Survey scores soar after £7.4m Library refurb

Nine out ten users – and 93% of students – think that the Library provides a good service, show survey results published today (Friday 20 January).

1,875 students and staff (academic and non-academic) answered a survey in the autumn term about the Library, with 91% ‘agreeing’ or ‘tending to agree’ with the statement ‘overall the Library provides a good service’.

This is up from 77% in 2007 – the last time that the Library ran the survey.

Librarian, Kitty Inglis, believes that the huge increase in satisfaction is due in large part to the new spaces, services and facilities in the Library following its £7.4 million refurbishment, completed last summer.

Kitty said: “We listened very closely to what students have told us in surveys, such as the Library survey and the National Student Survey, and planned the refurbishment very much around what our users wanted.

“As a result we now have a Library fit for one of the UK’s top 15 universities, offering the latest technology, more flexible study spaces, a relocated careers centre, and a new café and social spaces.

“I’d like to thank everyone for bearing with us through the noise and disruption while the work was carried out. I think the end result was worth it and, judging by this latest survey, so do our users.”

This general increase in satisfaction is replicated across specific aspects of the Library’s work:

• 83% (up from 58% in 2007) agree or tend to agree that the Library provides a good range of books
• 85% (up from 62%) agree or tend to agree that the Library provides a good range of online resources
• 73% (up from 66%) agree or tend to agree that information on the Library website is easy to find
• Only 4% (down from 21%) said that they were dissatisfied with Library staff

The offer of further-extended opening hours was a hot topic, with researchers wanting the Library to remain open on weekday evenings during vacations (due to be implemented this summer), and taught students preferring Sunday morning opening during term time (staff will investigate the viability of this).

Library staff have already used feedback to make some other improvements:

• a student/Library working group has been convened  to address issues of anti-social behaviour among some Library users, such as the use of mobile phones and excessive noise. Better signage and more regular patrols are being introduced to deal with these issues
• Closer liaison with students and academic staff to ensure better access to course materials
• A 40% increase in PCs in the Library, as well as new Macs; new faster and more reliable Wi-Fi; and a new IT helpdesk

Other improvements in the pipeline for the coming months include the provision of more flat desk study spaces and better promotion of services.

The full Library survey report, which can be read on the Library’s website, also gives an insight into who is using the Library and for what, including:

• 71% visit the Library at least once a week and 33% are there most days
• The most common activity on visiting the Library is to borrow or return books. Individual study is second, followed by using a computer
• There has been a significant increase in the use of computers for work-related activity in the Library and for working in groups
• The most popular way to find out about Library services is via the Library website
• The most important factors when choosing where to study in the Library are comfortable temperature; desk space; low level of noise allowed; silence; and access to a power point.

Read the full report

Posted on behalf of: Library
Last updated: Monday, 23 January 2012