LibQUAL+™ Redux

In Spring 2006, the Library administered the LibQUAL+™ assessment to discover how well its programs, facility and staff were meeting users' expectations. The results of this assessment are available on the Library's pages at http://academic.scranton.edu/department/wml/libqual-sresults.html  LibQual+™ assesses three areas: 1) affect of service questions focus on Library employees. (individual attention, courtesy, readiness to respond, knowledge); 2) library as a place focuses on the building itself (a quiet pace for individual activities, a comfortable and inviting location, a getaway for study, learning and research, and/or a community space for group learning and group study); 3) information control focuses on print resources, web content, and equipment (electronic resources accessible from home or office and easy-to-use access tools for users to independently find things).

 

In the 2006 assessment, the Library added local questions developed by librarians at Jesuit institutions who also were administering LibQUAL+™ . These questions addressed mission-related goals, staff who reflect and promote Jesuit ideals of social justice and respect for all persons, a collection that reflects diverse points-of-view, a program that teaches users how to access, evaluate and use information, 24/7 chat assistance and access to archival materials. In Spring 2009, the Library will again administer LibQUAL+™ to measure changes in levels of satisfaction and to determine if any new areas have emerged for programming changes. For each question, users give three scores: the minimum level he or she would find acceptable, the desired level of service and the perceived service performance. Data is provided to the library as gap, radar and bar chart scores. Gap scores indicate a "zone of tolerance" measure of the degree between the desired and minimum levels of service. Service superiority is reflected by the perceived service minus the desired service. The radar and bar charts display the data in colors that visually highlight how well users perceive the library in the three dimensions.

 

In response to the 2006 assessment the Library redesigned webpages, increased interconnectivity among resources, added group study rooms, piloted extended hours during finals, posted signage for quiet areas and upgraded UniPrint printers. What will emerge as areas of concerns in 2009? As with any assessment, the ability of LibQUAL+™ to help the Library assess satisfaction and to develop programs that meet users' needs is totally dependent on users' willingness to provide the Library with feedback. If you are among those randomly selected for participation in the assessment, we hope that you will respond to the survey. Opportunities to provide feedback to the Library are always available and highly encouraged through our blog, Ask-a-Librarian email or by calling 570 941-4000.