1 / 12

Why Do the LibQUAL+ Survey?

Learn about the LibQUAL+ survey and its importance in assessing library service quality. Explore the Northwestern University experience and discover how survey results can be used for strategic planning and budget justification.

harter
Download Presentation

Why Do the LibQUAL+ Survey?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Why Do the LibQUAL+ Survey? James Shedlock, A.M.L.S., A.H.I.P., Director Galter Health Sciences Library Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University

  2. Outline • LibQUAL+ in the assessment context • Why do the survey? • Northwestern experience • Conclusion • Readings 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  3. LibQUAL+ in context • What is LibQUAL+: • An assessment survey • Measures user perceptions of library service quality • Identifies users’ level of expectation • Concentrates on core dimensions of library mission • Totally web based, communication via local email • Tested, proven – see the literature 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  4. LibQUAL+ in context, cont. • Part of total data gathering process • Include local data, other surveys • Include peer data: MLA Benchmarking effort, AAHSL Stats • All part of a culture of assessment • Reminiscent of TQM? 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  5. Why do the LibQUAL+ Survey? • Listen to users. “Only users can measure quality.” Valuable feedback. • Measure quality, not quantity. • Move away from sole reliance on input data. • Do peer comparison; learn from others. • Establish new benchmarks. • Provides marketing for the library. • Peer comparison – do what peers are doing. • National, international effort. 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  6. Why do LibQUAL+, cont. • Promotes the library. You are in the spotlight. • Use results for budget justification and other strategic issues facing the library. • Puts pressure on you to act and/or gives you justification to act. • Attracts many more users than the usual satisfaction surveys or needs assessments. 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  7. Northwestern experience • Participated in LibQUAL+ for three consecutive years: 2001, 2002, 2003. • Will do LibQUAL+ again in 2005. • Need user data for NU’s program review. • Year 1 established a benchmark. • Year 2 was used for peer comparison. • Year 3 was used to test whether LibQUAL+ could detect change and measure improvement. 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  8. Northwestern experience, cont. • 2001 ‘zone of tolerance’, all users 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  9. Northwestern experience, cont. • 2002 ‘zone of tolerance’ all users 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  10. Northwestern experience, cont. • 2003 ‘zone of tolerance’, all users 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  11. Conclusion • LibQUAL+ is easy to do. Effort is all in using your local email system. • Re-emphasizes library’s mission: serve the users and meet their information needs. • Cost is worth the data because the feedback is invaluable. • Survey results used in many ways: budget justification, strategic planning, work redesign, etc. 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

  12. Readings • http://old.libqual.org/Publications/index.cfm • Shedlock, James and Linda Walton. An academic medical library using LibQUAL+: the experience of the Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University. Journal of Library Administration, 2004. In Press. 2004 MLA Annual Meeting

More Related