Information Services User Survey 2012: results summary
Information Services conducts an extensive User Survey every March covering all services and provides comparative data that we use to identify trends and plan our services. A gap analysis identifies the biggest gaps between “importance” and “satisfaction” and this information is used to target services and facilities that are shown to be less successful.
We had 478 responses to our 2012 IS User Survey of which 51 were from staff members, 349 undergraduates, 57 postgraduates, 18 distance learners and 3 other categories of user. There was an even split of responses from all faculties. Our response rate was down on 2011 when we were able to use IS staff time to more actively promote the survey to users in non-library locations such as the Arts Centre and Students Union, leading to 789 respondents.
High level of satisfaction were noted with the cleanliness of our libraries, the email service, helpfulness and quality of service received from IS staff, the Student Records website, 24 hour access computer rooms and the libraries’ opening hours. Due to consultation and ongoing feedback, we have put effort and resources into providing midnight opening hours in the Hugh Owen Library during term-times Monday-Thursday and to offering extended opening hours in all our libraries during exam periods. We were pleased to see that library opening hours saw a large improvement in rates of satisfaction from previous years. Similarly, our library zoning plans in the Hugh Owen Library, put in place 2 years ago as a result of feedback on noise, have started to have positive effects demonstrated by an increase in satisfaction in noise levels and quiet study spaces in our libraries.
The issues our users consider most important have remained quite consistent over the past few years: these include email, range and availability of books and essential texts, library environment, including quiet study space and noise levels, our library catalogue Primo, Blackboard, range of e-resources and helpfulness of IS staff. We have however seen an increase since the 2011 survey in the importance given to Lecture Capture, group study space, the range of periodicals, response to fault reports, IS FAQs and printing and photocopying. IS is currently procuring brand new printers to be in service for January 2013 to be able to offer a more reliable and higher quality service. We will review those areas deemed by respondents to be important along with other mechanisms to assess, evaluate and develop the service we provide.
For the first time in 2 years overall satisfaction with Library and IT services provided by IS has fallen. Positive responses to the question “Overall, Information Services provides a good service to me” which have increased steadily over the past 6 years, fell by 3.3% in 2012. We recognise that we have to make difficult decisions when prioritising our services and facilities at a time when student expectations are high and growing. An increasingly broad range of requirements from all our users: for traditional paper based library resources in a quiet study setting to online and mobile services (40% of respondents now own a smartphone) delivered in more flexible learning spaces, increases the challenge we have to provide a relevant service to our users.
When asked what users would like advice on, 36% said bibliographies and referencing, 24% said printed and online resources, 22% Primo and 18% avoiding plagiarism. The preferred delivery method was online resources (33%), optional face to face training with self-paced materials in Blackboard (26%), lecturer as a compulsory part of module (25%) or librarian (16%).
We plan to analyse the data and comments received by the User Survey in greater depth over the coming weeks. We will respond individually to specific questions or comments about our service where users have indicated they are happy to be contacted. Data and comments received in this user survey are already helping us to continue to shape a relevant and effective service for all our users.
Comments and feedback welcome. We always welcome comments and suggestions on how to improve Information Services for you. Please either speak to a staff member at any of our service points, email us at is-feedback@aber.ac.uk, leave an online comment at http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/feedback/ or fill in a paper suggestions form at any of our libraries.
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The top 10 services that our users consider important are:
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The top 10 services that our users are the most satisfied with are:
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The largest improvements in satisfaction over last year’s results are for:
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We need to recognise that these services have increased in importance to users over last year:
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We need to decrease the gap between importance and satisfaction in:
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We need to improve satisfaction in the following which our users have noted as most important to them but with lowest satisfaction levels:
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The largest decreases in satisfaction over last year’s results are for:
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Would like to see less:
Would like to see more:
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