LibQual Challenges & Lessons Learned at UW Oshkosh

WiLSWorld 2014

LibQual & UW Oshkosh

● “LibQUAL+”○ “a rigorously tested Web-based survey.. that helps

libraries assess and improve library services, change organizational culture, and market the library.”

● UW Oshkosh: 2004, 2008, February 2014.

Agenda

● A taste of LibQual● 5 challenges encountered

○ solutions and/or or lessons learned

Time to take WiLSQual!

On a scale from 1 (worst) to 9 (best), ● Rate your perception of: "Yesterday's

WiLSWorld presenters had the knowledge to answer audience questions."

● Rate your desired level of expectation.● Rate your minimum level of expectation.

Question 2

On a scale from 1 (worst) to 9 (best), ● Rate your perception of: "Presenters who

understand the needs of their audience."● Rate your desired level of expectation.● Rate your minimum level of expectation.

Questions 3 - 22...

Help me evaluate the results!

9 questions about “Affect of Service”● Employees who instill confidence in users● Giving users individual attention● Employees who are consistently courteous● Readiness to respond to users' questions● ...

Help me evaluate the results!!

8 questions about “Information Control”● Making electronic resources accessible from

my home or office● A library Web site enabling me to locate

information on my own● The electronic information resources I need● Modern equipment that lets me easily

access needed information

Help me evaluate the results!!!!

5 questions about “Library as Place”● Library space that inspires study and

learning● Quiet space for individual activities● A comfortable and inviting location● A getaway for study, learning, or research● ...

Help! me! evaluate the results!!!!

● Up to 5 Local questions (from a pool)● Custom questions● 3 General Satisfaction questions● 5 Information Literacy Outcome questions● 3 Library Use (frequency) questions● The one free-text “tell us anything” question

Help! me! evaluate! the! results!!!!For each question:● Perception score● Desired expectation & superiority gap● Minimum expectation & adequacy gap● Longitudinal comparison with prior years● Peer comparison● Demographic breakdowns

○ role (faculty / student), discipline, age, sex

Challenge #1: Avalanche of Data

● Raw perceptions / desired / minimum / gaps● Longitudinal & peer comparisons● Demographic breakdowns● Comparison with qualitative comments

● Great insights, after a lot of analysis!

Success: Team Approach

● 5 person team: chair, 2 ‘quants’, 2 ‘quals’.○ Delegating analysis, including "significance".

● Tools○ Quant side: SPSS○ Qual side: QDA Miner Lite, Brown U. taxonomy

● Chinese wall during initial analysis, then combining the two into a single report

Challenge #2: Really Long Survey

(22 core questions + 5 local) * 3 ratings+ 17 more rating questions+ 4 demographic questions=

102 numeric responses + one text response

Success: LibQUAL+ Lite

● X percentage of participants get a survey with ~ half the questions

● We did a 50/50 splitLite Full

Valid Responses 55% 49%

Median Survey Time 4:32 7:31

Average Survey Time 7:20 31:02

Challenge #3: Broad Questions

● Great for longitudinal & peer analyses.● But how do you get assessment of specific

services or other areas of concern?

Solution: Local Questions

● 132 available to choose from a pool● Can ask the same questions over time

○ or the same within the consortium○ or not!

● Be careful: choice requires another process○ Different functional areas / services○ What will you do with the answer?!○ Follow-up survey opportunities?

Bonus Solution: Custom Question

● New! (Beta)○ "Please indicate your preference: From the library I

want more … electronic or print books". ○ 1 (e-books) to 5 (print books).○ to help with consortium-wide purchasing

● Different type of answer, not good/bad● Note: delayed our survey

Challenge #4: Recruitment

● Decided to request IRB approval○ First time. So we could share the data externally.○ Time: CITI Certification training, write-up, revisions.

● Publicity challenges: inducement.● Should have given ourselves more flexibility

in emailing & other marketing.

Success: Student Recruiting

● Members of PRSSA on campus. Win/win.● Candy!● Very successful; 8-10 students/hour

(Mini-)Challenge #5: ARL

● Some complexities to the survey configuration.

● Slow response times to some questions.

Solution: Consortium Approach

● 7 UWs doing the survey in one term.● John Jax (UW La Crosse) coordinating with

ARL, got answers much more efficiently!● UWS conference calls, sharing challenges &

solutions● Ad-hoc consortia? WiLS opportunity?

Thanks to our team(s)!Polk Library, UW Oshkosh● Maccabee Levine (chair)● Ted Mulvey &

Craig Thomas (quants)● Josh Ranger &

Sara Stichert (quals)● Pat Wilkinson (director)● Anca Miron (IRB chair)

UW System● John Jax (LX,

UWS LibQual chair)● Susan Mitchell (UWS)● James Hibbard (Platt)● Laura Jacobs (Superior)● Linda Kopecky (MKE)● Mitchell Scott (GB)● Maureen Olle-LaJoie

(RF)