|
LibQUAL+ Frequently Asked Questions
The
Hill Freeman Library and Spruill Learning Center
of Reinhardt College was one of 200+ academic and research libraries
participating in LibQUAL+ ™ in 2005. This
important assessment project measured service
quality. The next phase of the project is
to analyze the results and develop a strategic
direction to address service gaps and build on
service strengths. For more information,
please contact the library director.
This page provides answers to
Frequently Asked Questions about the survey and
the LibQUAL+ ™ project. For additional
information, contact
the library director.
What is LibQUAL+™?
LibQUAL+™ is a suite of
services that libraries use to solicit, track,
understand, and act upon users’ opinions of
service quality. The program’s
centerpiece is a rigorously tested Web-based
survey that helps
libraries assess and improve library services,
change organizational culture, and market the
library. As of spring 2004, more than 500
institutions have participated in LibQUAL+™,
including colleges and universities, community
colleges, health sciences libraries, law
libraries, and public libraries—some through
various consortia, others as independent
participants. LibQUAL+™ has also expanded
internationally, with participating institutions
in Canada, the UK, and Europe. The growing
community of participants and its extensive
dataset are rich resources for improving library
services.
What are the goals of
LibQUAL+ ™?
The goals of LibQUAL+ ™ are
to:
-
Foster a culture of
excellence in providing library service
-
Help libraries better
understand perceptions of library service
quality
-
Collect and interpret
library feedback systematically over time
-
Provide libraries with
comparable assessment information from peer
institutions
-
Identify best practices
in library service
-
Enhance library staff
members’ analytical skills for interpreting and
acting on data
What kinds
of questions are asked in the survey?
The instrument consists of
20+ questions that address 3 service quality
dimensions that have been found to be valid in
previous assessments of library services:
-
Service affect,
-
Library as place,
-
Personal control, and
information access.
Each question has three
parts that asks you to indicate:
-
the minimum service level you
will accept
-
the desired service level you
expect
-
the perceived level of service
currently provided by the library.
This design will permit
analysis of gaps between expectations,
perception, and minimum acceptance level of
service.
How can I get more
information about LibQUAL+ ™?
For more information, see
the LibQUAL+(TM) homepage at
http://www.libqual.org or e-mail your
question to library@reinhardt.edu
|
