How can Queen’s Library best meet your needs?

Students and faculty have their chance to speak up between Feb. 1-19 when e-mails are sent to a sample of the Queen’s community, inviting people to fill out an on-line survey known as LibQUAL+. The results will assist the Library in allocating resources and services to best meet the needs of the Queen’s community.

“It’s important to do the survey because we are definitely paying attention to the results. User feedback is essential in maintaining a quality library system. It helps us understand what students and faculty value and what they appreciate,” says Sam Kalb, the Library’s Assessment and Scholarly Communications Services Coordinator. “Past surveys found users wanted e-mail reminders about upcoming book due dates rather than notification once the book was overdue.  So the library changed the system to e-mail an advanced your-books-are-coming-due notice.” 

This is the third time since 2004 the Library has run the survey and the findings continually inform the evolution of library operations. In one example, students said they wanted the library to carry a certain resource – a resource the library already had. Kalb said that information showed officials they had to do a better job of letting people know what resources are available “because the library has so many.”

Surveys like these help Queen’s maintain one of the top university libraries in Canada. In the most recent Globe and Mail survey, Queen’s was the only university in Canada to receive an A+ for library services. Queen’s Library also ranks very high in the annual Maclean’s survey.

Library officials are asking everyone who receives the e-mail to please take the time to complete the survey. The 2010 survey is only 12 questions long and should take about eight minutes to fill out.

Comments and suggestions may be made at any time to University Librarian Paul Wiens at wiensp@queensu.ca.