Benchmarking Reference Desk Service in Academic Health Science Libraries: A Preliminary Survey

Robbins, Kathryn; Daniels, Kathleen

doi:10.5860/crl.62.4.348

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…For example, reference librarians interested in surveying distance learners on their satisfaction with virtual reference services as described by Alewine (2012) could use LimeSurvey as their software platform of choice. Additionally, reference librarians looking to evaluate and improve reference desk interactions (Robbins and Daniels, 2001) could similarly find LimeSurvey a versatile and intuitive survey product.…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Open source assessment of academic library patron satisfaction

Angell

2013

Reference Services Review

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Purpose-While academic libraries have often purchased proprietary software to assess patron satisfaction, the open source movement has generated high-quality software available free of charge. These tools are useful alternatives in an era marked by tremendous budget cuts familiar to many academic libraries. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the ability of open source software to effectively and affordably measure the quality of service at academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach-The author's experience with using the open source tool LimeSurvey to administer a library survey over a three-year period serves as a case study for other institutions. A literature review contextualizes the history of patron satisfaction surveys within academic libraries and questions the lack of an open source presence. Popular proprietary survey software is reported as a viable but expensive option, leading to a detailed case study of Sarah Lawrence College's successful addition of open source software to its assessment procedures. Findings-LimeSurvey is a flexible, customizable, and cost-effective tool for a small college library investing in querying its patrons for constructive feedback as a means of improving user experience. Originality/value-This paper will be of value to any library on a fixed budget looking to assess patron satisfaction with resources and services. Very little literature currently exists on this topic, but as the open source movement continues to flourish this software can play an integral role in allowing libraries to cut costs but not indispensable patron feedback.

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Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Open source assessment of academic library patron satisfaction

Angell

2013

Reference Services Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A preliminary study of the benchmarking of users' perceptions of reference desk services in academic health science libraries which used a standard questionnaire is reported by Robbins and Daniels (2001). While the findings could not be used to improve services at any single library, the findings could be useful in planning future benchmarking.…”

Section: Managing Performance and Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%