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In 2022, a benchmarking survey was completed to gage learner satisfaction with library services, spaces, and resources across 10 Mayo Clinic Libraries. The discussion for this project began around a previously published survey of what medical students wanted from their library. Librarians were asked if Mayo Clinic Libraries could do a similar survey, as a full survey of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science had not been done. Overall, the findings were positive and provide a baseline for future surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Librarianship is constantly confronted with unexpected and quickly evolving sociotechnical challenges, yet the documents that define the core professional competencies for librarians are infrequently updated. Based upon survey responses collected from 383 working librarians located in the United States, we describe a set of gaps between current competency guidelines and current library realities with regard to practice, management, communication, career development, relations, and personal attributes. We argue that professional library organizations, educators, and policymakers could formulate more relevant and impactful core competency documents by deliberately integrating the on-the-ground insights of librarians’ lived experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pepperdine University's six international campus libraries are not staffed by librarians. However, the library serves overseas students with small print collections, course specific LibGuides and highly trained student assistants. A goal of the LibGuides and student workers is to make students aware of library resources and services while studying abroad. Students studying overseas were surveyed to determine their use and awareness of library resources. In addition, to determine if the library could have an important role in supporting study abroad programs, students were asked if they had research assignments that required outside resources. While the results of the survey revealed that the majority of students are aware of library resources and services, the library should take additional steps to better serve overseas students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to define the unique research needs of creative communities as seen by the academic librarians supporting those communities. After surveying academic librarians, visual practice, information relating to the practice of a creative discipline, and inspiration were identified as unique research needs of these populations. Survey respondents also identified challenges to serving creative communities, including perceptions of library relevance, buy-in, and scheduling. While past literature has engaged with supporting specific creative disciplines, this study focuses on the collective research needs of creative communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A research project was undertaken by a university library system to develop a sustainable user experience strategy. A task force was convened to conduct a pilot project with members from both libraries in the system to assess staffing responsibilities, guidelines, processes, and data-gathering procedures. The team tested an electronic resources list common to both libraries. In describing the methods employed by the task force in their research, this article outlines the benefits and drawbacks of staffing configurations to initiate user experience practices in an academic library setting. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A well-crafted localized survey is an excellent opportunity to efficiently collect data about library user feelings and experiences on a large scale. 800 undergraduate students and employees of a mid-sized public university responded to an online survey about their feelings on library space, communication, services, and collections. Employing a variety of question types, the authors sought to include measures that would yield both pertinent and meaningful feedback. Results were analyzed and prioritized by significance and librarians culled the results for actionable findings and opportunities for further study or long-term benchmarking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the library profession there is abundant use of jargon and acronyms to describe library activities. The terminology used is important to both market and describe library services. Often library professionals make assumptions that their users understand what library terminology means. Reference is a term widely understood by librarians and library workers, but is that understanding conveyed to the library user especially in academic institutions? The Regis University Library Reference Services Department faculty were curious to discover whether their students and faculty knew what the word “reference” meant especially since this word was on the sign above their service desk and used in the name of their department. A survey was developed by the Reference Services Department to answer that question and others. Results from the survey were used to propose a new name for the desk, department and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a practical method for formative, self-reflective assessment of the liaison activities of individual librarians and to evaluate liaison activities in general. Many libraries evaluate their liaison programs, but few evaluate the effectiveness of individual librarians’ efforts within the program. Librarians of Rollins College redefined and re-branded their liaison program as “Your Librarian.” As part of this effort, the author surveyed the faculty and assessed the program and the effectiveness of individual librarians. The author outlines the liaison responsibilities, the survey instrument, and how the results are analyzed and used in a process of continuous reflective improvement for the program and librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This report is the second in a two-part analysis of ACRLMetrics, an online service that provides access to a range of quantitative data for academic libraries. In this analysis, ACRLMetrics’ inclusion of data from the National Center for Educational Statistics’ Academic Libraries Survey and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System is considered. Data organization, key ratios, reporting tools, and other facets of ACRLMetrics are evaluated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Libraries deploying the LibQUAL+™ survey can offer a lottery incentive and many do so in the hope of increasing response rates. Other libraries may be prohibited from offering one because of Institutional Review Board restrictions, as is the case at Oregon State University. We wanted to discover why libraries offer lottery incentives, what kinds of incentives, and if they believe these incentives have a positive impact on their response rates. The responding libraries hold a general belief that lottery incentives are effective, but base this on feeling rather than research. We examine what the literature says about lottery incentives and student populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Library users can become confused by library jargon, especially the term "databases." This study utilized a combination of end-user surveys and library website usability testing to determine if library users at an academic health sciences library were, in fact, using different terminology to refer to the library's database collection. This study was devised to probe students' information needs and nomenclature for library resources and identify different ways of organizing information on the library's website outside of the traditional database page and "Quick Links." The study yielded valuable insight into how our users are identifying information resources that will allow us to improve website usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among specialized applications of the well-known SERVQUAL scale for measuring perceptions of service quality, the LibQUAL+™ survey system has found widespread use in assessment of the quality of libraries. Three main dimensions of library quality have been identified: Information Control, Library as Place and Affect of Service. Using data from an application of the LibQUAL+™ survey, we investigate the relative difficulty of answering questions in each of these three areas, estimate the importance of each dimension in contributing to overall satisfaction with the library, and study differences in responses between user groups. We determine that Affect of Service (AS), similar to empathy in the general scale, is the most difficult dimension to evaluate. This is unfortunate because we find that AS is also the most important dimension in determining overall satisfaction with the library. We find that user characteristics are relevant in influencing both response rates and ratings of the AS scale items. In a follow up experiment to the LibQUAL survey we study the effect of user characteristics, such as type of user (student or faculty) and experience (length of association) on Affect of Service ratings. We determine that there is an interaction effect with experience moderating the impact of user type on perceptions of AS. Similar results are found in the case of another university service, a computer help desk. Our findings have implications for the administration and interpretation of LibQUAL surveys. The results also have implications for front line library staff members who should be mindful to provide individual, caring attention to undergraduates who are not favorably disposed towards their library services until they are both experienced and familiar with the library. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Developing collection-level surveys to expose hidden collections in special collections and archives departments within ARL libraries has received a great deal of scholarly attention in the recent years. Numerous standards have been explored, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. This paper summarizes some of the major initiatives in collection-level surveys, descriptions, and preliminary records. A comparison of metadata structures is used to build a preliminary record model that provides a standard description that is easily adapted to various institutions and all formats. This preliminary record model is applied to special collections materials at the University of Colorado at Boulder as a test case, and further areas of research are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Daylighting, a controlled architectural tool that influences users' perception and behavior, in university libraries and their influences on users' preference and satisfaction was examined in this study. The effects of daylighting in coordination with visual comfort, on university library users were measured in relation to four environmental processes, namely privacy, personal space, territoriality, and crowding. It was found that daylight and four environmental processes are related. It is believed that the consideration of this relationship will encourage students to use their libraries fully as an essential component of university education and campus life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper applied Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) to Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to identify service improvement techniques for an academic library. First, reader needs and their importance, and satisfaction degrees were examined via questionnaires. Second, the service improvement techniques for satisfying the reader needs were developed by interviewing experts. Following, a relation matrix was constructed by GRA. The empirical study specifies top 5 reader needs and service improvement techniques respectively, and some practical suggestions are raised for academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professors contribute to Institutional Repositories (IRs) to make their materials widely accessible in keeping with the benefits of Open Access. However, universities' commitment to IRs depends on building trust with faculty and solving copyright concerns. Digital preservation and copyright management in IRs should be strengthened to increase faculty participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey to assess mentoring experiences and attitudes towards work of Pennsylvania academic librarians was conducted in September 2006 with questions concerning mentoring experiences, work experiences, and attitudes towards work. Results of the survey are analyzed for differences among those librarians responding, especially generational differences, and implications for professional associations when developing mentoring programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the usefulness of poetry book prizes as a selection tool by evaluating their fairness, meaningfulness, and reliability as an indication of quality. The results of two surveys, one collecting data on poetry book prizes and the other asking librarians about their collecting practices, suggest that selecting on the basis of prizes is of limited value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first comprehensive national survey of all academic libraries in the United States which were conducting chat reference service was carried out to determine: what practices were being used to prepare personnel for chat reference service, what competencies were being taught, how and why training practices may have changed over time, and what modifications to current training practices were anticipated in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the ACRLMetrics online service for academic libraries. The author presents an overview of the functions of the service, the services' use of survey data from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), and the services' methods of report generation. The main purpose of ACRLMetrics to present data reports on library trends for use in academic libraries is explored. Topics include the ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey, user-generated data reporting, and an announcement of the release of ACRLMetrics at the 2010 Annual Conference of the American Library Association (ALA).

An online survey was sent to academic libraries and consortia with an integrated library system (ILS) migration project, based on review of press releases from major U.S. ILS vendors. This study takes a systematic approach to provide a snapshot of the academic ILS market and key factors affecting the outcome of an ILS migration project. It reveals the challenges and opportunities facing academic libraries and ILS vendors in an environment with rapidly changing technology and increasingly sophisticated academic users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper gives the result of a 2007 survey of faculty at eight academic departments at Louisiana State University, asking them about the usefulness for their needs of an extension of the scholarly communication system by digital repositories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses strategies for modifying the organizational culture of academic libraries for the benefit of staff members. These strategies were developed at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) Library with the application of Kim S. Cameron and Robert E. Quinn's competing values framework (CVF). This framework examined issues relating to the professional and social integration of employee subcultures within the library as it was administered. The researchers used the competing values framework to assess the relative role of personal initiative, rules, internal order, and the external position of the library. The responses of librarians at the U of S to a survey measuring the relative importance of the CVF factors are assessed.

The article focuses on two studies of the library reference service quality in Pennsylvania State University Libraries, conducted using the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program (WOREP) survey. The authors say that 1980's developed WOREP is still a relevant reference tool. The authors say that the result of the second WOREP study showed the positive effects that could be achieved by focusing on the best reference practices. The authors say that while the training sessions were vital for developing knowledge base of public sector staff, the WOREP results demonstrated that behavioral techniques were crucial in promoting reference success. Several charts on the studies result are also provided.

The article focuses on the methodologies of library reference service evaluation, and reports that the complaint against the library survey research is that the projects are carried out in isolation, without caring for reliability of the results. It is viewed that electronic reference services are useful in conducting observational studies, while in-depth interview method is not popular as surveys because of the requirement of time and expenses. It is suggested that reference librarians need to be encouraged to conduct service evaluations. The author says that virtual reference libraries may soon become the norm, and libraries should examine ways of evaluating digital reference services.

The article focuses on a survey by the authors on the use of the Early English Books Online (EEBO) database in research and teaching at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. The survey reported that three quarters of the undergraduate students first used the EEBO to write a major paper in upper-level courses. Most of the graduate students first learned about the EEBO from a faculty member. Half of the faculty members first learned about the EEBO from a librarian. The survey found that downloading/e-mailing was the highest rated function among all user groups, and they were also satisfied with the effectiveness of their searches in the EEBO.