments The library should have a space that is open 24 hours a day. Numerous other universities, as I have learned through friends that attended these universities, have at least a section that is available 24 hours. The fact that each night when the library closes there are large numbers of people should be a good indication. I feel there is NO EXCUSE for the fact that the library is not open 24 hours at least during midterm and
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exam weeks. There is no where to study on campus 24 hours except Reinert banquet rooms, which are horrible. -Undergraduate, Business I really think the library provides a great service and the only reason I put low points for the service was because I believe that as a university we need to have a 24 hour library. Almost every university has at least one 24 hour library and since we do not have any other study place that is open 24 hours I do not know where to go after 1 a.m. unless I go to the BSC for just one extra hour. -Undergraduate, Science/Math Key Finding Users want more computers in the library as well as wireless. Comments WIRELESS INTERNET is essential for the library. Please provide this in the near future. -Undergraduate, Business I wish there were more computers available on all floors for use (with Internet connection). -Undergraduate, Science/Math Conclusion This was the second time that Pius Library used the LibQUAL+TM survey to assess service quality. The 2003 survey results showed no user groups with perceived levels of service below their minimum acceptable service levels on any of the then four dimensions of service. Primary concerns were •
the need for more resources, specifically electronic journals and printed books
•
the need for longer hours
•
the noise level in study areas
•
the need to upgrade the library’s physical facility
Since these concerns were not satisfactorily addressed during the intervening three years, these same concerns appeared on the 2006 survey, only more prominently. The 2006 LibQUAL+™ survey shows two areas where at least one of the user groups
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indicated their perceived service level is below their minimum desired level. •
On the Information Control dimension, Pius Library is not meeting the minimum acceptable level of service for faculty or for graduate students, primarily in access to print and electronic resources.
•
On the Library as Place dimension, Pius Library is not meeting the minimum acceptable level of service for undergraduates.
Both the 2003 and 2006 surveys highlighted several areas in which Pius Library is very successful – customer service, Interlibrary Loan service including MERLIN and MOBIUS loans, and the liaison librarian program. The surveys also provided information regarding opportunities for improvement. Some of these include the need for better funding to provide more resources, particularly electronic journals, and a more inviting and user friendly building. While the library staff should feel good about the service they provide, there is room for improvement. Our users expect the Library to move forward to provide these resources along with a more inviting environment in which they can study comfortably and find the information they need to complete research.
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Reference List Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and Texas A&M University. (2006). LibQUAL+™ spring 2006 survey: Institution results: Saint Louis University, Pius XII Memorial Library. Washington, DC: The Association.
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Saint Louis University - Pius XII Memorial Library Welcome! We are committed to improving your library services. Better understanding your expectations will help us tailor those services to your needs. We are conducting this survey to measure library service quality and identify best practices through the Association of Research Libraries' LibQUAL+(TM) program. Please answer all items. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation!
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Please rate the following statements (1 is lowest, 9 is highest) by indicating: Minimum -- the number that represents the minimum level of service that you would find acceptable Desired -- the number that represents the level of service that you personally want Perceived -- the number that represents the level of service that you believe our library currently provides For each item, you must EITHER rate the item in all three columns OR identify the item as "N/A" (not applicable). Selecting "N/A" will override all other answers for that item. When it comes to... My Minimum Service Level Is Low
1) Employees who instill confidence in users 2) Making electronic resources accessible from my home or office 3) Library space that inspires study and learning 4) Giving users individual attention 5) A library Web site enabling me to locate information on my own 6) Availability of online help when using my library's electronic resources 7) Employees who are consistently courteous 8) The printed library materials I need for my work 9) Quiet space for individual activities 10) Readiness to respond to users' questions 11) The electronic information resources I need 12) The library staff reflects and promotes the Jesuit ideals of social justice and respect for all persons 13) Employees who have the knowledge to answer user questions 14) The library collection provides information resources reflecting diverse points of view 15) A comfortable and inviting location 16) Employees who deal with users in a caring fashion 17) Modern equipment that lets me easily access needed information
My Desired Service Level Is
High Low
Perceived Service Performance Is N/A
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18) The library program teaches me how to access, evaluate, and use information 19) Employees who understand the needs of their users 20) Easy-to-use access tools that allow me to find things on my own 21) A getaway for study, learning, or research 22) Willingness to help users 23) Making information easily accessible for independent use 24) Print and/or electronic journal collections I require for my work 25) Community space for group learning and group study 26) The library provides access to archival materials (documents, manuscripts, and photographs) 27) Dependability in handling users' service problems
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Please indicate the degree to which you agree with the following statements: 2 3 4 5 28) The library helps me stay abreast of developments in my 1 Strongly Disagree field(s) of interest. 1 2 3 4 5 29) The library aids my advancement in my academic Strongly Disagree discipline. 1 2 3 4 5 30) The library enables me to be more efficient in my Strongly Disagree academic pursuits. 1 2 3 4 5 31) The library helps me distinguish between trustworthy Strongly Disagree and untrustworthy information. 2 3 4 5 32) The library provides me with the information skills I need 1 Strongly Disagree in my work or study. 1 2 3 4 5 33) In general, I am satisfied with the way in which I am Strongly Disagree treated at the library. 1 2 3 4 5 34) In general, I am satisfied with library support for my Strongly Disagree learning, research, and/or teaching needs. 1 2 3 4 5 35) How would you rate the overall quality of the service Extremely Poor provided by the library?
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Extremely Good
Please indicate your library usage patterns: 36) How often do you use resources on library premises?
___ Daily ___ Weekly ___ Monthly ___ Quarterly ___ Never
37) How often do you access library resources through a library Web page?
___ Daily ___ Weekly ___ Monthly ___ Quarterly ___ Never
38) How often do you use Yahoo(TM), Google(TM), or non-library gateways for information?
___ Daily ___ Weekly ___ Monthly ___ Quarterly ___ Never
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Please answer a few questions about yourself: 39) The library that you use most often: ___ Pius XII Memorial Library ___ Omer Poos Law Library ___ Health Sciences Center Library
40) Age:
___ Under 18 ___ 18 - 22 ___ 23 - 30 ___ 31 - 45 ___ 46 - 65 ___ Over 65
41) Sex:
___ Male ___ Female
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42) Discipline:
___ Business ___ Communication ___ Education ___ Engineering / Computer Science / Aviation ___ Humanities ___ Other ___ Performing & Fine Arts ___ Science / Math ___ Social Sciences / Psychology ___ Undecided
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43) Position: (Select the ONE option that best describes you.) Undergraduate: ___ First year ___ Second year ___ Third year ___ Fourth year ___ Fifth year and above ___ Non-degree
Graduate: ___ Masters ___ Doctoral ___ Non-degree or Undecided
Faculty: ___ Adjunct Faculty ___ Assistant Professor ___ Associate Professor ___ Lecturer ___ Professor ___ Other Academic Status
Library Staff: ___ Administrator ___ Manager, Head of Unit ___ Public Services ___ Systems ___ Technical Services ___ Other
Staff: ___ Research Staff ___ Other staff positions
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44) Please enter any comments about library services in the box below: ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for participating in this library service quality survey!
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