I’m working on a mega-LibQUAL+ project, essentially dumping all the data from large universities into an Excel file. This allows for benchmarking: 1) it lets me see who the top libraries are with specific questions (comfortable space, website, etc), and 2.) it let’s me comparatively track my library’s progress over time.
So far I have the undergraduate data for 75 libraries (mostly ARL with a few notable exceptions) and about half the faculty data. I am pulling from 2003 – 2007, entering the most current numbers available. Excel’s “paste special --–> transpose” is great and so is LibQUAL+ Analytics Tool.
LibQUAL+ is not a perfect measurement, but it’s all we’ve got in terms of national benchmarking. And user satisfaction is far more valuable than collection size. (No disrespect to the HYP.) What I like about my satisfaction tool is that it equalizes everything. It goes beyond simply comparing my perceptions against your perceptions, and instead takes all the data points into account. It asks the more global question: “how full is your glass?” (How satisfied are your patrons?)
If you look through your LibQUAL+ results PDF, you’ll find barometer charts, like this:
Your goal is for that orange line to fill as much of that gray box as possible; the more the better.
And so, looking at all the undergraduate data, which library ranks highest? The home team: Texas A&M. They invented the tool and run it every year, so I have to discredit them, sorry Colleen.
So who is number two? Georgia Tech. I was shocked and had to triple check all the data. But indeed, in terms of pure satisfaction, our participants responded most favorably across the 22 questions collectively. In all sincerity, we got lucky. We conducted our survey just as we finished a major renovation and benefited from good buzz. By comparison, our pre-renovation numbers would have placed us 25 out of 75 libraries.
I’ll be writing more on this once the faculty and graduate student numbers are collected, but here are a few findings:
Overall Customer Service: Cornell
Overall Library as Place: U of Kansas (really it was Texas A&M, but like I said, home team)
Comfortable & Inviting Location: U of Washington
Website: Clemson