Campus News

How's the Library Service at UK? We Want to Know

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 7, 2011) − Don't miss your opportunity to speak up. Let the university know what you think of its library service, and in the process enter to win a free iPad for your time. During spring 2011, University of Kentucky Libraries will be seeking faculty and student feedback about library service quality by participating in the national LibQUAL+ survey sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The survey will run from Feb. 14 to Feb. 28. This year’s shorter version of the survey, LibQUAL+® Lite, takes approximately five minutes to complete.

A random sample of faculty and students will receive an invitation via UK e-mail to complete the web-based LibQUAL+ survey. Data from the survey will help UK Libraries understand faculty and students’ expectations and perceptions of library service.

University libraries across the country participate in the LibQUAL+ survey and as a result, it identifies best practices. By comparing survey results with peer institutions, UK Libraries will be able to make improvements and develop services which better meet the needs and expectations of faculty and students.

LibQUAL+ measures library users' desired, perceived, and minimum expectations of service in several areas including: access to information (print and electronic resources), customer service, facilities and equipment. LibQUAL+® Lite uses item sampling methods to gather data on all 22 core survey items, while each individual participant responds to only a subset of items. Students and faculty will also be able to submit comments.

Faculty and students can help improve the libraries at the UK by completing the LibQUAL+® Lite survey. As an incentive to participate, undergraduate and graduate students who complete the survey will be eligible to enter a drawing for an iPad.

One of the major benefits of LibQUAL+ is that it allows libraries to collect and interpret library user feedback systematically over time. UK has participated in the LibQUAL survey since 2001 with the last participation in spring 2007. The LibQUAL+™ project was developed by ARL and Texas A&M University.

For more information on the LibQUAL+ survey, contact Judy Wiza, at (859) 257-0500 ext. 2089 or by e-mail to Judith.Wiza@uky.edu.


MEDIA CONTACT: 
Whitney Hale, (859) 257-1754 ext. 229; whitney.hale@uky.edu