2009 Library Survey Summary
Thank you to the 1,064 students and staff who responded to the survey.
The results for the 2009 Library Survey show that Dixson Library and the Law Library are in the top quartile (25%) of Australian University libraries in performance terms. The overall satisfaction level with the Library has remained consistently high at 5.57 or higher (the scale is 1-7), across the last 4 surveys.
Improvements |
Of the 1,064 students and staff who completed the survey, over half (59.5%) were undergraduates, 23% were postgraduates and 47.4% were off-campus students in Australia .
The Library got top marks in
- staff approachability and service,
- the library as a study environment,
- online course-specific resources and
- prompt delivery of resources to off-campus students.
The survey consists of 31 statements which participants are asked to rank for importance and performance on a scale of 1-7 where 1 is the lowest score and 7 the highest. There is a not applicable (N/A) option for each statement. The statements are grouped into 5 areas: communication; service delivery; facilities and equipment, staff and information resources.
The Library can compare its performance in these areas across time by viewing previous surveys. We can also compare performance with other Australian University Libraries, using the following Weighted Performance Results table.
The Weighted Performance Results table
This table shows how well the Libraries performed in relation to academic libraries across Australia. The first thing to note is that our scores increased overall between 2009 and 2007. In one category, Facilities and Equipment, our 2009 score was equivalent to the top score gained by any academic library in the sample. Only in one category, did we fall outside the top quartile (the top 25% of all libraries).
Top 10 in importance
The 10 highest ranked importance variables for the UNE Library clients are listed in descending priority order in the table below. The 2007 results are also reported to enable a comparison.
October 2009 |
||
Category |
Top 10 Importance |
Mean |
| Library Staff | Library staff provide accurate answers to my enquiries | 6.58 |
| Information Resources | Online resources (e.g. ejournals, databases, ebooks) meet my learning/ research needs | 6.58 |
| Library Staff | Library staff are approachable and helpful | 6.53 |
| Information Resources | When i am away from campus I can access the Library resources and services i need | 6.50 |
| Information Resources | Course specific resources (e.g. eReserve, Open Reserve) meet my learning needs | 6.50 |
| Information Resources | The library web site is easy to use | 6.47 |
| Information Resources | The library catalogue is easy to use | 6.47 |
| Library Staff | Library staff are readily available to assist me | 6.45 |
| Information Resources | Information resources located in the Library (e.g. books, journals, DVDs) meet my learning/ research needs | 6.42 |
| Library Staff | Library staff treat me fairly and without discrimination | 6.41 |
| Common to 2009 and 2007 |
Note: mean scores are compiled from the results of all respondents to the survey which uses a scale of 1-7.
Of the 31 statements in the survey, 21 received scores of 6.0 or higher, indicating that the topics generally are of high importance to staff and students.
The top 10 in performance
The table below reports, in descending order, the 10 variables ranked highest in performance by the UNE Library clients in 2009 as compared with those ranked highest in 2007.
October 2009 |
||
Category |
Top 10 Performance |
Mean |
| Library Staff | Library staff treat me fairly and without discrimination * | 6.41 |
| Library Staff | Library staff are approachable and helpful * | 6.16 |
| Library Staff | Library staff provide accurate answers to my enquiries * | 6.12 |
| Library Staff | Library staff are readily available to assist me * | 5.97 |
| Facilities and Equipment | The Library is a good place to study | 5.85 |
| Service Delivery | Face-to-face enquiry services (Service Desk, phone, etc) meet my needs | 5.83 |
| Facilities and Equipment | I can find a quiet place in the Library to study when i need to | 5.80 |
| Information Resources | Course specific resources (e.g. eReserve, Open Reserve) meet my learning needs * | 5.76 |
| Service Delivery | Self Service (e.g. self check loans, requests, renewals, holds) meet my needs | 5.74 |
| Specific Criteria | Books/ articles I have requested from UNE libraries are delivered promptly | 5.69 |
| Common to 2009 and 2007 |
Shaded areas indicate Top 10 Performance in 2007 & * indicate statements are in Top 10 Importance table
The 2009 table is strong evidence of the high level of professionalism and client focus of the Library staff. It is also useful to note that half of the statements in this table are also listed in the top 10 Importance factors.
“The survey identified 29 out of 31 variables with scores greater than 5.00. All of these variables are considered strong performers, with 5.00 representing a relatively strong rating on a seven-point scale.” (Survey, 2009 p.8)
The lowest 10 performers
October 2009 |
||
Category |
Bottom 10 Performance |
Mean |
| Service Delivery | The Library anticipates my learning/ research needs | 4.89 |
| Communication | I am informed about Library services | 4.98 |
| Information Resources | The library catalogue is easy to use * | 5.07 |
| Service Delivery | Library face to face classes (e.g. Internet skills for researchers, Endnote) help me with my learning/ research needs | 5.07 |
| Facilities and Equipment | I can get wireless access in the Library when I need to | 5.12 |
| Service Delivery | The items I'm looking for on the library shelves are usually there | 5.14 |
| Facilities and Equipment | Printing/ scanning/ photocopying facilities in the Library meet my needs | 5.14 |
| Service Delivery | Opening hours meet my needs | 5.16 |
| Information Resources | Online resources (e.g. ejournals, databases, ebooks) meet my learning/ research needs * | 5.25 |
| Facilities and Equipment | A computer is available in the Library when I need one | 5.25 |
| Common to 2009 and 2007 |
The table listing the lowest 10 performers across the library still show a very strong mean with the lowest mean at 4.89.
Focus for Improvements
The survey allowed Library staff to identify potential areas for service improvement. This is done by comparing expectations (ie importance) against actual performance. Although there are areas in which the Library can improve, no significant gaps were found (significance is determined by a gap score of 2.0 and above).
October 2009 |
||
Category |
Top 10 Gaps |
Mean |
| Information Resources | The library catalogue is easy to use * | 1.40 |
| Information Resources | Online resources (e.g. ejournals, databases, ebooks) meet my learning/ research needs * | 1.33 |
| Information Resources | The library web site is easy to use * | 1.16 |
| Service Delivery | The items I'm looking for on the library shelves are usually there | 1.15 |
| Information Resources | Information resources located in the library (e.g. books, journals, DVDs) meet my learning/ research needs * | 1.07 |
| Facilities and Equipment | A computer is available in the Library when i need one | 1.02 |
| Facilities and Equipment | Printing/ scanning/ photocopying facilities in the Library meet my needs | 1.01 |
| Information Resources | When I am away from campus I can access the Library resources and services I need * | 0.89 |
| Specific Criteria | Electronic delivery of library items meets my needs | 0.88 |
| Service Delivery | Opening hours meet my needs | 0.85 |
| Common to 2009 and 2007 |
We are now undertaking more detailed analysis of the results and developing improvement strategies. The Library will continue to provide updates on improvements being undertaken.