The Oxford experience

1
The Oxford experience pluses and minuses

• Mike Heaney
• Oxford University Library Services

2
What Oxford did

• Two surveys 2003
• LibQual
• US-centred
• Comparative data across institutions
• Not Oxford-specific
• Infopoll
• Our own survey
• Lots of demographics
• Lots of opportunity to comment

3
Setting up the surveys

• Identical procedure for each
• Cleared procedure with Data Protection, Oxford
  anti-spam precautions
• Used University email addresses (everybody has
  one), categorised by status
• Used pseudo-random sampling every nth name
• First name Libqual survey
• Second name Infopoll survey
• Third name Libqual reserve
• Fourth name Infopoll reserve

4
Promulgating the surveys

• Email only, University academic members only
  (staff and students)
• Four mailshots (one a week) apparently from
  Director
• Preannouncement
• Announcement
• Reminder
• Thanks (really another reminder)

5
Results of email shots

• 99 emails delivered reserves not used
• Did not have sufficient data to isolate academic
  members with total accuracy
• Everybody got all the emails
• Did not think UK audience would tolerate the
  further reminders Libqual advocates

6
Responses to surveys

• Infopoll
• 1744 responses (34)
• Libqual
• 995 responses (19)
• Why the difference?
• Libqual rejects some responses
• People objected to 3x9-button responses
  (scrolling)
• Libqual did not correspond to Oxford situation

7
Oxford situation

• Subjects
• HESA list not known to users
• Difficulties with e.g. Combined studies
• The Library
• University has 100 libraries (too many to list)
• Users typically use 3 or 4
• Experiences are different in each

8
Presenting the Results

• Radar graphs are very expressive
• Need to be explained simply
• Closer to the rim means more important
• Red is bad
• The more blue the better
• Green means youre overdoing it
• Actual figures and tables important for
  benchmarking

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Outcomes from Libqual

• The 3rd dimension is invaluable
• The benchmarking against SCONUL c can be useful
• Oxford outscores SCONUL average on provision of
  materials and library as place
• Oxford outscores SCONUL average on feelgood
  issues (just)
• Oxford underperforms on opening hours
• Oxford academics are less satisfied with access
  to/presentation of e-resources

14
What else to do

• Get the spreadsheets!
• Analyse the comments
• About 1,000 statements
• Overall excellent but x,y,z are wrong
• Present the results to users

15
Personal control

• Personal control Access to information
• No intermediaries
• the staff are generally helpful and knowledgable
  but otherwise it would take me a long time to
  find things on my own
• staff were mainly friendly and knowledgeable,
  but I did not find the library intuitive
• No barriers
• Security Officiousness Procedures (e.g.
  photocopying)
• Disturbances (noise)
• Smooth the way
• Helpfulness Knowledgeability Friendliness

16
Other things readers like

• Technological competence (and dont like its
  absence)
• Specialist knowledge
• Knowledge of your reading room/library

17
and finally

• The staff in the Central Bodleian's Map Room,
  occasionally outperform their duties. N---- J----
  is a god-like genius. His shirt and tie combos
  are always a highlight, and his willingness to
  help is always a credit to your library.
  Without the Map Room, my life would just be an
  empty void.