Summary of UCI Results and Next Actions

As we plan for the future of the UCI Libraries, it is very important that we understand the perceptions and expectations of the UCI community so that we can provide the highest quality library services. In April 2003, the UCI Libraries collaborated with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in a survey to measure the quality of our library services. We thank all of those faculty, students and staff who participated in the LibQUAL+ Survey. We sincerely appreciate your time and effort in providing us with your perceptions and desires. The information you have provided is invaluable to us in planning future services and resources. We will continue to ask for your feedback.

The LibQUAL+ Survey instrument consisted of 25 core questions and an open-ended question allowing respondents to comment on any aspect of our services. It is clear from the responses to both the quantitative survey questions and the open-ended comment question that, overall, our users greatly value and appreciate library services at UCI and the people who deliver those services. The survey respondents acknowledged these particular areas of strength:

• Timely and efficient document delivery and interlibrary loan were appreciated, especially by faculty and graduate students.
• Librarians and career staff were highly regarded as service providers and information experts, and were praised for their willingness to help users.
• Electronic and print information resources were highly valued. However, users, especially faculty and graduate students, clearly desire more of these resources.

Survey respondents also indicated several areas in need of improvement including:

• More extensive print and/or electronic journal collections are strongly desired, especially by faculty and graduate students.
• All constituencies want the Libraries to make access to electronic resources from home easier and more efficient, with enhanced tools to find things on their own.
• Langson Library, both as a physical space and as a study space, is in need of improvement. Grunigen Medical Library and the Science Library fared somewhat better. Undergraduate students, in particular, want quiet, comfortable library space for study and learning.
• Several respondents found student staff lacking in expertise and customer service skills and generally not satisfactory in the service they provide.
• A significant number of respondents expressed a desire for the Libraries to be open longer hours, especially undergraduate and graduate students.

Of those who completed the survey, 54% indicated that Langson Library is the library they use primarily, 40% indicated the Science Library, and 6% indicated Grunigen Medical Library.

Also included in our analysis was an overall comparison with identified peer institutions that participated in the LibQUAL+ survey. Our scores consistently ranked in the middle in comparisons to our peer institutions.

The LibQUAL+ Survey did help the UCI Libraries to identify service areas of concern to our users. The quantitative and qualitative responses point out a number of areas in need of attention and we have been addressing those concerns in the following ways:

• The Libraries have initiated a space planning effort to improve the allocation and use of building space in both the Langson and Science libraries, and we have contracted with a space-planning firm to assist us in this process.
• We have extended service hours in the both the Langson and the Science libraries. Also, the Gateway Study Center and the Science Library Study Center are open 7:30am - 3am (Sunday-Thursday) and until 9pm on Friday and Saturday.
• We have expanded our student-training program, especially in the area of Customer Service. We are also reviewing staffing patterns in areas where Student Assistants have traditionally been employed and are considering new strategies.
• We have made many significant improvements to our website, e.g. updating our instructions on how to connect from home and have also updated our "Subject Guides." We have conducted a variety of usability tests and focus groups related to the Libraries' web page, and we are making changes continually to improve upon the design and content.
• We have significantly increased the number of public computer workstations available in the Libraries. We have upgraded our computers and expanded access to the Office XP suite of software.
• We have identified areas within the Langson Library and the Science Library that will be designated as "quiet study zones" starting Winter Quarter.
• Research Librarians with collection development responsibilities are assertively pursuing creative new approaches to communication with their constituencies about collections needed for research and teaching. Cooperative purchase agreements among the UC campus libraries continue to be a high priority. We also continue to make significant and successful efforts to enhance budgetary resources available for print and electronic resources.

The process of obtaining user feedback is a continuous one. We will build upon the results of the LibQUAL+ survey to obtain additional feedback from our users. As we obtain feedback and implement new changes, we will post those changes to this web page.

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LibQUAL+ Background Information

In 2002-2003, the UCI Libraries collaborated with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in an effort to develop tools to measure the quality of library services and identify best practices. The UCI Libraries conducted a web-based survey of 2,700 randomly selected faculty, students and staff from April 7-28, 2003, to evaluate perceptions of library service quality. We want to thank all of those faculty, students and staff who participated in the LibQUAL+ Survey. We sincerely appreciate your time and effort in providing us with your perceptions and desires. The information you have provided is invaluable to us in planning future services and resources. We will continue to ask for your feedback.

The survey instrument used was LibQUAL+ developed by ARL. LibQUAL+ is one of ARL's New Measures Initiative projects, which seek to develop innovative ways for libraries to articulate their centrality to their parent institution. The UCI Libraries are especially interested in incorporating outcome-based assessment into our planning efforts. We are a user-centered organization committed to constantly improving the information resources and services available to the UCI community.

There were 394 surveys completed at UCI:

• 15% of the total sample
  • 11% of the undergraduates
  • 23% of the graduate students
  • 17% of the faculty
  • 10% of the staff samples

Although a 15% response rate was lower than our goal, it is about the average rate for a web-based survey. The representativeness of the sample that responded was very good, more representative for faculty and graduate students, and less representative for undergraduates and staff. Survey findings were received in late June from ARL. We have used the data collected to identify what the library is doing right and what we need to improve upon to best meet your needs. This information is very important to us because only you can tell us how well we are providing library services. Over 300 other Universities participated in this important initiative, and we anticipate surfacing important best practices at other research libraries that will further assist us in improving the quality of our own services.

More LibQUAL information