User Survey 1999

• Initial Report
• Table 1: Number of Usable Questionnaires Returned By Each Library
• Table 2: Success in Library Activities
• Table 3: Rates of User Success in Library Activities
• Table 4: Ease in Using Library Services
• Table 5: Rates of Ease in Using Library Resources and Services
• Appendix A: Questionnaire
• Appendix B: Online Questionnaire

Initial Report

In November 1999, a random survey was conducted on users of all the Rutgers University Libraries. The survey instrument was the work of the Assessment Committee: Susan Beck, Emily Fabiano, Judy Gardner, Nancy Hendrickson, Ann Montanaro, Samson Soong (Chair), Adeline Tallau, Farideh Tehrani, and Ann Watkins.

A preliminary questionnaire had been tested and some changes had been made before it was finalized. The survey was handed out at random times in all the Rutgers University Libraries and was also placed online for voluntary responses during the week of November 15-21, 1999. A copy of the questionnaire appears as Appendix A. The online survey is attached here as Appendix B. A copy of the schedule for the random times appears as Appendix C. (not available on this online version).

No complete count of the number of questionnaires handed out at the various libraries is available. A maximum of 640 could have been handed out. The returned questionnaires were numbered sequentially. Fifteen blank questionnaires had been numbered by mistake and six were unusable. The final number of coded questionnaires was 2,961. The number of usable questionnaires returned by each library is shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1

The data was coded for SPSS and entered into a single file, according a coding scheme which was developed to cover all the questions as well as possible answers. A copy of the coding scheme is attached as Appendix D. In the course of analysis, several variables were re-coded to enhance the responses. Frequency tables summarizing the responses to all survey questions are attached as Appendix E. The number next to each frequency table corresponds to the penciled-in number shown next to the particular question to which the users responded.

The first group of questions dealt with what the respondent did in the library that day. Table 2 details all the responses. Because these questions could not be asked in the same way online as in person, the "Missing Value" category represents the 172 online questionnaires. Question 14 ("Miscellaneous") refers to activities other than those listed in this category. If no success level was specified for a written- in activity, the responses were assigned to "Success (Unspecified)." Table 3 indicates rates of user success in these activities. The total of "much success" (25%) and "complete success"(54%) is almost 80%!

Some questions in the survey also asked about the level of ease which library users had in using electronic resources and services. Table 4 details all the responses to these questions, and Table 5 outlines the rates of ease they experienced. Close to 75% of the users indicated that using these resources and services was "rather easy" (27%) or "very easy" (47%).

A number of cross-tabulations, each using 2 or 3 variables (i.e. questions), and further analyses are being prepared. Additional findings will be shared through a future report.

Table 2: Success in Library Activities

Table 3: Rates of User Success in Library Activities

Table 4: Ease in Using Library Services

Table 5: Rates of Ease in Using Library Resources and Services

Appendix A: Questionnaire

Rutgers University Libraries Users' Survey 1999

Please take about 5 minutes to complete this users' survey. The data will be used to improve library services. Thank you!

1. What did you do in the library today? For each of your activities, circle the number on a scale of 1 to 5 that best describes how successful you were. If you did not do the activity, please circle the X.

						        						Did   
                                                                                                        Not      
				                	Not		   	    Completely		Do			
                                                	Successful   ---------------Successful          Today
A.   Looked for books		 	       	        1	2	3	4	5	  	X

B.   Looked for periodicals/journals/
	magazines/newspapers		        	1	2	3	4	5	  	X

C.   Looked for government documents	        	1	2	3	4	5	  	X
 
D.   Used course reserve books or photocopies   	1	2	3	4	5	  	X

E.   Used photocopy machines		        	1	2	3	4	5	  	X

F.   Used microfilm/fiche machines			1	2	3	4	5	  	X

G.   Studied (used own materials)			1	2	3	4	5	  	X

H.   Used group study room		         	1	2	3	4	5	  	X

I.   Sought reference assistance			1	2	3	4	5	  	X

J.   Attended instructional session on use of library
	materials, electronic resources	        	1	2	3	4	5	  	X

K.   Used computer workstation for library research	1	2	3	4	5	  	X

L.   Used computer workstation for other purposes	1	2	3	4	5		X	(e.g. word processing)

M.   Picked up interlibrary loan material or
        material sent from another Rutgers library 	1	2	3	4	5		X

N.   Other (please specify) ____________________	1	2	3	4	5		X

	Course work		Research unrelated to a specific course                     Teaching

	Current awareness	A Mix of purposes	Other (please specify) _____________________

											   
                                                                                           Did Not  
						Not at all Easy ------------Very easy	   use

A.   IRIS (The Online Catalog)			1	2	3	4	5	     X

B.   Electronic Journals			1	2	3	4	5	     X

C.   Online Indexes/Abstracts/Databases		1	2	3	4	5	     X

D.   Research guides/finding aids		1	2	3	4	5	     X

E.   The Internet				1	2	3	4	5	     X

A.   "Ask a Librarian" service	         	Daily		Weekly		Monthly	Few (1-3) times		Never

B.   Request an item at Rutgers
	via the online catalog	        	Daily		Weekly		Monthly	Few (1-3) times		Never	

C.   Request an item not owned by Rutgers	Daily		Weekly		Monthly	Few (1-3) times		Never    
	
D.   Renew a book via SELF SERVICES     	Daily		Weekly		Monthly	Few (1-3) times		Never	        	

					

							Not at all Easy ---------------Very easy

A.    "Ask a Librarian" service				1	2	3	4	5

B.   Request an item at Rutgers via the online catalog	1	2	3	4	5

C.   Request an item not owned by Rutgers		1	2	3	4	5

D.   Renew a book via SELF SERVICES			1	2	3	4	5

*************************************************************************************************************

      ___ Art & Humanities            ___ Social Sciences             ___ Sciences & Technology 

      ___ Other (please  specify) ____________________________

    a. 	___ Undergraduate student	b. Campus affiliation:

	___ Graduate Student			___ Camden 

	___ Faculty				___ Newark

	___ Staff				___ New Brunswick

	___ Alumnus

    c.  Please specify your current college/school/department  ______________________________________________

    d.  Do you take Rutgers courses at a remote location (e.g. Western Monmouth, Altantic City )?      ____ yes           ____ no

    a. UMDNJ: 				       b. NJIT		        c. Rowan		            d.  Camden County

     ___  Faculty ___  Camden			____ Faculty		____ Faculty 			____ Faculty

     ___  Student ___  N.B./Piscatway		____ Student		____ Student			____ Student

     ___  Staff      ___ Newark			____ Staff		____ Staff			____ Staff

    e. If you are a UMDNJ, NJIT, Rowan, or Camden County student, are you enrolled in a Rutgers course this semester?    

										       _____ yes            ______ no			 		

    f.  Other College/University:    ___ Faculty        ___Student        ___ Staff 

               (please specify school) ________________________________________________

    g.  High school student (please specify school) ___________________________________

    h.  Other (please specify) ____________________________________________________

Thank you for your time, your comments are valuable to us.