Library Survey 2007

The LibQUAL+ Survey, Spring 2007

In February 2007, Rod Library administered a standardized survey, LibQUAL+, which is designed to measure the quality of library services through input from students, faculty, and staff. LibQUAL+ was developed by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in conjunction with Texas A & M University Libraries. It is intended to “help libraries assess and improve library services, change organizational culture, and market the library.” Each year, hundreds of libraries of different types – college and university, community college, health sciences, law, and public – around the world administer the survey. Local results can be compared to those at other, similar, participating institutions.

At UNI, students, faculty, and staff were invited to participate in the survey, which was administered via the Web. Randomly selected undergraduate students and University Merit staff were contacted, as were all graduate students, faculty and Professional & Scientific staff. The survey instrument was available for three weeks, from February 5th through February 26th.

The Survey Instrument

The LibQUAL+ survey consists of 22 standard core questions and 5 addiitional questions chosen locally from a list of options. In addition, there are 8 questions that ask participants about information literacy and general satisfaction. The survey also includes questions about frequency of library use and use of non-Library gateways, such as Google™ or Yahoo ™. Survey participants are asked to supply demographic information, including age, sex, and user group (undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty, or staff). An open-ended Comments box provides participants with the option to enter narrative comments about library services and resources. Additional Information about the survey questions is available at What the Survey Measures. Information about those who participated in the survey is available at Demographics of the Participants.