LibQUAL+®® Implementation ProceduresThe Third Lodz [Poland] Library Conference

Technical University of Lodz

25-27 June, 2008

Presented by:

Bruce Thompson and Colleen CookTexas A&M University

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OverviewOverview

• Preparing to Implement LibQUAL+®

• The Survey Process: Initial Steps

• Approving and Running Your Survey

• After the Survey: Post Hoc Questionnaire and Your Evaluation of Your Experience

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1. Preparing for the Survey 1. Preparing for the Survey ImplementationImplementation

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WhyWhy is Your Library Participating is Your Library Participating in in LibQUAL+LibQUAL+® ® ??

• Institutional goals:

– what do you want to get out of the survey?

• Survey requirements:

– people, supplies, technology

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Get Permission from your Get Permission from your Institutional Review BoardInstitutional Review Board

• Local group that approves human subject research

• May also be called

– Committee for Human Subject Research

– Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects

• Not all institutions need to obtain permission

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Get Permission from yourGet Permission from yourInstitutional Review BoardInstitutional Review Board

• If permission is required:

– Seek well in advance of survey

– Supply a copy of the survey, if requested

– Inform them that results will be shared among participants

• No need to inform LibQUAL+® of decision

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Determine Whom to SurveyDetermine Whom to Survey

• Random sample

or

• Entire population

KEY POINT: Think beyond a single administration. Presume that you MAY later decide to do the survey either periodically (e.g., every two years) or intermittently, and make decisions in the context of this possibility.

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IfIf You Sample… You Sample…

• Recommendations:

– At least 1,200 random email addresses for each user group

– Separate sample groups for undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and staff

• Keep notes on your methodology as you will be asked to describe it in the Post Hoc Questionnaire

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If You Survey the If You Survey the Entire Population….Entire Population….

• Recommendations:

– Think about survey fatigue if you want to repeat the survey regularly

• Keep notes on your methodology as you will be asked to describe it in the Post Hoc Questionnaire

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Obtain Email AddressesObtain Email Addresses

• Typical sources include:

– Campus computing office

– Campus administrative records office

– Library patron database

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Marketing Your SurveyMarketing Your Survey

– Place ads in campus newspaper

– Write article for library newsletter

– Post flyers around campus

– Present at faculty meetings & student orientations

– Create a survey Web site and feature on library’s home page

– Take the survey to where users are: dining halls, study rooms, dorms

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Become Familiar with Become Familiar with LibQUAL+LibQUAL+®® Resources Resources

• Management Centerhttp://www.libqual.org/Manage/index.cfm

• LibQUAL+® Procedures Manualhttp://www.libqual.org/Manual/index.cfm – Updated Version – September 2006– Much more detail

• Discussion listLIBQUAL-L@listserv.tamu.edu

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The The LibQUAL+LibQUAL+®® Management CenterManagement Center

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2. The Survey Process: Initial Steps2. The Survey Process: Initial Steps

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Survey Process: Manage Your SurveySurvey Process: Manage Your Survey

Eight Sections:• Preferences• Customization• Preview • Representativeness• Monitor Survey Progress• Incentive Winners• Post Hoc Information• Evaluation of Your

Experience

*Sections must be completed in order

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PreferencesPreferences

Fields marked with * are required

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Customization: Optional/Local Customization: Optional/Local QuestionsQuestions

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Customization: DisciplinesCustomization: Disciplines

• Results notebooks summarize findings by user group and provide a chart for, both, standard and custom disciplines

• Standard disciplines (based on your institution type, i.e., College/University)

• Customized disciplines

– Recommend no more than 16 disciplines, if possible

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The The StandardStandard Disciplines – Disciplines – College/University, College/University, IfIf No Customization No Customization• Agriculture/Environmental

Studies• Architecture• Business• Communications/

Journalism• Education• Engineering/Computer

Science• General Studies• Health Sciences

• Humanities• Law• Military/Naval Science• Other• Performing & Fine Arts• Science/Math• Social Sciences/

Psychology• Undecided

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Customized DisciplinesCustomized Disciplines

• Use your local terminology to map to the standard disciplines

• Cautions:

– Need to provide representativeness data for each discipline

– Too many choices present challenges to users because the pull down menu gets too large

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Standard Disciplines: Standard Disciplines: An Academic LibraryAn Academic Library

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Customized Disciplines: Customized Disciplines: An Academic LibraryAn Academic Library

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Customization: Customization: Branch LibrariesBranch Libraries

The library you use most often.

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3. Approving and Running 3. Approving and Running Your SurveyYour Survey

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Previewing and ApprovingPreviewing and ApprovingYour SurveyYour SurveyPreview• Complete at least one full run

of your preview survey• Test in different settings,

using different platforms and Web browsers

• Get library staff involved in testing

Once Approved• Can no longer make changes• Live survey URL will appear at

the top of the “Manage Your Survey” page marked as Survey URL

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Reviewing CommentsReviewing Comments

• About one-half of users include comments on their survey

• Download via the Monitor Survey Progress page (Excel file or text file)http://old.libqual.org/Manage/Results/Comments/index.cfm

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Sending RemindersSending Reminders

• 3-5 reminders to sample populations

• Thank respondents who have completed the survey

• Boost up marketing efforts around campus– More fliers, table tents, ads in campus

newspaper– Get professors and other staff involved– Increase number or types of incentives

* More examples of marketing efforts featured at the Share Fair

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Completing Your Completing Your Representativeness QuestionnaireRepresentativeness Questionnaire• Determines how your institutional profile compares to

your survey data• Requires the following information:

– # of individuals per user group– # of individuals within each discipline– # of males and females– Library Statistics

• Volumes added during the year – Gross/Total (including e-books)• Total number of current serials received (including electronic serials)• Total library expenditures (U.S. dollars)• Personnel – professional staff, full-time equivalent (FTE)• Personnel – support staff, full-time equivalent (FTE)

• Must be complete BEFORE closing survey

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Completing Your Completing Your Representativeness QuestionnaireRepresentativeness Questionnaire

Representativeness Representativeness CompletedCompleted

Representativeness Representativeness NOT CompletedNOT Completed

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Closing Your SurveyClosing Your Survey

• We recommend a survey run of at three weeks

• Once you close your survey:– Retrieve list of incentive winners– Fill out Post Hoc and Evaluation

Questionnaires

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4. 4. After the Survey: Post Hoc Questionnaire and Your Evaluation of

Your Experience

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Completing Post Hoc Survey and The Completing Post Hoc Survey and The Evaluation QuestionnairesEvaluation Questionnaires

Post Hoc Questionnaire• Information about your

survey– Sample size– # of e-mails sent– #of invalid e-mail

addresses– Incentives offered– Marketing techniques– Etc.

Evaluation Questionnaire• Feedback about your

LibQUAL+® experience• All survey liaisons and

assistants are encouraged to complete this questionnaire

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The Underused “Analytics Tool”

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LibQUAL+LibQUAL+®® Resources Resources

• LibQUAL+® Web site:http://old.libqual.org

• Publications:http://old.libqual.org/publications

• Events and Training:http://old.libqual.org/events

• Gap Theory/Radar Graph Introduction:http://old.libqual.org/Information/Tools/libqualpresentation.cfm

• LibQUAL+® Procedures Manual:http://old.libqual.org/Publications/index.cfm