1. LibQual+TM at Glasgow University Library
Jacqui Dowd,
Management Information Officer
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

2. Glasgow University Library
University of Glasgow
research led, founded in 1451, has c.20K students studying in 10 Faculties, c.6K staff
Member of the Russell Group of major UK research-led universities
Founder member of Universitas 21
Some background on the University – extracts from the University web-pages demonstrate the interest in peer groupings,
U21 - an international grouping of universities dedicated to setting world-wide standards for higher education.
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

3. Glasgow University Library
Survey Participation
Participation in LibQUAL+TM 2005 will be Glasgow’s 3rd iteration of the survey as part of the SCONUL Consortium
Previous iterations:
2004
2003
and peer group measurement/benchmarking which is intrinsic to culture of HE. This was an important part of the original decision to particpate in an international survey such as LibQual+ which had the backing of SCONUL in the UK and RLG in the US. We had been carrying out our own in-house surveys for the previous years but not annually. The focus tended to be on setting up and carrying out the survey and often all the energy had gone by the time the results were available. I hoped that LibQual+ would allow us to focus more on the results and that has been the case although there is still far more we can do!
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

4. Glasgow University Library
Preparatory Work
Clearance from the Ethics Committee
Check the Calendar & decide when to run the survey
Demographics
Select Sample
Complete the necessary sections LibQUAL+TM web site
Prepare texts
Promote the survey
the notification
The request for ‘proof’ of how we collect feedback from students and how seriously we respond to such feedback has been very frequent over the past few years and it is gratifying to be able to cite LibQual+, referring to our web pages for the survey outcomes. TQA is still a force at the subject level although being displaced in Scotland by the ‘Enhancement-led Institutional Review’.
The definition of QE – ‘taking deliberate steps to bring about continuous improvement in the effectiveness of the learning experience of students’ has only recently been settled
Glasgow went through this process earlier this year and the Reflective Analysis submitted had a section on the library and the survey. The Scottish HE Funding Council now runs a set of two or three themes every year – one of this year’s has been ‘Enhancing the Student Experience’ and again it has been satisfying to take part in focus groups and able to cite our participation in LibQual+ as an important part of our QE procedures..
However, links to the research side e.g. the RAE are much less clear.
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

5. Glasgow University Library
Running the Survey
Send the invitation
Respond to any incoming mail
Watch progress on the web
Send reminder s
Close the survey
Wait for the results
This really follows on from the external stuff – that the Library is seen to have this ‘well in hand’ is important. We’ve reported formally on each survey to the Library Committee but I need to take this further and, for instance, bring a paper to the University’s Learning & Teaching Committee. Running the survey annually is important, I believe, in convincing students that you are interested in their views. Last year we used a random sample and had one comment to the effect that this was the first time s/he had been surveyed by the Library although the Stevie building (Sports/Recreation) carried out an annual survey. This year we opened the survey to all staff and students. I think we are in danger of forgetting how briefly students may be with us. On the other hand academic staff will probably get very fed up with an annual survey of this kind!
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

6. Glasgow University Library
Analysing the Results
Internal:
By user group
By Faculty/Discipline
External benchmarking
SCONUL Consortium
Similar UK institutions
Similar Overseas institutions
Comments
Open access short loan, using RFID technology, introduced in September 03. First survey allowed us to capture student responses which were mixed although many adverse comments focussed on the lack of booking. The 2004 survey was important for us to check on this vital service again with a cohort of students less wedded to the previous system.
In the library we have 4 Focus Groups (Education, Research, Marketing and Service Enhancement) and 4 Resource Groups (Finance, Estates, Collections and Staff) and all are encouraged to make use of the survey data. Last year we had a disappointing response from postgraduate students and this year the Research Focus Group has taken the survey data from the postgraduate returns to do a detailed analysis with a view to tailoring research support activity. A particular concern has been support for ‘Taught Postgrads’ – a growing part of the student body with individual needs. This year we had a very low response from the Education Faculty and this has triggered a series of meetings to find out what is happening here. This is a relatively new Faculty, forged from a merger with a teacher training college which was used to its own extensive library and support. I’m not sure that the right decisions were always made in a time of rapidly shifting building solutions (originally new build adjacent to library subsequently refurbished building 10 minutes away from centre of campus).
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

7. Glasgow University Library
Comments
The qualitative information from the comment box is as informative & important as the quantitative data.
For example, a 17 page University review report – Appendix 1 consists of a detailed comment from a student obtained via the LibQUAL+TM survey in 2004
Comments received:
2004: 920 users (42%)
25% Positive
2003: 213 (43%)
24% Positive
On IT provision for Students with Special Needs
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

8. Disseminating the Results
Reports
To Library Strategy Group
Library Forums (Education, Marketing, Research & Service Enhancement)
Library Committee (also acts as User Committee)
Publish on the Web (
Academic Faculties & Supporting departments (Computing, Central Services & Estates & Buildings)
Annual Report
Open access short loan, using RFID technology, introduced in September 03. First survey allowed us to capture student responses which were mixed although many adverse comments focussed on the lack of booking. The 2004 survey was important for us to check on this vital service again with a cohort of students less wedded to the previous system.
In the library we have 4 Focus Groups (Education, Research, Marketing and Service Enhancement) and 4 Resource Groups (Finance, Estates, Collections and Staff) and all are encouraged to make use of the survey data. Last year we had a disappointing response from postgraduate students and this year the Research Focus Group has taken the survey data from the postgraduate returns to do a detailed analysis with a view to tailoring research support activity. A particular concern has been support for ‘Taught Postgrads’ – a growing part of the student body with individual needs. This year we had a very low response from the Education Faculty and this has triggered a series of meetings to find out what is happening here. This is a relatively new Faculty, forged from a merger with a teacher training college which was used to its own extensive library and support. I’m not sure that the right decisions were always made in a time of rapidly shifting building solutions (originally new build adjacent to library subsequently refurbished building 10 minutes away from centre of campus).
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

9. Glasgow University Library
Utilising the Data
Strategic Service Developments
Budget Discussions
Marketing Position
Open access short loan, using RFID technology, introduced in September 03. First survey allowed us to capture student responses which were mixed although many adverse comments focussed on the lack of booking. The 2004 survey was important for us to check on this vital service again with a cohort of students less wedded to the previous system.
In the library we have 4 Focus Groups (Education, Research, Marketing and Service Enhancement) and 4 Resource Groups (Finance, Estates, Collections and Staff) and all are encouraged to make use of the survey data. Last year we had a disappointing response from postgraduate students and this year the Research Focus Group has taken the survey data from the postgraduate returns to do a detailed analysis with a view to tailoring research support activity. A particular concern has been support for ‘Taught Postgrads’ – a growing part of the student body with individual needs. This year we had a very low response from the Education Faculty and this has triggered a series of meetings to find out what is happening here. This is a relatively new Faculty, forged from a merger with a teacher training college which was used to its own extensive library and support. I’m not sure that the right decisions were always made in a time of rapidly shifting building solutions (originally new build adjacent to library subsequently refurbished building 10 minutes away from centre of campus).
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

10. Strategic Service Development
Data to support service development
Ability to identify where not matching expectations
Check whether change has met need
Open access short loan, using RFID technology, introduced in September 03. First survey allowed us to capture student responses which were mixed although many adverse comments focussed on the lack of booking. The 2004 survey was important for us to check on this vital service again with a cohort of students less wedded to the previous system.
In the library we have 4 Focus Groups (Education, Research, Marketing and Service Enhancement) and 4 Resource Groups (Finance, Estates, Collections and Staff) and all are encouraged to make use of the survey data. Last year we had a disappointing response from postgraduate students and this year the Research Focus Group has taken the survey data from the postgraduate returns to do a detailed analysis with a view to tailoring research support activity. A particular concern has been support for ‘Taught Postgrads’ – a growing part of the student body with individual needs. This year we had a very low response from the Education Faculty and this has triggered a series of meetings to find out what is happening here. This is a relatively new Faculty, forged from a merger with a teacher training college which was used to its own extensive library and support. I’m not sure that the right decisions were always made in a time of rapidly shifting building solutions (originally new build adjacent to library subsequently refurbished building 10 minutes away from centre of campus).
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

11. Glasgow University Library
Budget Discussions
Data to support case for increased materials funding
Data to support case for change in emphasis (towards e-provision)
Library refurbishment
Both surveys highlighted aspects of building issues which were important to students – undergrad and PGTs. This has been useful in pushing for a restart for the Library Refurbishment program.
I think we could be doing far more to use the data on the clear preference for e-materials from Academic staff and research potgrads to argue the case for one-off spending on e-journal backfiles.
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

12. Glasgow University Library
Marketing Position
Status of library within university
Importance of national and international benchmarking
For me, this slide really deals with the question of why LibQual+ rather than our own survey – it brings a wider perspective, which we have yet to exploit fully I feel, and brings greater status.
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

13. Glasgow University Library
What We’ve Done
New Web Services Administrator
Sunday morning opening
Increased late opening hours
Library refurbishment
Levels 6 & 7 completed summer 2004
Levels 8 & 9 scheduled summer 2005
VPN discussions
200 PCs replaced, 210 new added…
The VPN is an interesting case – this refers to the University’s Virtual Private Network and is an important part of enabling access to information resources from off-campus. This is a service provided by our Computing Service colleagues who still view it as a ‘luxury’ – there is a £10 registration fee and then technobabble instructions for loading the software onto your home computer and actually using the service. Fine if you’ve get a departmental IT person that you can hand your laptop over to….. I’m still struggling with this and hoping there will be detailed comments in this year’s survey but also planning to get a small group together to give feedback on this issue directly to relevant staff.
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

14. Glasgow University Library
And
New signage
New furniture
Zoning
more… late opening hours
Failed (so far) to get extra funding for Elsevier backfiles
Unfortunately, we have worked too well on the ‘Elsevier is evil’ message and the University Dean’s group balked at handing over £500K for backfiles….. We need to try a different slant!
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library

15. Summer Results Meeting
If you let your Director attend this meeting - prepare to do it all again.
Jacqui Dowd
I have realised while preparing this short presentation, how much we have not yet done with the data available to this. In particular, I think we have not yet worked out how to display the national/international comparisons. It does take a huge amount of effort to come up with telling one-liners to impress University managers. And of course, sometimes you want to hide the comparisons which show your services to be ‘better received’ than others while taking a certain amount of comfort from that! It’s a delicate balance the strategic positioning business…
03/12/2018
Glasgow University Library