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LibQUAL+TM Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the LibQUAL+TM survey?
The LibQUAL+TM survey is part of a research and development project sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in collaboration with the Texas A&M University Libraries. The project's purpose is to define and measure the quality of library service nationally and to create useful quality-assessment tools for local planning. Over 400 institutions representing some of the largest research libraries in North America, as well as OhioLink; the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL); and universities in England, France and Ireland are participating in the LibQUAL+TM survey.
2. Why is this survey important?
There is increasing pressure for libraries to move towards more outcome-based assessment efforts, instead of relying solely on input or resource metrics. This pressure comes from funding authorities as well as library users themselves. Outcome measures show how well an organization serves its users, and ARL members have been interested in finding new measures that demonstrate their efficiency and effectiveness. The LibQUAL+TM project is one of several begun under the ARL New Measures Initiative.
3. How will this survey benefit library users at the University of Maryland?
Individual libraries will receive information about areas needing improvement. This information will allow libraries to compare their service quality with other peer institutions, develop benchmarks, and identify best practices across institutions. By participating in LibQUAL+TM and initiating action based on the results of the survey, the UM Libraries can be more responsive to the needs of users and also provide services that are more in line with what users expect to find when they visit a library or utilize its resources.
4. How is the survey being conducted?
A request for a random sample of email addresses has been approved by the Office of the Registrar. The sample will be drawn from the University database, representing 1200 undergraduate students, 900 graduate students, and 900 faculty members. Individuals will receive a pre-survey email message from Charles B. Lowry, Dean of UM Libraries, advising them that they will soon receive a web-based "Library Service Quality Survey," and encouraging them to complete it. These individuals will receive another email from the Dean, with an imbedded URL for the actual survey. AUTOMATIC REMINDER NOTICES FROM THE DEAN WILL BE SENT WEEKLY UNTIL THE SURVEY IS CLOSED.
The data for all participating institutions will be collected on secure servers located in the Texas A&M Library. Each response will be disaggregated as it reaches the server, and survey results will ultimately be reported back to the participating institutions as aggregate mean score data. Individual responses of participants will be wholly confidential. At the end of the survey respondents may elect to include an email address, which will enter them in a drawing for a prize as a thank you from the UM Libraries. Award winners will be announced in via the UM Libraries website, www.lib.umd.edu
5. What survey instrument is being used?
The LibQUAL+TM survey is patterned after the SERVQUAL instrument which is used extensively in private industry. There are 25 questions in the LibQUAL+TM survey. Respondents to the survey are asked to respond to each question on three separate scales, representing minimum, desired, and perceived levels of service. Average response time for the survey is 12 minutes. Potential respondents may elect not to proceed with the survey after reading the guarantees of confidentiality and privacy.
6. Is the survey exclusively web-based, or can I complete a paper version?
Directional Questions
Respondents not able to complete an online questionnaire may obtain a paper copy of the survey by contacting Irma Dillon at 301-405-9113 or at ifd@umd.edu.
7. Is there a version of the survey compatible with text-to speech web browsers?
Yes. At the end of the first page of the online survey is a link to a revised version that meets the standards set by the Center for Applied Special Technology.
8. What if I have trouble opening the URL from within my email message?
If you have trouble opening the URL from within your email message, you can copy the URL and paste it into your Web browser. If you still cannot access the survey, please contact Irma Dillon at 301/405-9113 or ifd@umd.edu.
9. Must I be a part of the random sample to complete a survey?
The UM Libraries continuously seek feedback from library users to help establish priorities and to improve collections and services. If you are not part of the present random sample but would like to complete a survey, please contact Irma Dillon at 301-405-9113 or at ifd@umd.edu, but please note that only those returns from the random sample will be forwarded to LibQUAL+TM project coordinators for multi-institutional analysis and comparison. However, the UM Libraries welcomes completed surveys from other interested users and will review these returns along with those gathered from the random sample.
10. Why is the survey so redundant?
This is a multi-year research project, funded by the Department of Education to develop and refine a survey instrument capable of wide-scale application in academic library communities. The survey tests a variety of dimensions of library service, each represented by multiple (and seemingly redundant) questions. The use of these types of questions allows us to analyze the validity of each dimension through statistical means. Over time, questions that are not as effective as others in measuring specific dimensions of service quality identified in this survey will be discarded, producing a final survey.
11. Why are reminders sent to respondents who have already completed the survey?
Research indicates that the single highest predictor of response rates in web-based surveys is the number of contacts made, including reminders. The fact that reminders are sent to all respondents, including those who have already completed this survey, is a result of the project's built-in mechanisms for security and confidentiality. Once a return is submitted to the project server, its contents are disaggregated and disassociated from the respondent's email address. This provides maximum security, but does not allow for the differentiation of respondents/non-respondents among the sample. Thus, everyone gets reminders regardless of whether they have completed the survey.
12. Why do the discipline categories in the survey not match UM Libraries college/department structure?
Because this is a multi-institution survey, discipline categories have been standardized for ease of comparison. This will assist with future benchmarking activities.
13. For additional information about the LibQUAL+TM survey, please visit?
