LibQual Analysis at a Liberal Arts College: a Journey

Sara Penhale

Tom Kirk, Christine Larson,

Shirley Smith, Janet Wagner,

and Jeannette Wilson

Earlham College

Earlham College

• Liberal arts college with approximately 1200 students and 130 teaching faculty

• Library focuses on the teaching & learning process

• Long-standing program of teaching information literacy skills

• Librarians well-integrated into the life of the college

Assessment in the Library

• Experience in assessment

• Limited expertise in large scale surveys and data sets

• Analyzing LibQual data becomes a new journey

Radar Chart

Image from NASA Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer http://toms.gsfc.nasa.gov/ozone/ozone_v8.html

A journey begun on familiar territory,continued over thin ice on an unclear path, but

heading toward a known destination

IMPROVED LIBRARY SERVICE

Our path thus far…

1. Considered survey comments

2. Examined data analysis provided by LibQual

3. Began our own data analysis, relevant to our own institution

Step 1. Considered survey comments

• Dissatisfaction with handling of fines at the circulation desk

• Student workers contribute to the problem

Arriving at improved library service

• Improved training program for students workers

• Emphasis on checking in books properly, customer service attitude, etc.

Guideposts for survey comments

• Expect to receive opposing comments

• Look for corroboration of what you suspect

• Look for new insights and what’s missing

• Recognize the need to look further for conclusions

Our journey continues…

Step 1. Considered survey comments

Step 2. Examined data analysis provided by LibQual

Step 2. Analysis provided by LibQual

• Entire survey populationSub-groups, such as faculty or undergraduates

• Radar charts for core questions

• Data summaries, descriptive statistics

• Comparative norms

Earlham CollegeAggregate Results

Results for Core Survey QuestionsSeparate Survey Sub-Groups

Undergraduates Faculty

Results for Core Survey QuestionsFaculty

Significant differences between undergraduates and faculty on questions related to satisfaction

“How would you rate the overall quality of service provided by the library?”

Undergraduates 7.41Faculty 8.12

(on a scale of 1-9)

Arriving at improved library service

• Maintain good relationships with faculty

• Make effort to integrate new faculty

• Look to improve undergraduate experience

Guideposts for data analysis provided by LibQual

• Consider comments and data together

• Be aware of the limitations of the survey questions and the demographic categories

Our journey…

Step 1. Considered survey comments

Step 2. Examined data analysis provided by LibQual

Step 3. Began our own data analysis

Step 3. Our own data analysis

• Noted factors relevant to our own institution

• Considered what additional analyses would be of interest

• Found help and plunged in!

Factors relevant to our institution

• Course-integrated program of instruction in information literacy skills

• Our interest in the progress of undergraduates throughout their four years

Additional Analysis

• Assistance from Dr. Katherine Milar, Psychology Department

• Compared students from different years

• ANOVA – Analysis of Variance – on a variety of variables

Using this information to arrive at improved library service

• Note large change between end of first year and end of second year

• Lesser changes in later years

• Consider meaning in context of both library program and student development

• Work with faculty to plan and implement changes

Guideposts for doing your own LibQual analyses

• Add comparisons with other institutions

• Be selective in what you analyze

• Continue to focus on the destination

Begin your own journey to improved library service

1. Start on familiar territory

2. Follow the map provided by LibQual

3. Chart new territory with your own analysis

EARLHAM COLLEGE -- URL for Presentation

http://www.earlham.edu/~libr/library/publications.htm

Sara Penhale

Science Librarian

sarap@earlham.edu

Tom Kirk

College Librarian

kirkto@earlham.edu