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UW Libraries Triennial Survey 2004 Key Results and Analysis

Prepared for Faculty Council on University Libraries 18 October 2004                                                               

HIGHLIGHTS

  • First triennial survey administered through Web (faculty also received paper)
  • Professional staff group (research scientists and engineers) surveyed for first time
  • Faculty response highest ever (1560 surveys completed, 40% response rate)
  • Satisfaction increased among all three group and was high among research scientists
  • Frequency of use rose for faculty and graduate students and stayed the same for undergrads
  • Substantial increase in remote use by faculty and grad students
  • Top priorities for faculty and grad students are providing online access to more journal titles and to journal backfiles; maintaining quality of print collection as a priority dropped substantially
  • While the Libraries remained the most important source of information for faculty and students, the open Web gained significantly compared to 2001
  • Satisfaction with specific services is high except for photocopy and printing
  • Communicating library services and awareness of library liaisons also appear to be issues
  • Faculty who receive or use federal funding for research appear to be more frequent users of library resources and rate library resources as more important than those who don’t in the same subject area.

 

ALL RESULTS IN PERCENT UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED

 

RESPONSE AND REPRESENTATIVENESS

 

1560 faculty responded to the survey; the largest number recorded in the five triennial surveys.  Survey response rate at 40% equaled the highest registered.  The survey respondents were representative of the campus faculty population by academic area and there was little change in composition from 2001. 

 

Surveys Returned and Response Rate by Group

 

 

2004

2001

1998

1995

1992

 

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

Faculty

1560

40%

1345

36%

1503

40%

1359

31%

1108

28%

Grad Students

627

40%

597

40%

457

46%

409

41%

560

56%

Undergraduates

502

25%

497

25%

787

39%

463

23%

407

41%

Research Scientists

369

34%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SATISFACTION AND EASE OF USE

 

Satisfaction

 

Library satisfaction levels increased among all groups reaching the highest levels of any survey.

Mean satisfaction scores for research scientists and engineers was close to the other groups at 4.40 for services, 4.28 for collections, and 4.39 overall.

 

 

FACULTY

GRAD STUDENTS

UNDERGRADUATES

Mean Scores

2004

2001

1998

2004

 2001

1998

2004

 2002

1998

Services

4.57

4.44

4.43

4.41

4.35

4.21

4.35

4.20

3.97

Collections

4.24

4.19

4.18

4.23

4.12

4.06

4.26

4.09

3.96

Overall

4.44

4.33

4.33

4.34

4.26

4.11

4.32

4.22

3.99

 

Specific Service Satisfaction

 

Satisfaction with specific services increased with the exception of access to library computers.

 

 

Faculty

Grad Students

Undergraduates

 

NA

Mean

Mean

NA

Mean

Mean

NA

Mean

Mean

SERVICE

Don’t Use (%)

2004

2001

Don’t Use (%)

2004

2001

Don’t

Use

2004

2001

Reshelving

(31.1)

4.11

4.01

(24.4)

4.11

3.88

(30.7)

4.20

4.04

Elcectronic course reserves

(53.1)

4.31

4.17

(30.8)

4.25

3.93

(23.1)

4.19

3.93

Library instruction

(56.9)

4.25

4.13

(52.0)

4.16

3.84

(43.1)

4.02

3.76

Staff assistance in library

(25.1)

4.41

4.31

(21.3)

4.36

4.13

(26.5)

4.21

3.90

Staff assistance remotely

(45.9)

4.23

4.02

(52.3)

4.13

3.84

(48.2)

4.07

3.67

Photocopy

(36.0)

3.63

3.59

(25.9)

3.16

3.18

(28.1)

3.90

3.68

ILL Books (including Summit)

(43.9)

4.11

 

(44.0)

4.30

 

(58.6)

4.07

 

Journal article delivery

(43.8)

4.09

 

(51.5)

3.98

 

(58.6)

3.90

 

Printing in libraries

 

 

 

(52.3)

3.39

 

(25.7)

3.79

 

Access to library computers

(44.2)

4.03

4.09

(21.2)

4.01

4.12

(11.8)

3.85

3.90

Information Gateway Web site

(18.3)

4.32

4.20

(12.8)

4.27

4.27

(21.3)

4.13

4.06

HealthLinks Web site

(48.1)

4.36

 

(60.8)

4.20

 

 

 

 

Librarian liaison to department

(55.1)

4.36

 

(60.0)

4.21

 

 

 

 

 

Ease of Use

 

Faculty generally found library services easier to use than students. 

 

FACULTY MEAN SCORES 1 TO 5

Faculty

Grad

Undergrad

Find a journal in the library 

4.19

3.99

3.69

Get journal articles not on campus