USC Libraries

University of Southern California

skip navigation

Library User Survey Results

Survey overview

In fall 2010, the USC Libraries invited students, faculty, and staff at the University of Southern California to provide feedback on core library services. The user survey was developed and administered by the Australian firm InsyncSurvey. With this implementation, USC Libraries became the first North American library to use this assessment tool—a survey that has been successfully administered by academic libraries throughout the Pacific Rim.

The 2010 Library User survey included 28 statements about library services. Participants were asked to rate each service twice: first measuring the importance of the activity to them and then rating the library’s performance in the area. Respondents were randomly selected to participate in the survey.

The online survey ran from November 15 to December 13, 2010, generating 1031 responses. With this initial Insync survey, the USC Libraries have gathered benchmark data that will be compared against subsequent survey results in order to determine trends in the libraries’ performance as well as changing user needs and priorities.

Survey participants

Roughly one-third of respondents identified themselves as faculty (31 percent), and roughly one-third identified themselves as graduate students (30 percent). One-quarter of respondents were undergraduate students, 12 percent were staff, and less than 2 percent identified themselves in another category.

Findings

Most important services

Of the 28 library services included in the survey, respondents rated the following ten as the most important to them. They are listed in order of priority:

  1. When I am away from campus I can access the Library resources and services I need
  2. E-resources (e.g. e-journals, e-books) meet my learning and research needs
  3. I can get wireless access in the Library when I need it
  4. The Libraries’ web site is easy to use
  5. Library employees provide accurate answers
  6. I can find materials I need in the Libraries’ catalog
  7. Facilities in the Library for my laptop (e.g. desks, power) meet my needs
  8. I am able to find useful information on the Libraries’ web site
  9. Library employees are approachable and helpful
  10. Materials located in the Library (e.g. books, journals, DVDs) meet my learning and research needs

Highest performance areas

Of the 28 library services included in the survey, respondents rated the following ten items as the libraries’ highest performance areas:

  1. Library employees treat me fairly and with respect
  2. Library employees are approachable and helpful
  3. Library employees provide accurate answers
  4. Library employees are readily available to assist me
  5. Library employees help me find relevant information in my subject area
  6. I can get wireless access in the Library when I need it
  7. When I am away from campus I can access the Library resources and services I need
  8. In-person reference services meet my needs
  9. Books or other materials I have requested arrive promptly
  10. E-resources (e.g. e-journals, e-books) meet my learning and research needs

Of note, five of the ten areas indicated as most important to our users scored among our top ten performance areas. These include:

Areas to improve

Of the 28 library services included in the survey, respondents rated the following ten items as areas where efforts to improve should be focused. They include in order of priority:

Data from open responses

Respondents were given the opportunity to provide open-ended feedback on library services and resources. Thirty-eight percent of respondents provided feedback resulting in over 700 comments. The top five themes identified in the open-ended question responses revealed two areas of user satisfaction (employee professionalism/helpfulness and overall satisfaction with the library) and three areas for library improvement (e-resources, library hours, and laptop facilities).

Moving forward

We have already begun to incorporate these findings into the development and implementation of our strategic plan, The Essential Library 2011-13. To follow our progress and find related news, visit the USC Libraries’ Libwire newsblog.