1. What is the LibQUAL+ library survey?
2. How will the LibQUAL+ survey benefit library users at Boston College?
3. What survey instrument is being used?
4. What is the format of the survey?
5. Who will be surveyed?
6. How long does it take to complete the survey?
7. Is there a paper version of the survey?
8. Must I be a part of the random sample to complete the survey?
9. Why does the survey seem so redundant?
10. Why are reminders sent to respondents who have already completed the survey?
11. Why don't the discipline categories in the survey match Boston College’s department structure?
12. Why is the survey important?
13. Can I skip questions that don't apply to me?
14. What Internet browsers are supported for the survey?
15. Is the survey available with text-to-speech web browsers?
16. What if I cannot open the link (URL) from my email?
17. What other Libraries are participating in LibQUAL+?
18. How can I get more information about LibQUAL+?

1. What is the LibQUAL+ library survey?
The LibQUAL+ library survey is a research and development project sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in collaboration with the Texas A&M University Libraries. The goal of the project is to define and measure library service quality across institutions and to create useful quality-assessment tools for local planning. Service quality has always been a value for libraries; LibQUAL+ provides a measure of that value. The current LibQUAL+ instrument measures library users' perceptions of service quality and identifies gaps between desired, perceived, and minimum expectations of service.

2. How will the LibQUAL+ survey benefit library users at Boston College?
Boston College Libraries are committed to the provision of excellent service to their users. The LibQUAL+ survey will help identify which of our services need improvement, in the view of our users. The survey will also help the Libraries' compare their service quality with that of peer institutions in an effort to develop benchmarks and understanding of best practices across institutions. By initiating action based on the information we receive from our users and from other LibQUAL+ participants, we can be more responsive to our users' needs and also provide services that are more closely aligned with user expectations. As our services are improved, the ultimate goal is to surpass user expectations in search of excellent library services that better help users to reach their learning and research objectives. Boston College Libraries expect to follow up this LibQUAL+ survey with further investigations and also implement changes as needed in order to ensure that our services meet or exceed our users' expectations.

3. What survey instrument is being used?
The LibQUAL+ survey instrument is adapted from an instrument called SERVQUAL, which is grounded in the "Gap Theory of Service Quality" and was developed by the marketing research team of A. Parasuraman, V.A. Zeithaml, and L.L. Berry. The Texas A&M University Libraries and other libraries have been using modified SERVQUAL instruments for several years. These applications showed the need for a newly adapted SERVQUAL protocol that serves the needs of libraries; thus LibQUAL+ was born. The original SERVQUAL instrument was regrounded based on a series of interviews with library users.

4. What is the format of the survey?
The principal part of the survey consists of 22 "core" questions. The LibQual+ survey asks questions in three categories: Library as Place, Information Control, and Affect of Service. There are three parts to each question: respondents are asked to indicate the minimum service level they will accept, the desired service level they expect, and the level of service they perceive to be currently provided. The 22 "core" questions are following by several questions relating to user satisfaction and usage patterns. The survey also provides respondents opportunity to add any additional comments they may have about library services. The survey concludes with several demographic questions (with usual categories to be checked off about age, gender, status, etc.). The questionnaire is straightforward and involves no deception or coercion. You can also enter any comments you might have about library services. We welcome this input and urge you to share your opinions with us.

5. Who will be surveyed?
A random sample of the Boston College community will be surveyed: 1200 Undergraduate students, 900 Graduate students, 600 Faculty, and 600 Staff. On Monday March 20, 2006, these individuals will receive an email message from Jerome Yavarkovsky, University Librarian, containing an imbedded URL for the LibQUAL survey. The survey will be available at that site through April 7. Automatic reminder notices will be sent on March 23, March 27, and April 3.

The data for all participating institutions will be collected on secure servers located in the Texas A&M Library. Each response will be disaggregated as it reaches the server, and survey results will ultimately be reported back to the participating institutions as aggregate mean score data. Individual responses of participants will be wholly confidential.

Although there will be no compensation for completing the survey, incentives will be offered to improve response rates. At the end of the web-based survey, respondents may elect to include their email address, which will enter them in a drawing. Prizes include iPods, $10 Starbucks gift certificates, and food baskets from the Chocolate Bar (thanks to Dining Services!)

6. How long does it take to complete the survey?
The average time it takes to complete the survey is ten minutes. Respondents are asked to respond to each question on three separate scales, representing minimum, desired, and perceived levels of service. The questionnaire is straightforward and involves no deception or coercion. Potential respondents may elect not to proceed with the survey after reading the guarantees of confidentiality and privacy.

7. Is there a paper version of the survey?
Respondents not able to complete an online questionnaire may obtain a paper copy of the survey by contacting Kathy Williams (617.552.4833) or Meg Critch (617.552.1069) or via libqual@bc.edu.

8. Must I be a part of the random sample to complete the survey?
While the Boston College Libraries continuously seek feedback from library users to set priorities and to improve collections and services, only those surveys from members of the random sample will be forwarded to LibQUAL+TM national coordinators for multi-institutional analysis and comparison (as well as be eligible for the incentive prize)

9. Why does the survey seem so redundant?
The survey tests a variety of dimensions of library service, each represented by multiple (and seemingly redundant) questions. The use of multiple/redundant questions allows us to analyze the validity of each dimension through statistical means.

10. Why are reminders sent to respondents who have already completed the survey?
In general, reminders are sent because research indicates that the single highest predictor of response rates in web-based surveys is the number of contacts made, including reminders. (See: Cook, Heath, and Thompson, “A meta-analysis of response rates in web- or internet-based surveys, Educational and Psychological Measurement, v. 60, 2000, p.821-836.)

The fact that reminders are sent to all respondents, including those who have already completed the survey, is a result of the project’s built-in mechanisms for security and confidentiality. Once a return is submitted to the project server, its contents are disaggregated and disassociated from the respondent’s email address. This provides maximum security, but doesn't allow for any differentiation between respondents and non-respondents. Thus, everyone gets a reminder.

11. Why don't the discipline categories in the survey match Boston College’s department structure?
Because this is a multi-institution survey, discipline categories have been standardized for ease of comparison. This will assist with future benchmarking activities.

12. Why is the survey important?
The Boston College Libraries are committed to assessing our services and collections in outcome-based assessment efforts and not relying solely on input or resource measurements. Outcome measures show how well an organization serves its users, and assist in finding new measures of library efficiency and effectiveness.

13. Can I skip questions that don't apply to me?
Do not skip any questions in the LibQUAL+ survey. If you do not wish to answer a question or feel a question does not apply to you, select NA (not applicable). Surveys whose core questions are not completely filled out are not counted in the aggregate scores.

14. What Internet browsers are supported for the survey?
Any browser should work so long as it is not too old. The survey does not rely on browser features such as Java or cookies.

15. Is the survey available with text-to-speech web browsers?
Yes, the survey is compatible with the JAWS screen reader software.

16. What if I cannot open the link (URL) from my email?
If you have trouble opening the URL from within your email message, you can copy the URL and paste it into your Web browser. If you still cannot access the survey, you can contact libqual@bc.edu.

17. What other Libraries are participating in LibQUAL+?
For a complete list, see http://www.LibQUAL.org/Information/Participants/index.cfm.

18. How can I get more information about LibQUAL+?
For more information, see the LibQUAL+ homepage. Feel free to contact Kathy Williams or Meg Critch if you have questions about the administration of the LibQUAL+ survey at Boston College.