What do Users Want? – Acting on Feedback

[B]cpd25: What do users want? What are we doing about it?
Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Room B211Thursday, 1st June 2006, 10.00 – 12.00 (Registration and coffee from 9.45)[/B]

FULLY BOOKED

Chair: Kathy Paterson

University libraries employ many tools to find out what their users want: surveys, staff/student committees, comments forms (online and paper), informal feedback from users when using the Library. Surveys are a major source of information, and many libraries have annual surveys, as well as surveys focussed on specific groups (part-time students) or a particular service (short loan collection). This event is not about survey methodology, but about what libraries have found out about user needs and, more importantly, what changes they have made as a result.

Programme:

Sarah Jackson, Senate House Library – Senate House Library Survey:
Sarah will discuss users’ wants and needs as demonstrated by the returns of Senate House Library’s User Survey of 2005, which was carried out in conjunction with Priority Research, a market research consultancy firm. Sarah will discuss the range of reader groups using the Library and how the issues raised vary according to user category. She will comment on how the Library has sought to address some of the issues that were highlighted by the survey results, and will also look at plans for the future.

Sarah is Academic Liaison and Research Support Librarian (External Research Communities and National Initiatives) at Senate House Library, University of London. She was part of the Survey Steering Group last year, which developed questions, promoted the survey and analysed its results.

Nicola Bonnick, Kingston University – Kingston University Library Survey:
Nicola will give a presentation about surveys conducted at Kingston University Library, and the feedback given to users to show the actions taken by the Library.

Nicola is the Information Specialist for Art, Design & Architecture at Kingston University Library. She is a member of the User Survey Group.

Andrew Lewis, Reading University – Students’ Union Survey of Library Services:
Andrew will report on the student-led survey initiated by the Students Union to find out what students thought about Library services and suggestions for improvements. He will be reporting to the Library about their findings.

Andrew Lewis is the VP Education (Sabbatical Officer) at Reading University Students’ Union. He has not only initiated student-led surveys of the Careers Advisory Service and the Library, but also trains students who will be on staff/student committees.

Booking Info:

Cost is £30 for cpd25 members and £50 for other institutions, including refreshments.

Please note that there are limited places available for this event. Cancellations less than one week before the event will be charged a 50% cancellation fee. In the event of a ‘no-show’ on the day, the full fee will be charged.

Please book online at www.cpd25.ac.uk/booking, or contact Dave Puplett: cpd25@wmin.ac.uk