And The Survey Says...

Last spring, the Cook Library Assessment Committee conducted a campus-wide online survey to find out what faculty, staff, and students think about the quality of library services.

A total of 2512 people completed the survey, with over 10% of TU students, faculty, and staff responding. Here are some of the key findings:

• Cook Library has significantly improved in customer service ratings since the last library survey in 2008. The library has always done well in this area, with some of the highest survey scores in 2008 and 2010 coming in customer service. It is also an area that library users value highly, with both faculty and undergraduates rating knowledgeable, courteous employees as one of their top five priorities.
• The library is weakest in helping users find information independently. All user groups perceive that the library does not have adequate print and electronic journals, although there was some significant improvement in 2010 scores compared to 2008. Also, faculty did give significantly higher ratings to the Cook Library website than in 2008, but there is still room for improvement.
• Students want better library space. Both undergraduate and graduate students commented on the need for modern equipment and quiet, comfortable spaces for individual and group study.

The Library Assessment Committee intends to conduct focus groups and observational studies to gain more insight into the survey results and how the library can best address user concerns.

To see the full survey report visit http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/assessment/2010/libqual_2010.pdf

Written by Joyce Garczynski