Presentation delivered at the 9th Northumbria International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries and Information Services. Presents the findings of the SCONUL LibQUAL+ Results from 2003 to 2011.

1. LibQUAL+®: The UK and Irish
Experience
Selena Killick
Library Quality Officer, Cranfield University
J. Stephen Town
Director of Information, The University of York

3. &

4. Consortium Composition

5. LibQUAL+® Participants by HE Sector
HE colleges
3% Irish Republic RLUK
13% 23%
Post-1992
30%
Pre-1992
31%

6. LibQUAL+® Libraries by HE Sector
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10 55% 33%
57%
7%
0
RLUK Pre-1992 Post-1992 HE colleges
LibQUAL+ Libraries Non-LibQUAL+ Libraries

7. LibQUAL+® Participants by Mission Group
Million+
Russell Group
27%
27%
University
Alliance
16% 1994 Group
30%

8. LibQUAL+® Libraries by Mission Group
30
25
20
15
10
60% 68% 44%
5
30%
0
Russell Group 1994 Group University Alliance Million+
LibQUAL+ Libraries Non-LibQUAL+ Libraries

9. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Repeat Participation
Other Annual
13% 19%
Three-yearly
19%
Biannual
49%

10. Expectations

11. Highest Desired
ID Question Desired Years in
(2011.5) Top 5
Making electronic resources accessible
IC-1 from my home or office 8.27 9
Print and/or electronic journal collections
IC-8 I require for my work 8.10 8
A library Web site enabling me to locate
IC-2 information on my own 8.09 9
LP-2 Quiet space for individual work 8.04 1
Making information easily accessible for
IC-7 independent use 8.02 2

12. Least Desired
ID Question Desired Years in
(2011.5) Bottom 5
AS-2 Giving users individual attention 6.84 9
LP-5 Space for group learning and group study 7.23 9
Library staff who instill confidence in
AS-1 users 7.48 8
Dependability in handling users' service
AS-9 problems 7.73 3
Library space that inspires study and
LP-1 learning 7.77 2

13. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Dimension Minimum Mean
Comparisons
6.70
6.60
6.50
6.40
6.30
6.20
6.10
6.00
Affect of Service Information Control Library as Place Overall
Minimum Mean 2004 Minimum Mean 2011.5

14. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Dimension Desired Mean
Comparisons
8.10
8.00
7.90
7.80
7.70
7.60
7.50
Affect of Service Information Control Library as Place Overall
Desired Mean 2004 Desired Mean 2011.5

15. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Increasing Minimum Expectations
7.00
6.80
6.60
6.40
6.20
6.00
5.80
5.60
5.40
5.20
5.00
Making electronic Library staff who deal Library staff who Space for group
resources accessible with users in a caring instill confidence in learning and group
from my home or fashion users study
office
Minimum Mean 2004 Minimum Mean 2011.5

16. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Decreasing Desired Expectations
8.10
8.00
7.90
7.80
7.70
Modern equipment that Library space that inspires The printed library
lets me easily access study and learning materials I need for my
needed information work
Desired Mean 2004 Desired Mean 2011.5

17. Perceptions

18. SCONUL Overall 2011.5

19. SCONUL Overall 2004

20. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Dimension Perceived Mean
Comparisons
7.20
7.00
6.80
6.60
6.40
6.20
6.00
5.80
5.60
Affect of Service Information Control Library as Place Overall
Perceived Mean 2004 Perceived Mean 2011.5

21. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Overall 2004 - 2011.5
8.50
8.00
7.50
7.00
6.50
6.00
5.50
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011.5
Minimum Mean Desired Mean Perceived Mean

22. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Affect of Service 2004 - 2011.5
8.50
8.00
7.50
7.00
6.50
6.00
5.50
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011.5
Minimum Mean Desired Mean Perceived Mean

23. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Information Control 2004 - 2011.5
8.50
8.00
7.50
7.00
6.50
6.00
5.50
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011.5
Minimum Mean Desired Mean Perceived Mean

24. SCONUL LibQUAL+® Library as Place 2004 - 2011.5
8.50
8.00
7.50
7.00
6.50
6.00
5.50
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011.5
Minimum Mean Desired Mean Perceived Mean

25. Comparisons

26. SCONUL & ARL Comparisons: 2004 – 2011.5
Dimension Summary
Dimension Summary
9.00
8.00
Mean Score
7.00
6.00
5.00
SCONUL Overall ARL Overall 2004 SCONUL Overall ARL Overall 2011.5
2004 2011.5

27. SCONUL & ARL Comparisons: 2004 – 2011.5
Affect of Service
Affect of Service
9.00
8.00
Mean Score
7.00
6.00
5.00
SCONUL Affect of ARL Affect of Service SCONUL Affect of ARL Affect of Service
Service 2004 2004 Service 2011.5 2011.5

28. SCONUL &Information Control2004 – 2011.5
ARL Comparisons:
Information Control
9.00
8.00
Mean Score
7.00
6.00
5.00
SCONUL Information ARL Information SCONUL Information ARL Information
Control 2004 Control 2004 Control 2011.5 Control 2011.5

29. SCONUL & ARL Comparisons: 2004 – 2011.5
Library as Place
Library as Place
9.00
8.00
Mean Score
7.00
6.00
5.00
SCONUL Library as ARL Library as Place SCONUL Library as ARL Library as Place
Place 2004 2004 Place 2011.5 2011.5

30. National Student Survey
Comparisons
Aspiring to be “Good Enough”

31. National Student Survey Compared to LibQUAL+®
8
7
6.79 6.76 6.70
6
5
Mean
4
4.06 4.10 4.04
3
2
1
0
NSS LQ+ Overall Perceived
2008 2009 2010

32. SCONUL LibQUAL+® & NSS Comparisons
8.50 4.50
4.45
8.00
4.40
4.35
7.50
4.30
7.00 4.25
4.20
6.50
4.15
4.10
6.00
4.1 4.05
4.06 4.04
5.50 4.00
2008 2009 2010
NSS LQ+ Minimum LQ+ Desired LQ+ Perceived

33. LibQUAL+® Results in Action

34. The Library is one of the most
oppressively depressing locations on the
face of the earth; its ugly décor and
offensive lighting gnaw at the soul and
the carpeting is an invitation to madness
£14 million improvement
programme now underway at
St. Andrews to renovate the
Library, expand the collection
and increase study space.

35. • Secured additional funding to increase resources
• Improved liaison with Academic staff regarding
recommended readings
• Increased e-books where possible
• Increased journal subscriptions
• Implemented cross-searching database
• Improved Library Website
• Developed online information literacy tool
• Improved help provision via 24/7 Chat cooperative

36. • Added /enhanced computing, printing and
photocopying facilities
• Upgraded catalogue only ‘quick search stations’
• Introduced express PCs – maximum login time of 20
minutes
• Increased Study Space
• Reduced access to external visitors at busy times
• Introduced a study area for researchers
• Introduced/improved study zones to control noise
• Improved temperature and ventilation

37. National Outcomes
Libraries are being transformed into rowdy
social spaces… many of the changes have
had unfortunate – even disastrous –
consequences for the place of libraries in
university scholarship and study.
Response published in the next edition
of THE from SCONUL outlining that
LibQUAL+® results show that academic
staff perceptions of library buildings
are the highest they’ve ever been.
Sharpe, K. 2009. Quiet, please. Times Higher Education . 5 November. [Available Online].

38. Conclusions

39. Conclusions
• Greater use of LibQUAL+ by Pre-1992
Universities
• Biannual participation for ~half of users
• Expectations rising in most areas
• Perceptions rising also
• Not quite as good as ARL
• LibQUAL+ provides more information than NSS
• LibQUAL+ helps Libraries to develop and
improve services
• The carpet at St. Andrews used to be mental!

40. Acknowledgements
• Amanda Conway, Dorothy Vuong, Karen
Ready, Jacqui Dowd, John MacColl and the rest
of the SCONUL LibQUAL+ Participants
• The ARL LibQUAL+ Participants
• SCONUL Working Group on Performance and
Quality
• Martha, Bruce, Colleen, David and the rest of
the LibQUAL+ team

41. Thank you!
Selena Killick
s.a.killick@cranfield.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)1793 785561
J. Stephen Town
Director of Information, The University of York