Library Experience Survey
2021 Survey Results and Outcomes
What is the Library Experience Survey?
This survey is your chance to tell us what you want from your Library.
The Library has been running the survey since 2000. It is coordinated by Insync, a behavioural research group that has been analysing the performances of Australian University Libraries for many years.
The custom-designed questionnaire investigates student and staff levels of satisfaction with facilities and equipment, service quality and delivery, and the performance of library staff.
The survey allows us to benchmark our performance against other Australian and New Zealand university libraries.
Your honest feedback allows us to identify areas or services that need improvement. We run the survey every two years so we can confidently say we are addressing needs and concerns and building a better Library.
The last survey was in August/September 2021.
What were the 2021 Survey Results and Outcomes?
More than 1,500 students and staff responded to the survey. We asked about your research behaviours and how you seek information. Respondents told us about their preferences, and it is encouraging to note that overall 77% research a topic by looking first for items in One Search (our discovery layer). This was followed by using Google or another search engine to find relevant resources.
The survey results help Library and Information Services staff identify what services and resources are most important to clients, how we are performing in the delivery of these services and resources, and to identify priority areas for improvement. The library recorded an overall score of 82.5% (an improvement on 2018) which places us in the top 25% of participants in the benchmark participant group.
What is most important?
The top 10 areas of highest importance to Library clients are:
- Access to wireless
- Online resources
- Off-campus access to resources and services
- One Search finding relevant resources quickly
- Finding a quiet place in the Library to study
- Online items being available when needed
- Getting help from library staff when it's needed
- Access to course-specific resources
- Getting accurate answers to questions
- The library being a good place to study
What do you think we do best?
You told us that our top ten areas of performance are:
- Wireless access
- Off campus access to library resources and services
- Library staff providing help when it's needed
- Providing accurate answers
- Responding quickly to enquires
- Providing information resources
- Face to face services
- Access to information resources relevant to studies and research
- Online enquiry services (like chat)
- Computers available when you need them
What has improved since the last survey?
The actions taken in response to the 2018 survey have pleasingly resulted in improved scores in 2021. We have reduced the gap between importance and performance for:
- Finding a quiet place to study
- Items I'm looking for are available online
- Laptop facilities
- Ease of navigation of our web site
- Finding places for group work
- Readings and textbooks meeting learning needs
- One Search finding resources quickly
- Online resource usefulness for study
- The library being a good place to study
Identified areas for improvement
The good news is that there are no significant gaps between importance and performance. All the gaps identified in the 2018 survey have decreased. However, in the 2021 survey the top 10 gaps are:
1. Finding a quiet place to study in the Library
- 7.5% improvement over 2018 but remains the top issue in the gap analysis.
2. Library web site navigation
- 7% improvement, but has moved up to second in gap ranking
3. Places for group work in the Library
- 10% improvement but remains third in the gap ranking
4. Readings and textbook access meeting study needs
- 9% improvement but moves up from fifth to fourth
5. Online availability of resources
- 20% improvement moves down from second to fifth
6. One Search
- 11% improvement but moves up to sixth from eighth
7. Usefulness of online resources
- 15% improvement but moves up to 7th from 9th
8. Access to key library resources through Learn 番茄社区
- First time this question has been asked
9. Laptop facilities
- 42% improvement has moved this to ninth down from third
10. Library is a good place to study
- 24% improvement and remains at tenth in the gap ranking
Library Client Comments
We received 1,563 comments, approximately 70% from undergraduate students. The comments have been analysed and grouped into themes. Below are the top 5 themes by campus.
Townsville | 146 |
---|---|
Study environment (noise levels, ambience) (unfavourable feedback) | 40 |
Operating hours (unfavourable feedback) | 34 |
Overall satisfaction (favourable feedback) | 25 |
Laptop facilities (power, loans) (unfavourable feedback) | 24 |
Desks and seating (unfavourable feedback) | 23 |
Cairns | 81 |
Overall satisfaction (favourable feedback) | 18 |
Staff, customer service (favourable feedback) | 18 |
Operating hours (unfavourable feedback) | 15 |
Group study facilities (rooms, booking) (unfavourable feedback) | 10 |
Study environment (noise levels, ambience) (unfavourable feedback) | 10 |
Digital resources (e-journals, e-books, full-text) (unfavourable feedback) | 10 |
Singapore | 27 |
Course and subject specific resources (unfavourable feedback) | 5 |
Digital resources (e-journals, e-books, full-text) (unfavourable feedback) | 4 |
Staff, customer service (favourable feedback) | 4 |
Desks and seating (unfavourable feedback) | 2 |
Behaviours (eating, drinking, sleeping) (unfavourable feedback) 2 | 2 |
Study environment (noise levels, ambience) (unfavourable feedback) | 2 |
Overall satisfaction (favourable feedback) | 2 |
Physical collection (books, journals, newspapers) (unfavourable feedback) | 2 |
Brisbane | 17 |
Overall satisfaction (favourable feedback) | 5 |
Staff, customer service (favourable feedback) | 4 |
Study environment (noise levels, ambience) (unfavourable feedback) | 2 |
Digital resources (e-journals, e-books, full-text) (unfavourable feedback) | 2 |
Operating hours (unfavourable feedback) | 2 |
Only access Library services online | 89 |
Digital resources (e-journals, e-books, full-text) (unfavourable feedback) | 28 |
Course and subject specific resources (unfavourable feedback) | 17 |
Overall satisfaction (favourable feedback) | 8 |
Online and phone support (unfavourable feedback) | 8 |
Digital resources (e-journals, e-books, full-text) (favourable feedback) | 7 |
Staff, customer service (favourable feedback) | 7 |
Communication and consultation (unfavourable feedback) | 7 |
Research Behaviours
We asked you about your research behaviours and how you seek information. These results are available by type of client (undergraduate, postgraduate, staff, etc.), domestic and international student, College, campus, library and will assist Library and Information Services staff to refine our services. 1542 people told us about their preferences. It is encouraging to note that overall:
- 77% research a topic by looking for items in One Search, unchanged from 2018. This was followed by 63% using Google or another search engine to find relevant resources, down from 71%.
- 56% prefer to ask Library staff for help in person, down from 73%, the preference for Chat was 48% of respondents up from 31%
- 72% are most frustrated when journal articles are not available in full-text from the Library, down slightly from 74%
- 42% want to learn more Database Search Tips, unchanged but now equal with Accessing Databases, eJournals and eBooks, with EndNote (41%) a close third as the area of most interest
- 57% prefer to learn about Library services through our web site, a drop from 60% with email second at 55%, down from 58%. Learn番茄社区 was preferred by 54% (the first time it has been listed as an option)
Action Plan for the 2021 Library Client Survey Results
Cairns Campus and Eddie Koiki Mabo (Townsville) Libraries
You said | We did/Are doing |
---|---|
Quiet places to study in the Library |
|
Improve Library web site navigation |
|
More places for group work in the Library |
|
Readings and textbook access meeting study needs |
|
Improve online availability of resources |
|
One Search |
|
Usefulness of online resources |
|
Access to key library resources through Learn 番茄社区 |
|
Laptop facilities |
|
Library is a good place to study |
|