2004 Survey Georgetown University Library

As we plan for the future of the Georgetown University Library, it is essential that we understand our users’ needs and expectations so that we can provide dynamic services and collections that respond to our users’ research needs. Thus, in spring 2004, the Library participated in LibQUAL+™, a standardized survey developed by the Association of Research Libraries to gauge user's perceptions, preferences, and expectations of library services.

About the Survey | Survey Questions | How to Read the Results

Full Report - Georgetown University | National Survey Results

About the Survey

Participants

In 2004, more than 112,000 users from 202 institutions in the U.S. and abroad participated in the LibQUAL+ survey. Participants included all types of libraries: college, university, community college, health sciences, hospital and law. From our campus, 3000 survey participants were randomly selected from Main Campus faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students from the College, School of Business, and School of Foreign Service. Our overall response rate was 15% and included 218 written comments

THE NUMBERS

Survey questions were grouped into three dimensions:
[AS] Affect of Service - the helpfulness and responsiveness of library employees to users;
[IC] Information Control - the availability, timeliness and appropriateness of library resources, service hours and delivery options;
[LP] Library as Place - the physical library facilities

Back to Top

The Survey Questions:

Affect of Service
AS 1 Employees who instill confidence in users
AS-2 Giving users individual attention
AS-3 Employees who are consistently courteous
AS-4 Readiness to respond to users' questions
AS-5 Employees who have the knowledge to answer user questions
AS-6 Employees who deal with users in a caring fashion
AS-7 Employees who understand the needs of their users
AS-8 Willingness to help
AS-9 Dependability in handling users' service problems
AS (Local) Library orientations / instruction sessions

Information Control
IC-1 Making electronic resources accessible from my home or office
IC-2 A library Web site enabling me to locate information on my own
IC-3 The printed library materials I need for my work
IC-4 The electronic information resources I need
IC-5 Modern equipment that lets me easily access needed information
IC-6 Easy-to-use access tools that allow me to find things on my own
IC-7 Making information easily accessible for independent use
IC-8 Print and/or electronic journal collections I require for my work
IC (Local) Convenience of borrowing books from other colleges
IC (Local) Availability of online help when using my library's electronic resources
IC (Local) Timely fulfillment of reserve requests / holds
IC (Local) Access to photocopying and printing facilities

Library as Place
LP-1 Library space that inspires study and learning
LP-2 Quiet space for individual activities
LP-3 A comfortable and inviting location
LP-4 A getaway for study, learning, or research
LP-5 Community space for group learning and group study

Back to Top

How to Read the Results

The results of the survey were received in June 2004. To assist in understanding these results it will be helpful to clarify some terminology.

Minimum, Desired and Perceived levels of service - Respondents were asked for their judgments on three scales for each survey question: the desired level of service they would like to receive, the minimum they are willing to accept, and the actual level of service they perceive to have been provided.

Zone of Tolerance – The desired and minimum scores establish the upper and lower boundaries, called a zone of tolerance. Perceived scores should float within this zone of tolerance if respondents view service as adequate.

Gap Analysis – Is the use of the zone of tolerance to interpret survey results. When users’ perceptions are higher than their minimum expectations, the result is a positive service adequacy gap.

Mean – The arithmetic average of a collection of numbers, computed by adding them up and dividing by their total number. LIBQUAL+ uses “means" to identify the minimum, desired and perceived levels of service quality.

Standard Deviation – a measure of the spread of data around the mean, depending on calculating the average distance of each score from the mean. A lower standard deviation shows that respondents tended to answer a survey question similarly, thus showing a stronger consensus among those who responded to that question.

Radar Charts -Radar charts feature multiple axes or “spokes” along which data can be plotted. Variations in the data are shown by distance from the center of the chart. Each axis represents a different survey question, and the questions are grouped within the three dimensions: Affect of Service (AS), Library as Place (LP), and Information Control (IC). The minimum, desired, and perceived levels of service quality are plotted on each axis of the radar charts. The distance between minimum expectations and perceptions of service quality is shaded in blue; the distance between their desired and perceived levels of service quality is shown in yellow; and where minimum expectations fall below their perceptions of service delivery it is represented in red.

Tables - Tables display various forms of the data in a clearly labeled format to compare a ‘y’ axis to an ‘x’ axis.

Bar Graphs -These graphs visually represent the range of minimum to perceived quality in relation to the zone of tolerance.

Back to Top