LibQual+ Results 2013
Thanks to all who took the survey & congratulations to our winner!
In 2013, Toronto Metropolitan University Library once again participated in LibQUAL+, an online survey used by many libraries to measure three aspects of user satisfaction:
• Information Control (hours, collections, and ease in accessing resources)
• Affect of Service (customer service)
• Library as Place (building, amenities, and study space)
Students (undergraduate and graduate), and faculty were informed through a series of emails that the Library was participating in LibQUAL+ and were invited to participate. Thank you to those who completed surveys. And congratulations to our student winner:
• Prize Winner of an iPad with Retina display (16GB Wi-Fi): Ann Margaret Mendoza (Faculty of Arts) above
Response Rate and Representativeness
The number of responses (969), represents an increase of 4%, up from 928 in 2010 and 823 in 2007. As with the 2007 and 2010 surveys, the respondents were highly representative of the Ryerson community.
Improvement in Overall Scores
Since the first LibQual survey, run in 2007, we’ve seen great improvements in user satisfaction with service quality, and with our collections and access to resources. Between 2010 and 2013, the library implemented “Search Everything” with the goal of making library resources more easily discoverable for undergraduate students. Improvements to the library’s approval plan, which is used to determine which books are acquired for the library, and ongoing deselection to remove out-of-date and duplicate materials, have contributed to the quality and ease of access to print library collections. Although we have also made improvements to our physical library space, we have been working with the same amount of square footage while growing our student population steadily since 2007. Increased competition for the same amount of library space may explain the continued trend of declining satisfaction with our space. The opening of the Student Learning Centre (SLC) in early 2015 is expected to provide both better and more library space for our users.
The above chart shows a trend towards more positive scores in the 2013 results in most areas, with the exception of space.
What the Survey Told Us
LibQUAL+ confirmed that the following efforts have paid off in terms of user satisfaction in the following areas.
Collections and Access:
- Focus was placed on improving collections and access to them. “The printed library materials I need for my work” was the single most improved item between 2010 and 2013 LibQual+ surveys.
- A primary goal of our “Search Everything” implementation (2011) was to provide an easier way to find the Library’s print and electronic resources. “Easy-to-use access tools that allow me to find things on my own” was the second most improved item within Collections and Access.
Service Quality:
- “Giving users individual attention,” “employees who understand the needs of their users,” “employees who are consistently courteous,” and “readiness to respond to users’ questions” are the 2nd through 5th most improved items. Initiatives such as the “Book a Librarian” service are providing expanded opportunities for one-on-one research help, and the added staff during the start of term via the new iDesk have improved interactions with our staff at peak times of the academic year.
Open-ended Comments
433 of our 969 respondents (44.6%) left an open-ended comment.
