LibQUAL

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LibQUAL Process ManagementUsing the Web as a
Management Tool
Amy Hoseth New Measures Project
Assistant Association of Research Libraries
Consuella Askew LibQUAL Program
Specialist Association of Research Libraries
ALA Midwinter Conference San Diego,
California January 10, 2004
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Objectives

• Identify key elements that contribute to a
  successful survey implementation
• Learn how the LibQUAL Web site can help you
  manage your survey

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What is LibQUAL?

• LibQUAL is a suite of services that libraries
  use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon
  users opinions of service quality. The programs
  centerpiece is a rigorously tested Web-based
  survey bundled with local training that helps
  libraries assess and improve library services.

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Step 1 DefineConsider participation in
LibQUAL

• When deciding whether to participate, consider
  project requirements people, supplies,
  technology
• Also consider your institutional goals what do
  you want to get out of the survey?

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Registration and Costs

• 2004 participation fee 2,250 per survey
  implementation (we expect same fee for 2005
• Other potential costs include
• On-campus marketing and promotion
• Travel costs
• Cost of staff time on project
• Registration runs from September-December

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Technology

• Work with IT department to select e-mail
  addresses and compile mailing lists
• Consider your hardware, software, and network
  connections
• Prepare for any local network issues that could
  affect your survey

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Sample Groups

• Identify your sample groups (undergraduate,
  graduate, faculty, staff)
• Determine your sample size
• Sampling guidelines provided in Procedures
  Manual http//old.libqual.org/Information/Manual/
  index.cfm
• Minimum recommended sample size for a large
  institution 900 undergraduates,
  600 graduates, 600 faculty, 600 non-library
  university staff (optional), and all library
  staff (optional)

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Survey Liaisons

• Prepare for survey administration
• Communicate with LibQUAL team
• Respond to user feedback
• Work with local IT/academic computing contacts
  and ARL to resolve any local technical issues

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Survey Communications

• How will you promote your survey and communicate
  results?
• Advertising/marketing
• Survey Web sites
• Flyers and other handouts

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Success Criteria

• Dependent on your local situation
• General criteria
• Data analysis yields representative and useable
  results
• Response rates, completion rates, and
  representativeness

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Process Timeline
June-August
September
November/December
October

• Register for survey (registration runs through
  mid-December)
• Designate survey liaison/
• committee/project team

• Identify and initiate steps
• to obtain human subjects
• research approval from IRB

• Identify sample groups
• Identify best data source to
• obtain valid e-mail addresses
• for sample groups
• Meet with person(s) who will be drawing e-mail
  addresses to determine process feasibility

• Gather information about LibQUALTM survey
• Review resources, budgetary requirements

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Step 2 PrepareComplete required steps to launch
your survey

• LibQUAL survey Management Center as a
  management tool
• Several required steps before your survey can go
  live
• Determine whether you need IRB approval

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Survey Management Center
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Manage Your Survey
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Survey Preferences

• Participants are asked to indicate/provide
• Support e-mail address
• Language
• Institution logo
• Whether they want SPSS data files
• Whether offering local incentive prizes
• Dates of survey

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Survey Customization

• Choose five additional questions (if desired)
• Provide library branch information
• Define disciplines for your institution

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Preview

• Preview your survey, exactly as it will appear
  to users
• Data entered in preview survey is not recorded
• Clicking on Approve turns on your actual survey
  URL

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Representativeness

• Tell us about your institution
• User types (undergrad, graduate, faculty)
• Number of users in each discipline
• ARL statistical info. (number of volumes held,
  etc.)
• Information will be used to determine
  representativeness of your sample

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Step 3 Implement Launch the survey on your
campus

• Send survey invitation and URL
• Typical survey run is 3 weeks
• Send 2-3 follow-up reminders to users
• Respond to user feedback

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Monitor the Survey

• Track your surveys progress in real-time
• Number of surveys completed, day-by-day
• Surveys completed by user group
• Average completion time
• Turn off survey when finished

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Step 4 Wrap-upClose down your survey and
receive results

• Survey closes to public in early May
• Contact local incentive winners (if you offered a
  local prize)
• Provide feedback to the LibQUAL team about your
  survey
• Receive survey results data

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Local Incentives

• Provides list of randomly selected users for
  local incentive prizes
• Available as soon as you turn off your survey
  run, or when survey closes to the public
  (whichever is first)

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Post Hoc Questionnaire

• Provide the ARL team with information about your
  survey run
• Sample size
• Number of e-mails sent
• Incentives offered
• Marketing/promotion methods

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Evaluation Survey

• Your opportunity to provide feedback to the
  LibQUAL team and evaluate your institutions
  survey experience

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LibQUAL Resources

• Project Web Site
• lthttp//www.libqual.orggt
• LibQUAL Procedures Manual
• lthttp//www.libqual.org/Information/Manual/
• index.cfmgt

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LibQUAL Contact Information

• Martha Kyrillidou
• Senior Program for Office of Statistics and
  Measurement
• martha_at_arl.org
• Consuella Askew
• LibQUAL Program Specialist
• consuella_at_arl.org
• Amy Hoseth
• New Measures Project Assistant
• amyh_at_arl.org
• Jonathan D. Sousa
• Technical Applications Development Manager
• jonathan_at_arl.org