Realising the potential of user surveys for improving academic libraries: The case of St John’s College, Cambridge

Abstract

How can user surveys lead to better decision making to improve libraries? While there are more surveys published on specialised aspects of academic libraries, there are relatively few user surveys published of academic libraries in general. First and foremost this paper argues the user survey is a useful tool for library managers interested in developing their libraries in response to changing user needs, and secondly, for more published accounts of surveys and their usefulness. However, the user survey as a tool for generating evidence-based decision making in libraries fails to achieve its potential if two further important practices are not implemented. First and most importantly, the findings obtained from the survey must be used to inform decision making on managing and leading improvements to the library. This aspect of follow-through from survey findings to management decision making, may well lead to changing resource allocation and priorities, new practices, and improvements to collections and the physical environment. Second, the findings of the survey should be fed back to users as a means of raising their interest and engagement in the academic library as a hub of learning.

User Engagement and Collaboration in the Next Generation Academic Libraries.

“…Otherwise, it is most likely that this functionality will never use, and the project fails. Pre-implementation surveys proved a positive impact on user satisfaction as the user has direct input in the decision-making of the academic library improvements (Chow, 2019). The development of strategies in libraries traditionally was based on push strategy where the focus is on improving the business activities' efficiency and predicting the users' needs from an inout point of view.…”

User Analysis of Library Usage to Fulfill Information Needs

“…User surveys are useful for developing academic libraries that constantly suit their collection according to the users' needs which always constantly change. However, user surveys as the basis to make decisions regarding library upgrades, will not be optimally conducted if two very important things are not implemented (Chow, 2017). Library user surveys become a medium to collect users' data and raise awareness as well as interest in libraries.…”