Library to conduct service survey

To help University Libraries faculty and staff members continue to provide quality service, a Web-based survey will be conducted through October to guage opinions of users.

Lee Van Orsdel, dean of University Libraries, said that LibQUAL, a total market survey, will be used to solicit, track, understand and repond to users’ opinions of service quality.

The survey will begin October 1; all faculty and staff members, and a representation sample of students, will receive an e-mail invitation with a link to the survey later this month. Van Orsdel encourges faculty and staff to complete the 10-15 minute survey, even if they are not frequent library users.

“Without asking people how we’re doing, we lack hard data to tell us where we are succeeding and where we might be failing,” she said.
Results from the survey should be compiled by January. LibQUAL services are offered by the Association of Research Libraries to academic libraries. The comprehensive survey will also provide Van Orsdal and others assessment information from peer institutions, identify best practices in library service and provide analytical services for data intrepretation.

“With the results, we can develop strategic plans for improvement and measure our future growth and progress,” Van Orsdel said.
Survey participants may opt to be entered into a random drawing for 18 prizes, including Apple products, eletronic gaming systems and gift cards.

Questions about the survey can be directed to Debbie Morrow, library administrative services, at (616) 331-2618 or [email protected].

Library staff members at the reference desk help a student in Zumberge Library. A Web-based survey, conducted through October, will guage user’s opinions / Photo by Bernadine Carey-Tucker