Why Do the LibQUAL Survey?

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

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

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?

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.

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.

7
Northwestern experience

• Participated in LibQUAL for three consecutive
  years 2001, 2002, 2003.
• Will do LibQUAL again in 2005.
• Need user data for NUs 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.

8
Northwestern experience, cont.

• 2001 zone of tolerance, all users

9
Northwestern experience, cont.

• 2002 zone of tolerance all users

10
Northwestern experience, cont.

• 2003 zone of tolerance, all users

11
Conclusion

• LibQUAL is easy to do. Effort is all in using
  your local email system.
• Re-emphasizes librarys 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.

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.