Project web site old.libqual.org TM November 12, 2002 San Francisco, CA Colleen Cook Bruce Thompson AAHSL Spring 2002 Results Results

LibQUAL+™ Project Goals uEstablishment of a library service quality assessment program at ARL uDevelopment of web-based tools for assessing library service quality uDevelopment of mechanisms and protocols for evaluating libraries uIdentification of best practices in providing library service

LibQUAL+ TM Participants Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Spring 2001Spring 2000Spring Participants 43 Participants 164 Participants For More Information about Participants: Visit the LibQUAL+ web site.

Relationships: perceptions, service quality and satisfaction ….only customers judge quality; all other judgments are essentially irrelevant” Zeithaml, Parasuraman, Berry. (1999). Delivering quality service. NY: The Free Press.

Source: Parasuraman, ARL Symposium on Measuring Service Quality Washington, DC, October 2000

Dimensions of Library Service Quality

Affect of Service uEmerged as the dominant factor early in our work uAbsorbed several of the original SERVQUAL questions measuring Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy uIn the current analysis also includes Reliability uAll in all: the Human Dimension of Service Quality

Library as Place uTranscends the SERVQUAL dimension of Tangibles to include the idea of the library as the campus center of intellectual activity uAs long as physical facilities are adequate, library as place may not be an issue

Personal Control uHow users want to interact with the modern library uPersonal control of the information universe in general and web navigation in particular

Access to Information uUbiquity of access: information delivered in the format, location and time of choice uComprehensive collections

Sample Survey Spring 2002

Sample Survey… continued

u42 — ARL Libraries u35 — Health Sciences Libraries u36 — State Colleges & Universities (excluding ARL) u34 — Private Colleges & Universities (excluding ARL) u15 — Community Colleges u 2 — Special & Public Libraries (Smithsonian & NYPL) LibQUAL+  2002 Iteration

The Challenge of Analysis uThere are few, if any useful conclusions to be drawn from aggregate data of all institutions, because their missions and subsequent user expectations for service are too diverse. uThere are commonalities in service delivery profiles that merit further investigation. uIn the long run, information that may be derived from demographic responses of individuals may yield the richest data.

Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 14

Respondents by Age Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 15

Respondents by Sex Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 16

AAHSL Respondents by Discipline (n=13,976) Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 18

ARLAAHSLALL Service Affect Information Access Personal Control Library as Place Total Reliability

Factor Analysis - ARL Factor 1Factor 2Factor 3Factor 4 PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER Willingness to help users Employees who are consistently cou Dependability handling users^ serv Giving users individual attention Employees deal w users in a caring Employees knowledge to answer user Readiness to respond to users^ que Employees who instill confidence I Employees understand needs of thei Space that facilitates quiet study A haven for quiet and solitude A place for reflection and creativ A comfortable and inviting locatio A contemplative environment Complete runs of journal titles Timely document delivery/interlibr Interdisc library needs being addr Convenient business hours Comprehensive print collections Elec resources accessible from hom Modern equip me easily access the Lib website enabling me locate inf Easy-use tools allow find things o Info easily accessible for indepen Convenient access to library colle Service Affect Library as place Access to info Personal Control

Factor Analysis -AAHSL Factor 1Factor 2Factor 3Factor 4 PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER PER Willingness to help users Employees who are consistently cou Dependability handling users^ serv Giving users individual attention Employees deal w users in a caring Employees knowledge to answer user Readiness to respond to users^ que Employees who instill confidence I Employees understand needs of thei Space that facilitates quiet study A haven for quiet and solitude A place for reflection and creativ A comfortable and inviting locatio A contemplative environment Complete runs of journal titles Timely document delivery/interlibr Interdisc library needs being addr Convenient business hours Comprehensive print collections Elec resources accessible from hom Modern equip me easily access the Lib website enabling me locate inf Easy-use tools allow find things o Info easily accessible for indepen Convenient access to library colle Service Affect Library as place Access to info Personal Control

DimensionMinimumDesiredPerceivedSA Gap Access to Information Affect of Service Library as Place Personal Control AAHSL Dimension Means (n=13,976) Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 22

Mean Perceived Scores 2001/2002 Trend (n=34)

Two Interpretation Frameworks uScore Norms uZone of Tolerance

Zone of Tolerance uThe area between minimally acceptable and desired service quality ratings uPerception ratings ideally fall within the Zone of Tolerance

AAHSL Dimension Summary(n=13,976) Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 22 Average Rating Access to Information Affect of Service Library as Place Personal Control

Undergraduate AAHSL (n=638) Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 28

Graduate AAHSL (n=4,788) Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 36

Faculty AAHSL (n=4,962) Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 44

Library Staff AAHSL (n=431) Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 52

Local Questions - Faculty AAHSL Note: LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Survey Results - AAHSL. (2002). Vol. 3, p. 50

Score Norms uNorm Conversion Tables facilitate the interpretation of observed scores using norms created for a large and representative sample. uLibQUAL+ TM norms have been created at both the individual and institutional level

Institutional Norms for Perceived Means on 25 Core Questions-AAHSL Note: Thompson, B. LibQUAL+  Spring 2002 Selected Norms, (2002).

ARL Top (.46) ARL Other 6.74 (.27) Private Colleges 6.90 (.49) State Colleges & Universities 6.38 (.30) Community Colleges 7.26 (.55) Overall Mean Scores and Service Adequacy Gap Scores By Cohort Group 2002 LibQUAL+  Iteration (n=162) AAHSL 7.07 (.56)

LibQUAL+™ Fundamental Contributions to the Measurement of Effective Delivery of Library Services uShift the focus of assessment from mechanical expenditure-driven metrics to user-centered measures of quality uRe-ground gap theory for the library sector, especially academic libraries uGrounded questions yield data of sufficient granularity to be of value at the local level uDetermine the degree to which information derived from local data can be generalized, providing much needed “best practices” information uDemonstrate the efficacy of large-scale administration of user-centered assessment transparently across the web uMakes little demand of local resources and expertise

Recognize the limitations of listening to customers uCustomers have a limited frame of reference and tend to offer incremental, rather than bold, suggestions –A better slide rule –The microwave oven, Post-it Notes, Velcro uInnovation is the responsibility of staff Anthony W. Ulwick, Harvard Business Review, January 2002

Shift the focus to outcomes uPlan outcome-based customer interviews uCapture desired outcomes uOrganize the outcomes uRate the outcomes for importance and satisfaction –Opportunity algorithm: (Importance+(Importance-Satisfaction)=Opportunity) uUse the outcomes to jump-start innovation Anthony W. Ulwick, Harvard Business Review, January 2002

When desired outcomes become the focus of customer research, innovation becomes a manageable, predictable discipline. Anthony W. Ulwick, Harvard Business Review, January 2002

Summary uSurvey can handle large numbers uSurvey can be turned around quickly uLimited local expertise required uInterpretations should be across chosen cohorts uLots of opportunities for using demographics to discern user behaviors uQ-technique and other tests will provide opportunities to observe how institutions may cluster

LibQUAL+  Related Documents LibQUAL+  LibQUAL+  Web Site LibQUAL+  LibQUAL+  Bibliography Survey Participants Procedures Manual