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You Spoke! - We're Acting!

The Library and Information Service conducted a LibQUAL user survey for a five-week period from 25 July to 29 August 2016. Two of the aims of the survey were to:

1. Determine the quality of library services and facilities and to compare these with best practices; and
2. To develop further understanding of the expectations of students and staff in order to improve services accordingly. A total of 1604 users completed the survey, with a response rate of 5.10%. The Library is doing well relative to the LibQUAL results of another national and other international libraries.

Strengths in the service as well as areas where improvement is needed have been identified. Most important to respondents was “Modern equipment that lets me easily access needed information". The highest perceived service score was given for “Readiness to respond to users' enquiries". Respondents identified the greatest need for improvement to be “Making e-resources accessible from my home or office".

Action plans have been developed. Results of the survey have been communicated to users. The radar chart in Figure 1 (below) shows the aggregate results for the core survey questions. Each axis represents one question. A code to identify each question is displayed at the outer point of each axis. While questions for each dimension of library service quality were scattered randomly throughout the survey, on this chart they are grouped into sections: Affect of Service (AS), Information Control (IC), and Library as Place (LP).

On each axis, respondents' minimum, desired, and perceived levels of service quality are plotted, and the resulting "gaps" between the three levels (representing service adequacy or service superiority) are shaded in blue, yellow, green, and red.

The blue area depicts perceived service that is greater than minimum service.  The yellow area depicts perceived service that is less than desired service.  Since there are no red areas in the radar chart, there are no areas where perceived service is less than minimum service.  There are also no green areas, indicating that there are no areas where perceived service is greater than desired service.

   
Figure 1: Radar chart showing the aggregate results for the LibQUAL core survey questions for the Library and Information Service, in 2016.

Incentive prize winners

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The lucky-draw winners of the vouchers were Mr Clifford Sibanda (R 2000 voucher), Ms Theodore Masuku (R 500 voucher) and Ms Olivia Taylor (R 500 voucher). Congratulations! Thank you for participating in our survey.

Pictured above are our delighted winners Clifford Sibanda, Theodore Masuku and Olivia Taylor, each with their prize voucher.

Julle het gepraat! – Ons tree op!

Die Biblioteek- en Inligtingsdiens het oor 'n periode van vyf weke van 25 Julie tot 29 Augustus 2016 'n LibQUAL gebruikerstudie gedoen. Twee van die doelwitte van die studie was:

1. Om vas te stel wat die gehalte van biblioteekdienste en –fasiliteite is en om dit met beste praktyke te vergelyk en;
2. Om begrip te ontwikkel vir die verwagtinge van studente en personeel ten einde dienste dienooreenkomstig te kan verbeter. Die 1604 gebruikers wat die opname voltooi het, verteenwoordig 'n responskoers van 5.1%. Die Biblioteek se uitslae vergelyk goed met dié van 'n ander Suid-Afrikaanse en ander internasionale biblioteke.

Sterkpunte in die diens sowel as areas waar verbetering nodig is, is geïdentifiseer. Die belangrikste punt vir respondente was om gemaklike toegang tot benodigde inligting deur middel van moderne toerusting te hê. Die hoogste telling vir diens is toegeken aan die bereidheid om op gebruikers se navrae te reageer. Volgens respondente lê die grootste behoefte aan verbetering by die toeganklikheid tot e-bronne vanaf huis of kantoor.

Aksieplanne is reeds ontwikkel en die uitslag van die opname is aan gebruikers gekommunikeer. Die radargrafiek in Figuur 1 (onder) dui die totale resultate vir die kernvrae in die opname aan. Elke as verteenwoordig een vraag. 'n Kode wat elke vraag identifiseer, word op die verste punt van elke as aangedui. Vrae oor elke aspek van biblioteekdiens het lukraak regdeur die vraelys voorgekom, maar op hierdie grafiek is hulle in afdelings saamgegroepeer: Invloed van diens 'Affect of Service, AS', Beheer van inligting 'Information Control, IC', en Biblioteek as plek 'Library as Place, LP'.

Op elke as word respondente se minimum, gewenste en waargenome vlakke van diensgehalte aangedui. Die gevolglike “gapings" tussen die drie vlakke, ingekleur in blou geel, groen en rooi, verteenwoordig voldoende diens of uitstekende diens.

Die blou area stel waargenome diensvlakke voor wat hoër is as die minimum terwyl die geel area waargenome diensvlakke voorstel wat laer is as die gewenste vlak van dienslewering. Die feit dat daar geen rooi areas is nie dui daarop dat geen waargenome vlakke van diens laer as die minimum is nie. Daar is ook geen groen areas nie, wat daarop dui dat geen waargenome vlakke van diens hoër as die gewenste vlak is nie.
 

Figuur 1: Radargrafiek wat die totale resultate aandui van die kernvrae in die LibQUAL opname van die Biblioteek- en Inligtingsdiens in 2016.

Wenners van aansporingspryse

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Drie geskenkbewyse is as aansporingspryse van deelnemers aan die opname aangebied. Die wenners van die gelukstrekking was mnr Clifford Sibanda (R2000 bewys), me Theodore Masuku (R500 bewys) en me Olivia Taylor (R500 bewys). Veels geluk! Baie dankie vir julle deelname aan ons opname.

Bo verskyn ons drie pryswenners Clifford Sibanda, Theodore Masuku en Olivia Taylor, elkeen met hul geskenkbewys.