Seeking Recommendations of Library Survey Instruments

[Anamika Megwalu]

Hi All, 

In the past we have used LibQual for user feedback. However, with the LibQual program ending, we are looking into other options. If you are willing, would you please share the survey instrument/program your library uses, what you like about it, and challenges associated with the tool, if any. You can either email me directly (anamika...@sjsu.edu) or share with everyone on this thread. 

Thank you, 

Anamika

Anamika Megwalu, Ph.D., MLIS [Pronouns: she/her/hers]

Engineering & Assessment Librarian

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
San Jose State University
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA  95192
408-808-2089

[Laura Baker]

I would love to hear responses to this question, too.  We are in the same situation.

Laura

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laura Baker
Librarian -- User Experience and Assessment
Abilene Christian University Library
221 Brown Library / ACU Box 29208
Abilene, TX  79699-9208

bak...@acu.edu
phone: (325) 674-2477
fax:   (325) 674-2202
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[Sarah Dahlen]

Hi all, 

We have been using the MISO Survey, and I like it pretty well. Its primary audience seems to be private liberal arts colleges, so that isn't ideal for those of us at other types of institutions, since the benchmarking is less meaningful. But maybe if a bunch of public schools join, that will improve! 

Because at those types of schools the library and IT are often in the same department/area, the survey includes questions related to both. At my school, the two are not combined, but we still sometimes include some of the IT questions since they can be useful for us as well (e.g. how many students own laptops, feedback on printing options, etc.). 

I haven't administered LibQUAL in a long time, so my memory isn't perfect, but I think that MISO is considerably more controlling about how the survey is administered (timing, notifications, etc.). They have studied what gets the highest response rates and have people conform to their method. There is flexibility in which questions you include. 

Sarah

Sarah Dahlen Library Librarian Phone: 831-582-4432   Email: sda...@csumb.edu she/her CSUMB resides on the indigenous homeland of the Amah Mutsun, Esselen, Ohlone, Rumsen, and Salinan peoples.

[Dill, Diana M]

Anamika,

 

We have the same question as you have here at University of Pittsburgh. We used the Ithaka S+R surveys (for faculty, grad students, and undergrads), but that program also ended a few years ago. We are in the process of planning/creating our own suite of survey tools (modules focusing on space or service), but we would definitely like to hear what others are doing. It would be especially helpful to not recreate the wheel if there are other options out there.

 

I’m looking forward to learning more.

 

Diana Dill

[Carey, Maisha]

Good morning folks,

I really appreciate this conversation. We haven't run LibQUAL in a while and are due for some data collection, but I am very keen on using pulse surveys and service-specific evaluations rather than one big periodic effort. 

Diana - I'd love to hear more about what you are building!  

Maisha Duncan Carey Deputy University Librarian and Director of Organizational Learning Library, Museums and Press University of Delaware 302-831-0935 mai...@udel.edu

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From: 'Dill, Diana M' via ARL ASSESS <arl-a...@arl.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 7:44 AM
To: Anamika Megwalu <anamika...@sjsu.edu>; arl-a...@arl.org <arl-a...@arl.org>
Subject: RE: [ARL-ASSESS] Seeking Recommendations of Library Survey Instruments

 

[Dill, Diana M]

Maisha,

 

We’re just in the beginning stages of the process, but I will definitely keep the list updated on the project.

 

Diana

 

From: Carey, Maisha <mai...@udel.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 7:58 AM
To: Anamika Megwalu <anamika...@sjsu.edu>; arl-a...@arl.org; Dill, Diana M <dm...@pitt.edu>
Subject: Re: [ARL-ASSESS] Seeking Recommendations of Library Survey Instruments

 

You don't often get email from mai...@udel.edu. Learn why this is important

[Craig Smith]

Hi all,

We ended up creating our own survey, and did lots of cognitive interviewing and piloting before launching it, so it went very smoothly.  If anyone wants to see it, please don't hesitate to let me know.  (You can also see a PDF version of it by visiting our results site.)

Best,

Craig

Craig Smith (he/him)

Assessment Specialist

University of Michigan Library
cell: 617-875-9469

email: cra...@umich.edu

links: ORCID

Whose land are you on?

U-M Library Territorial Acknowledgment

[Lindsay Ozburn]

Hi All,

Similarly, we’re developing our own surveys after using the Ithaka S+R instruments. We finished writing/testing our student survey and will field it for the first time on March 31. Next, we’ll build a faculty survey and a library climate survey.

 

We crafted the attached instrument with input from a wide range of stakeholders. We kept it concise based on extensive feedback/testing, focusing on actionable questions (based on our current resource constraints) or those that support impact demonstration. Let me know if you’d like more details about our process or the origins of some of our questions.

 

Our goal is to use the broad survey responses to identify key issues for deeper exploration. Maisha, we’re also moving toward pulse-surveys or service/resource specific assessments. We see our campus-wide surveys as a starting point to build those instruments.

Cheers,

Lindsay

 

___________

Lindsay Ozburn
(she/her/hers)
Assessment Librarian

University Libraries 
Office: (435) 797-0202
ORCiD

 

 

My working hours may not be your working hours.

Please do not feel obligated to reply outside of your normal work schedule.

 

I acknowledge that USU and all in-state USU Institutions reside on the original territory of the eight federally 

recognized Tribes of Utah, tribes that have been living, working, and residing on this land from time immemorial.

[Kathleen K Bell]

Hi All,

I try to limit the use of surveys because of the general survey fatigue and large number of surveys going out to students.

To Maisha's point, we've included some questions at the end of the Graduating Student Survey on an irregular basis. We've done some surveys in-library through QR codes specific to different services, and we did an in-person dot-based survey a number of years ago. We've done a statewide survey through our consortium to a sample of students, as well. Individual librarians or small teams have done different research projects, as well, like focus groups. We also have a new student advisory board that we are trying to leverage. 

Hope this helps,

Kat

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From: 'Lindsay Ozburn' via ARL ASSESS <arl-a...@arl.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 5:05 PM
To: Craig Smith <cra...@umich.edu>; Dill, Diana M <dm...@pitt.edu>; Carey, Maisha <mai...@udel.edu>
Cc: Anamika Megwalu <anamika...@sjsu.edu>; arl-a...@arl.org <arl-a...@arl.org>

Subject: Re: [ARL-ASSESS] Seeking Recommendations of Library Survey Instruments

 

External Message: Use Caution

[Anita Riley Hall]

We also have a homegrown survey and for what it's worth have continued to do pretty well with response rates (12% for the one we just completed). I think that speaks to the fact that we in the libraries generally do not oversurvey our students and that they care enough to give input. Actually, I use our high response rate to advocate for our value alongside our actual usage statistics! 

I don't love every aspect of our current instrument, but we've been running some form of this survey since I believe 2001 and there is a strong administrative desire to continue it. If nothing else, the comments are always very informative and it gives us a starting point for other research projects. 

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Anita R. Hall (she/her)

Assistant Professor | Assessment & Analytics Librarian

University of Louisville Libraries | anita...@louisville.edu