Survey on Library Service Quality

Additional information and Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...

1. What is LibQUAL+^TM?

LibQUAL+^TM is a suite of services used by libraries to define and measure library service quality across institutions and to create useful quality-assessment tools for local planning. Service quality has always been a value for libraries; LibQUAL+^TM provides a measure of that value. LibQUAL+^TM uses a tool for measuring library users' perceptions of service quality and identifies gaps between desired, perceived, and minimum expectations of service.

2. How will this survey benefit library users at the University of Florida?

The University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries as well as the over 400 individual libraries participating in LibQUAL+^TM can identify what we're doing right and where, in the view of our users, services need improvement. We also can compare our service quality with that of peer institutions in an effort to develop benchmarks and understanding of best practices across institutions. For this reason, several library consortia and other peer groups have chosen to participate in LibQUAL+^TM. By initiating action based on the information we receive from you and from other LibQUAL+^TM participants, we can provide services that are more closely aligned with your expectations.

3. How were the LibQUAL+ survey respondents selected?  Why weren't staff members included?

The survey respondents were selected randomly from email addresses supplied by the Center for Instructional & Research Computing Facilities (CIRCA) and the Registrar's Office, representing several thousand faculty, graduate students and  undergraduate students.  LibQUAL+^TM  is a national survey and at the national level, a decision was made not to include staff members in the current survey. Therefore, staff members at the University of Florida were also not included in the sample.  Interested staff members can obtain a paper copy from the survey coordinators, and are welcome to use the survey (or any other method) to provide input and suggestions.

4. What survey instrument is being used?  What kinds of questions are asked on the survey?

The LibQUAL+^TM survey instrument is adapted from an instrument called SERVQUAL, which is grounded in the "Gap Theory of Service Quality" and was developed by the marketing research team of A. Parasuraman, V.A. Zeithaml, and L.L. Berry. The Texas A&M University Libraries and other libraries have been using modified SERVQUAL instruments for several years. These applications showed the need for a newly adapted SERVQUAL protocol that serves the needs of libraries; thus LibQUAL+^TM was born. The original SERVQUAL instrument was regrounded based on a series of interviews with library users. The regrounded instrument, called LibQUAL+^TM, is being refined with each iteration of the survey. The Smathers Libraries have obtained approval from UF's Institutional Review Board to conduct this survey.

The questions on the survey cover three different service quality dimensions: information access, service affect, library as place and personal control. The respondent is asked to complete each question on a scale from one (low) to nine (high) for minimum service level, desired service level and the respondent's perception of the Libraries' service performance.

5. When is the survey being conducted?

On March 8, the randomly selected participants will receive a pre-survey email message advising them that they will soon receive our web-based Library Survey. On March 15, an email will be sent to them with an imbedded URL with the actual survey which they will be asked to complete.  On March 22, a reminder notice will be sent to encourage respondents to complete the survey.

The responses will be collected from this survey (along with data from other participating libraries) at secure servers at Texas A&M Library. Each response will be disaggregated as it reaches the server, and results will ultimately be reported back to the participating institutions as aggregate mean score data.

6. Why are personal questions about age, gender, and discipline necessary? What if they don't apply to me?

We don't track individual responses. These demographic questions are important in order to know

something about how certain groups respond. So, it's important to make a choice among the available

options on the survey.

7. Are my answers confidential?

Yes. Once you've completed the survey and the server receives your responses, they are disaggregated and disassociated from your email address. The survey data is stored on a secure server (behind a firewall) at Texas A&M University, a co-sponsor of the LibQUAL+ project.  No identifying links between responses and the individual responding will be retained. Combined data only will be reported. This research was approved by the University of Florida Institutional Review Board Protocol, #2001-U-959.

8.  Why is the survey so redundant?

The survey tests a number of dimensions of library service, each represented by multiple similar questions. The use of multiple/redundant questions allows the validity of each dimension to be analyzed through statistical means. Over time, questions that are not as effective as others in measuring the specific dimensions of service quality identified in this survey may be discarded or revised.

9. Why is a reminder sent to respondents who have already completed the survey?  

A reminder is sent to all participants, including those who have already responded, due to the survey's built-in mechanisms for security and confidentiality. Once the server has received a survey response, it is disaggregated and disassociated from the respondent's mail address. This provides maximum security, but precludes any differentiation between respondents and those who have not yet responded among the sample. Thus, everyone receives a reminder.

10. Is the survey exclusively web-based, or can I complete a paper version?  

If you are part of the random sample selected to complete the 2005 survey and are unable to complete the web-based survey, you may contact us at the following email address:  libqual@uflib.ufl.edu to obtain a paper copy of the survey.

11. Must I be part of the random sample to complete a survey?  

We are continuously seeking feedback from our library users. If you would like to take the survey and were not part of the present random sample, you may contact: libqual@uflib.ufl.edu to request a paper copy of the survey to complete.

12. Why are the University of Florida Health Science Center Library students and faculty receiving different surveys?

The University of Florida Health Science Center Library in conjunction with the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' (AAHSL) administer an amended LibQUAL+ TM survey, which includes five additional questions that reflect what are believed to be key service issues in a health sciences environment. Eligible participants for the HSCL survey have been excluded from the pool of participants for the UF Smathers Libraries' survey to ensure separation of data. Please contact the UF HSCL (392-4016) for more information about the AAHSL survey.  

13. How can I get more information about LibQUAL+^TM?

For more information, see the LibQUAL+^TM homepage at www.libqual.org.

14.  How can I learn more about survey research in general?

For more information on survey research, feel free to call 392-0361 or visit our library reference desk.  You can also contact a Reference Librarian through our live "chat" service called RefeXpress.  These services are available through the library homepage at  http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/.  On the homepage, you can also get online access to thousands of journal articles and other resources dealing with this topic.

15. What were the results of the first LibQUAL+ survey?

A discussion of the results of the survey can be found in the Fall issue of the George A. Smathers Libraries' Faculty Newsletter at the following website: 

http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/ps/librarynews/LibNews0802/LibNews0802.pdf

Summary results of all participating libraries are available at:

http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/admin/toolbox/ARLNotebook.pdf  

Results of the second survey (2004) are available at:

http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/admin/toolbox/STP0304/2004LQR.pdf 

16.  When will results of the LibQUAL+ survey be available?  

The results of the survey will be made available to us in mid-June, 2004. The results will be discussed and posted on the Libraries' website.