LibQUAL+® Training Programs

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LibQUAL+®: Survey Introduction

The LibQUAL+® Introduction session provides both future prospective participants and those new to the LibQUAL+® survey administration with information on the project's development and origins, as well as basic practical information for getting started with the survey at your library.

Audience: Those interested in LibQUAL+® and first time survey administrators. [Attendance at this session prior to conducting the survey is highly recommended for all first time survey administrators; repeat survey administrators do not need to attend].

  • History of LibQUAL+®: From a research project to ongoing ARL service and expansion of the survey
  • Research foundations: Qualitative and quantitative grounding for LibQUAL+® and development of the survey instrument
  • The LibQUAL+® site: Resources, including the online tutorial "Learn to Read Radar Charts"
  • Registration: Step by step
  • Overview of survey administration steps

Pre-assignment: Survey registration is not a prerequisite

LibQUAL+®: Survey Administration

The LibQUAL+® Administration session provides all participants registered for LibQUAL+® survey administration with practical information for administering the survey at your library.

Audience: All survey administrators and members of assessment groups/teams. [Attendance at this session prior to conducting the survey is highly recommended for both first time and repeat survey administrators].

  • Articulating survey objectives/desired outcomes
  • Obtaining Institutional Review Board approval
  • Sampling: Determining whom to survey; obtaining population data for representativeness of user groups and disciplines; developing the sampling plan
  • Creating an assessment group or team
  • Preparing the organization
  • Marketing your survey
  • Online system:
    • Preferences: Setting basic survey preferences
    • Customizing your survey; discipline customization
    • Approving and running the survey
    • Closing your survey, completing the representativeness questionnaire, completing the post hoc and evaluation questionnaires
  • Obtaining results: Online, notebook, SPSS files

Pre-assignment: Review online tutorial "Learn to Read Radar Charts"; Survey registration

LibQUAL+®: Survey Results

The LibQUAL+® Results session is aimed at library staff who participated in the survey and will (a) provide an overview of recent LibQUAL+® participation, (b) report the latest research, (c) help participants to begin to interpret their institutional notebooks, and (d) share best practices in using the results. Note: this session does not include data analysis techniques.

Audience: All survey administrators and members of assessment groups/teams. [Attendance at this session immediately after conducting the survey is highly recommended for first time survey administrators; repeat survey administrators are also encouraged to attend].

  • Survey highlights for the current survey
  • The latest LibQUAL+® research and development
  • Using the Results notebook
  • Interpreting radar charts and bar charts
  • Understanding gap analysis
  • Identifying differences among different user groups
  • Using the LibQUAL+® Analytics
  • Best practices in using the results: Stories from the field

Pre-assignment: Review online tutorial "Learn to Read Radar Charts"; Bring results notebook to session

Working Effectively with LibQUAL+®

The administration of a user survey is a significant investment for any library and it raises expectations among members of the user community and among staff. Many aspects of the LibQUAL+® survey administration process have been streamlined and there is rapid access to data and results. But some libraries indicate that they are not well-prepared to work effectively with and act upon the results, once received. This workshop will enable staff responsible for administering the LibQUAL+® survey to develop work plans that they can apply in their libraries in order to: perform some simple analyses of the quantitative and qualitative results data, present the results visually, make comparisons, identify what is actionable, organize their colleagues and committees to work with LibQUAL+®, present the results effectively to different stakeholders, utilize data to target areas for improvement, and develop a process of continuous assessment.

Audience: Survey administrators and members of assessment groups/teams.

  • Calculating statistics
  • Determining representativeness
  • Preparing customized charts & graphs
  • Using norms tables
  • Making peer comparisons
  • Doing longitudinal analysis
  • Identifying what is actionable
  • Identifying roles & responsibilities
  • Presenting results to stakeholders
  • Engaging others in understanding & utilizing the results
  • Targeting incremental improvements
  • Applying data in decision-making
  • Identifying & using best practices
  • Integrating w/other assessments
  • Planning next steps

Pre-assignment: Review online tutorial "Learn to Read Radar Charts"; Bring results notebook to session.