LibQUAL 2005 at London South Bank

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LibQUAL 2005 at London South Bank

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Peter Godwin

• London South Bank University
• 2 February 2006

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LibQUAL 2005

• SCONUL experience issues
• London South Bank LibQUAL
• LSBU experience

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SCONUL experience issues

• Obtaining e-mail addresses problematic
• Demographic data problems
• The smaller the sample the smaller the result
• Sampling was hard, and blanket e-mail increased
  response markedly
• Desirability of separating full and part time
  student responses

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SCONUL experience issues

• May need to have results and radar charts for
  particular sites
• UK libraries are used to more summaries and a
  commentary on results
• Difficulty of aligning our subjects with standard
  ARL disciplines
• Some concerns about US bias and exact wording of
  content and language

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SCONUL experience lessons

• LibQUAL is easy to administer and support is good
• LibQUAL instrument has more respectability than
  home-grown surveys
• Most places were not too surprised at their
  results, but detailed questions gave far more
  data
• People adjust their expectations according to the
  environment
• Users dont care what we wear

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SCONUL experience lessons

• Users desire for journals, books and learning
  materials is insatiable
• The things we care most about are not necessarily
  what they care most about
• Comparative data in UK available for the first
  time
• At least half participants have said they will
  use LibQUAL again

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SCONUL experience lessons

• The results for SCONUL cohort 2004 were more
  critical than 2003 due to
• Different participants?
• Increasing expectations as students have to pay
  more themselves

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London South Bank and LibQUAL

• London South Bank University
• 2003 276
• 2004 568
• 2005 766

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London South Bank University

• Central London new University
• 16,388 staff and students
• Founded in 1892 as Borough Polytechnic,
• Joined 4 other colleges to become South Bank
  Polytechnic in 1970
• Became South Bank University in 1992 and London
  South Bank University in 2003

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London South Bank University

• 42 male, 52 female
• 62 are 25 and over
• 47.5 are part-time
• 74.5 undergraduate, 22 postgraduate
• By country of origin 41 are from overseas
• 40 are white and 60 ethnic minorities

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London South Bank University

• 17 Arts and Human Sciences
• 32 Health and Social Care
• 21.5 Engineering, Science and Built Environment
• 24 Business, Computing and Information Management

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LSBU experience

• E-mail option problematic but has improved this
  year
• Participation has increased each year. No survey
  fatigue!
• A good incentive is essential
• Promotion of the survey around the buildings is
  productive
• Surprising number fill in a printed version

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LSBU experience

• 2003 was a pilot and detailed results had to be
  treated with caution
• 2004 was valid and showed some improvements in
  satisfaction
• 2005 showed marked improvement, with all positive
  undergraduate adequacy mean scores

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LSBU 2003 experience

• After 2003 survey we
• redecorated the main library
• installed new book shelves
• put in a new Library Management System

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LSBU 2004 experience

• After the 2004 survey we
• redesigned our Web site
• made off-campus access easier
• used floorwalkers at crucial times of the year
  to answer queries and help students navigate the
  building
• improved guiding and maps
• prioritised shelf tidying using special team of
  shelvers with mandatory shelf tidying each week
  for all staff
• prioritised purchase of core above optional items
  on reading lists

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Some findings from 2005

• Daily usage of our Library Web site continues to
  lag behind SCONUL
• Adequacy means for LSBU IC-3, IC-4 , IC-4 and
  IC-8 are consistently above SCONUL
• LSBU Library as Place adequacy means are all
  above SCONUL
• Concern over availability of subject help PGs
  particularly critical
• LSBU student survey question on library
  satisfaction mirrors improvement shown by LibQUAL

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LSBU 2005 experience

• After 2005 survey we have
• Revised our Web site to make it easier to
  navigate
• Marketed our services to PG students inc.
  special guide and fliers
• Built on success of 2004 with book supply by
  pushing harder for supply of reading lists from
  key areas
• Building on 2004 experience with staff available
  on top floor at start of Semester 1 to help
  students navigate the building
• Piloted a new help desk on journal floor at peak
  times
• in

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LSBU experience

• Surveys are dynamic processes and views do change
• The instrument is comprehensive but is long and
  off-putting to fill in
• Provides excellent information on user
  satisfaction but needs to be supplemented by our
  own snap surveys on particular issues e.g.last
  year use of our LIS Web Site LIS_at_
• Comments in the box are very valuable and
  supplement the statistical information
• Focus Groups can follow up areas of concern

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Comments

• Generally, staff are helpful but some are very
  hostile indeed
• (PG Social Science female student 23-30)

• Compared with other University libraries it is a
  fine place to find information to learn and work
• (UG Social Science male student 18-22)

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Comments

• Better work in here than 2 years back. Keep up
  the good work
• (UG Business
• Male student
• 23-30)

• It is improving but some staff is still very
  rood especially gards
• (UG ArtsMan/Media/
• English female student
• 23-30)

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What did I learn in Chicago?

• Libraries both sides of the Atlantic share many
  of the same problems and can learn from one
  another
• LibQUAL is an instrument which can be used
  internationally

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What have I learned?

• Only customers judge quality all other
  judgements are essentially irrelevant
• (Zeithaml,V.A. Parasuman, A., Berry.L.L.
  Delivering quality)

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