Administrative Unit Reviews
UCD General Library Participates in Library Service Quality Study
The UCD General Library (Peter J. Shields Library, the Physical Sciences & Engineering Library, the Carlson Health Sciences Library, the Agricultural and Resource Economics Library, and the Blaisdell Medical Library in Sacramento) participated in the 2002/03 LibQUAL+ study sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries.
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The study, based on a random sample of participants, measured user perceptions and expectations of library service quality in four dimensions:
- Access to Information
- Affect of Service
- Library as Place
- Personal Control
The study was conducted in the spring with over three hundred libraries in the United States, Canada, the U.K., and the Netherlands participating.
A wide range of library types are represented in the 2002/03 survey: college and university libraries, community colleges, health sciences facilities, public libraries, state libraries, and military institutions.
Users were asked to provide judgments on three scales for each question:
- Desired levels of service
- Minimally acceptable levels of service
- Actual levels of service the users feel have been provided
The three scales enable the data to be analyzed and presented in a series of colorful "radar charts" according to a technique called "gap analysis."
Values for the desired service establish an upper limit, while those for the minimal level establish a lower limit defining a "zone of tolerance" within which any actual levels should occur. Thus, as long as the actual level of perceived service is inside the zone, the user finds it at least acceptable; conversely, if it falls outside the zone, the user thinks it needs to be improved or the service provided is perceived to exceed even the desired level.
The area inside the zone showing the actual difference on each scale is the "gap" supplying the name for the technique.
These gaps show up as color-coded contrasts in the "radar charts" as follows:
- Green-shaded areas indicate that the actual levels of service exceed even the maximum levels of service expected.
- Yellow areas show that the actual levels fully meet users' highest expectations.
- Blue areas show that the levels are above the minimum expected
- Red areas quickly point out levels below the expected minimum, or "negative service adequacy gaps."
General Library users give high marks in response to questions about the quality of library service from employees and the "library as place."
Only four out of twenty-five survey questions showed small red areas, or areas in which users find that levels of service are below what they expect at a minimum.
An analysis of this data demonstrates that these findings apply primarily to faculty and graduate students and not to undergraduates where no negative adequacy gaps are found. These perceived areas where improvement is needed have to do with accessing both print and electronic journals and electronic information resources of other types, particularly from outside the library; and with perceived shortcomings in the tools used to access resources in the newer electronic formats.
Additionally, when the overall results for all General Library users are compared to the overall results for users in like institutions similar outcomes are detected with respect to service satisfaction and areas where improvements can be made.
In summary, General Library staff are perceived as willing to help, highly dependable, attentive, courteous, understanding, and knowledgeable; and the library as a place is seen as not only comfortable and inviting but actually inspirational to many of our users.
Some additional attention is needed in the very fast-moving newer areas of library service (such as the use of electronic resources) where our more advanced users feel they need greater access and control.
Click here for a more in-depth look at the LibQUAL+ survey results.