1. W.E.B. Du Bois Library Examining the Overlooked: Open- ended comments from 6,108 spring 2007 invalid LibQual+ survey responses Gordon Fretwell, Assessment Consultant University of Massachusetts Amherst 2nd Library Assessment Conference Seattle, August 4 – 6, 2008

2. 2 W.E.B. Du Bois Library Overview  Examining the data  Brief responses and problematic responses  Lengthy and more complex responses  Conclusions

3. 3 W.E.B. Du Bois Library  Short negative comments 19  Short positive comments524  Comments relating to survey694  Don’t use the library381  Online user113  Unclear Comments341  Errors 31  Obscenities 5 Brief Overview of Single-focus Comments

4. 4 W.E.B. Du Bois Library Brief Overview of Multi-focus Comments Resources2,369 Staff2,230 Services1,908 Environment1,906 Facilities 427 Survey 185

5. 5 W.E.B. Du Bois Library General Respondents vs. Questionnaire Critics

6. 6 W.E.B. Du Bois Library Conclusions from the Invalid Responses  Comments are focused, clear and genuine  Users care deeply about their libraries  Users want access to more resources  This particular questionnaire is alienating  The questionnaire should allow for branching  The sample pool should be tightened up to improve response rate

7. 7 W.E.B. Du Bois Library Questions & Contact If you have questions or comments about the data or its interpretation, you may contact Gordon Fretwell by email at the following address: fretwell@library.umass.edu