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LibQUAL+TM FAQs | ||
Completing the survey
Library Assessment & LibQUAL+TM
Results
Completing the surveyHow long will the survey take? A typical response time for the completion of the 22 question, 3-scale version of the survey is about 13 minutes. Can I skip questions that don't pertain to me? Please fill-out the survey in its entirety. If you feel a question is not appropriate for you, please indicate so by checking the "N/A" box. Will there by any special incentives for participating? While compensation is not offered for taking the survey, there are incentive prizes drawn among those who complete the survey entirely. This year, the University Libraries will award gift certificates to Barnes & Noble bookstores in amounts of $150, $100 and $50 through a random drawing. What web browsers are supported by this survey? The survey has been designed to work in a variety of settings and as such, should work within any contemporary browser. The survey does not rely on special plug-ins such as Java in order to be properly viewed. Is the survey exclusively web-based, or can I complete a paper version? The online survey has been tested for accessibility compliance with the JAWS screen reader software. However, paper copies are available. For those who would prefer to fill out a paper survey or need further accommodation, special arrangements may be made by contacting Wendy Mann at wmann@gmu.edu. Why does the survey seem to repeat the same questions? The survey examines a variety of dimensions of library services, each represented by any number of questions. Repetition or redundancy in questions allows the survey designers to analyze the validity of each service quality dimension through statistical methods. Why are reminders about this survey sent to people who have already completed the survey? All respondents will receive reminders due to the project's built-in mechanisms for security and confidentiality. Once a return is submitted to the project server, the contents are disassociated from the respondent's email address. This provides maximum security, but precludes any differentiation of respondents/non-respondents among the sample. What discipline category should I choose? While we understand that many academic programs are interdisciplinary in nature, please select the discipline that describes the primary focus of your program. What if I have problems filling out the survey? For technical issues or other questions, please contact Wendy Mann at wmann@gmu.edu.
Library Assessment & LibQUAL+TMWhat is the LibQUAL+TM survey? The LibQUAL+TM survey is a rigorously tested Web-based survey bundled with training that helps libraries assess and improve library services, change organizational culture, and market the library. As of spring 2003, more than 400 institutions have participated in LibQUAL+TM, including colleges and universities, community colleges, health sciences libraries, law libraries, and public libraries—some through various consortia, others as independent participants. LibQUAL+TM has also expanded internationally, with participating institutions in Canada, the UK, and Europe. The growing community of participants and its extensive dataset are rich resources for improving library services. Following years of revision involving data collection from more than 200,000 library users, LibQUAL+TM has evolved into a protocol consisting of "22 items and a box." The 22 items measure user perceptions of Service Affect, Information Control, and Library as Place. The box secures open-ended comments from users regarding their concerns and suggestions. These comments are an integral part of LibQUAL+TM; historically, almost 50 percent of respondents provide comments using the box. How will this survey benefit the George Mason community? The University Libraries are committed to providing the best repository of research relevant to the University's academic programs. In order to better understand the needs of faculty and students, assessment tools are used to gather current opinions. The results of instruments like LibQUAL+TM inform future planning efforts for the Libraries. Reponses are completely confidential. Information gathered from individual surveys are aggregated and reported back to the Libraries without any identifying information. Should you choose to provide your email address for the incentive prize drawing, your email address will only be reported in order to remove you from reminder emails and for the prize drawing. In no way are your responses linked to your email address. Do all libraries use the same questions? All libraries use the core "22 items and a box" in order to ensure validity and reliability of user responses. The core questions are especially useful in drawing comparisons with institutions similar to George Mason. What other libraries are participating in LibQUAL+TM? To see institutions involved with LibQUAL+TM, please visit http://www.libqual.org/Information/Participants/index.cfm. How can I get more information about LibQUAL+TM? For additional information on LibQUAL+TM, please visit their website at http://www.libqual.org/.
ResultsWhat will be done with the survey results? Survey results will be used in the Libraries' annual assessment and planning exercises. User responses are particularly useful in designing library goals for upcoming academic years and identifying gaps between library services and user expectations. What information is shared with other institutions? Only summary aggregate statistics are shared with other institutions. The summary results will be made available to participants via the Internet on a password-protected Web site. Users' comments will be made available only to the respondents' institution. What do the survey results look like? Survey results include demographic information of respondents, descriptive statistical summaries of responses, and individual comments. For a look our 2006 results, please visit http://library.gmu.edu/libinfo/libqual/. Where and when will results be posted? Results for the 2008 survey will be posted on the Libraries' website during the summer.
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