We Listened! Results Are In From the LibQUAL+ Survey

14-Oct-2009

LibQUAL+, a standardized survey on library service quality, is used extensively in this country and abroad, and has become a cornerstone of the ISU Library's assessment program. Last spring, a random sample of over 3,000 ISU undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty were invited to participate in this survey, which gathers both quantitative data (numeric ratings of various services) and a wealth of qualitative data (free-text comments). Findings from the 2009 survey include:

• Users want the library website to be more user-friendly
• The most highly-valued service the library provides is access to electronic journals
• Students need more space to meet and eat while working at the library

How is the Library responding to these findings? For starters, a major redesign of the e-Library website is well underway and expected to be completed by early spring. The redesign should make searching for resources more streamlined for users of all types. The Library has also initiated a major review of journal subscriptions that will allow us to cancel journals that are seldom used and redirect funds to acquire new journals that are requested by users. Finally, over 2,800 square feet of former office space in the Parks Library has been converted to a new "Bookends Reading Room," intended to provide overflow seating for the Library's popular Bookends Café and providing users with an attractive new space in which to snack while studying or socializing with friends.

You spoke! We acted! In responding to user feedback, the Library remains an essential resource for the entire ISU community.