Search Library Pages or the Internet

Seattle Pacific University:
LibQUAL+ Response Memo
March 7, 2005

Seattle Pacific University Library Staff

In April 2004, the library conducted a survey of Seattle Pacific University students and faculty. The purpose of the survey was to obtain your perceptions of the adequacy of library services. It is our intent to be responsive to your comments and improve the library services you receive to the extent that it is in our power to do so. Therefore, we are communicating to you the library’s considered responses to issues raised in the survey.

Issue: Not enough learning resources
If there is one message that the survey participants told the library, it is the following—the SPU library does not have sufficient learning resources to support the academic programs at the university. Graduate students and faculty, particularly, voiced this concern. Response: The library will continue to do all it can to increase the level of learning resources available for you. As a number of you noted, our membership in the Orbis Cascade Alliance and Summit Borrowing has helped immensely. We have been happy to bring this larger collection of materials (more than 22 million items) to you. We also realize that Summit Borrowing is not enough, and does not fully compensate for weaknesses in the local collection. We continue to seek greater financial resources. Apart from an infusion of new funds, the library has limited means to further expand the collections available locally. There is continuing effort to seek grants for specific materials. We will also continue our search for a consortium solution to providing greater journal resources, just as Summit Borrowing has addressed book resources. To deliver journal articles to you more quickly and efficiently in the future, we will continue to streamline the library’s interlibrary loan service.

Issue: Library hours 
Although the matter of library hours was not a subject of the survey, a number of students, in their comments, expressed their desire for added library service hours. Many requested later hours during the week (at least until midnight), while others wished that weekend hours were longer. Response: The library understands the need for quiet places to study on campus—even during the late hours of the day, or early morning. The library also recognizes that longer Saturday hours would help some students who are busy during the week. We have wrestled with the question of how we can provide optimum service, and although some university libraries offer more hours (all the way to 24/7), others offer fewer (for example, the Seattle University and Suzzalo and Allen Libraries at the University of Washington). Therefore, we believe that the library’s total hours of service are not out of line. It is interesting that in the history of SPU’s library it has occasionally been open longer hours than currently exist. The experience is that the library has not been used enough to justify the expense and impact on staff, according to collected statistics, during those marginal times. Another concern is staffing of the library’s two service points. The library now runs two shifts during the week and one full shift on the weekends. Additional hours are not possible (without serious impacts on library operations) unless the number of staff is increased. Despite our desire to accommodate the needs of the students, we must operate within the resources provided to us by the university—and do so in a responsible manner. One question that occurred to the Library Advisory Council is: For what purpose will additional hours be used—consulting learning resources, using the computers, or study space? The survey did not answer this question for us. A 1996 survey, however, indicated that study space is the primary need during late hours, followed by access to computers. The opening of a four-story building may not be the most efficient means on this campus for meeting those needs. The library is willing to work with ASSP to identify other campus locations that might meet that need at less cost.  

Issue: Improved public service from student workers
There were a number of complaints about rudeness and lack of courtesy on the part of library student workers at the two service desks. Response: Even though the general tenor of remarks about the public service personnel was positive, the negative comments are of concern to the library. Sometimes, at least, the students are merely enforcing library policies that may not always be popular. Usually students seek to offer the best service possible, but must work within policies that are fair to all users. Nevertheless, it is recognized by the library that it is important to provide competent, pleasant service at all times. Some of the ways the library is addressing this issue are as follows:

• A continuing, and increasing, effort to train student workers through mentoring, training modules and manuals, and electronic message lists. These activities have been part of normal practice, but we will develop these programs further.
• Discouraging the presence of patrons behind the service desks. Other patrons may believe that they are being ignored by the service staff when, in fact, it is just another patron who is behind the desk and feels no responsibility to be of help to others.
• Assigning more service desk responsibilities to full-time staff.
• Providing pay incentives to students who demonstrate proficiency in public service.

 Issue: Need more computers in library
There were a substantial number of comments from students that the library needs more computers. Response: The library understands that it is the favorite place on campus for those using computer labs. Unfortunately, the timing of the survey closely followed the removal of a temporary computer lab created during the remodel of Otto Miller Hall. Thus, the deficiency in computer resources was even more keenly felt at the time of the survey. The library does not have space or financial resources for another computer lab, but here are some of the things that the library has done, and is doing, in order to provide computer resources for students:

• There are a number of wired network connections on the third floor (as well as a few stations on the main floor) that provide access to the campus network for laptops. Reference desk personnel can guide you to these resources.
• The computer classroom on the main floor is opened for general use as much as possible (when it is not being used as a classroom). This helps supplement the main lab on the lower level. Toward the end of the term, when computers are in even higher demand, scheduling this room as a classroom is avoided in order to make it fully available for open use.
• Wireless capability was installed by CIS in September 2004. You should be able to make a wireless connection to the campus network from your laptop in most areas of the library. The library would appreciate receiving any feedback on the performance of the wireless system in the building
• Investigating the restriction of the popular lab in the lower level of the library to SPU students alone. In addition, you may wish to know that there is a guide to the computer labs on campus.

Issue: Need a quiet atmosphere for study
The comments about this issue focused on two major areas: 1) the noise levels in the group study rooms that spill out through the walls, and 2) the use of cell phones in proximity to those who are trying to study. Response:  The library is considering ways to keep study areas quiet, including signs for quiet areas, roaming staff members throughout the building, and reminders to cell phone users to step outside the building.  Everyone can help by being aware of the needs of others for quiet study areas in the library, and, in the process, build a campus culture that honors and supports quiet study across campus.

Issue: Need to simplify catalog/database access
These problems fall into two basic categories: 1) Users have difficulty navigating online library resources because of their complexity, and 2) Users lack basic knowledge about using library systems. The first problem begs the question: Can the library make searching easier? The second problem reflects the incompleteness of library education efforts. Response: The library continually monitors software developments that provide new resources and services, and that simplify the online interactions between the users and the information. To the extent that the library budget can afford new products that meet these parameters, the library is constantly improving online searching by making it easier and more convenient. A second concern of the library is to provide sufficient continuing education in information literacy, so that students are well-informed about what library systems offer. It is suggested that the library should seek the opinions of user groups through such investigative procedures as focus groups and usability testing. Students may be called upon by the library in the future to participate in such studies. Apart from that, the library is constantly trying to improve and extend its information literacy initiatives on campus. For example, this year the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) test is being given to select seniors in capstone courses.

Issue: Printing costs
A number of students commented on the costs of printing from library computers, as well as the inconvenience of the payment process. Response: The library cannot provide free printing; that is economically unsustainable. It is willing, however, to investigate more convenient ways of handling printing charges; for example, through the use of credit cards or possibly a campus card of some kind in cooperation with University Services.

 Rev. 03/09/2005=