Introduction
We have made a number of improvements to our services as a result of the user survey carried out in February/March 2001. This guide reports on what we are doing in response to your views.
- Background
The user survey was designed to gain a picture of opinions about library services in order to identify ways of improving the services in the future. It covered students (undergraduates and postgraduates), and academic staff. It took place between 19 February and 5 March during which time 6,500 questionnaires were distributed to users. A total of 1,672 fully completed questionnaires were received and analysed (a response rate of just over 25%). Almost two thirds of the respondents were undergraduate students.
- Summary of improvements
The results of the survey suggested a number of improvements we could put in place. We have already started to implement many of these. Improvements implemented so far include:
- Expansion of the Electronic Short Loan service
- Provision of more e-journals
- Introduction of a web-based suggestion form for new books
- A book returns service between libraries
- More training on how to use e-resources
- Extension of opening hours
- A number of library refurbishment projects, including more space in the Greenfield Medical Library
- Changes in the Short Loan periods at Djanogly LRC
- Improvements in the inter library loans services
- Improvements in staff numbers at some service points
- Ongoing investigation of a wide range of other changes you would like to see us make
- What you asked for and what we are doing about it
Your requests are listed below (in the priority order shown by the survey), followed by more details of our response:
‘More copies of key texts on reading lists’
We are currently reviewing the quotas we have of numbers of books per student. We are also trying to find ways of making sure we receive reading lists from teaching staff in good time to purchase books and accurate information about the numbers of students expected on each course.
We recommend that you make good use of the Short Loan Collection booking system and also the reservation system for other books. Both are available on UNLOC (the online catalogue). Reservation and borrowing trends are analysed by library staff and if a book is very popular extra copies are ordered.
We are also looking at alternative ways of delivering key texts. The pilot Electronic Short Loan system has was set up in January 2001 and has been expanded this session. This provides copies of key readings online. We are also looking at new e-book services.
‘A broader range of new books’
We would encourage you to make suggestions of new books you think we ought to buy. We are currently working with academic schools to produce ‘collection development policies’ which will help us to make sure we buy the right materials within the constraints of our budgets.
‘More computers in the library’
We recognise you may often have to queue for a workstation, which cuts into study time; and that workstations are needed specifically in libraries – so that they can be used alongside printed resources.
We hope this year to replace machines which have been dedicated specifically for access to non-networked CD-ROMs. There are several such machines in various libraries, and we hope to replace them with general-purpose workstations. This will increase the number of machines at which the normal range of ISCRA facilities is available.
We will also encourage users to make more use of the reservation facility by which you can book a time-slot on a PC in advance, thus avoiding the need to queue.
‘More electronic journals’
The number of e-journals has risen rapidly in the last year. We now have access to over 6,600 e-journals (compared with 5,000 in November 2000). Many of these can be accessed off-campus. They are accessible via For the most part, e-journals are not cheap. They therefore represent a major new investment by Library Services.
‘Web-based suggestion form for new books’
A new web-based form has been designed and is currently being piloted by various schools. It is hoped to release this for all users soon.
‘Electronic access to reading lists’
This is a new feature of UNLOC (which was upgraded in Summer 2001). We are now investigating the possibilities.
‘Improve photocopying facilities’
An additional photocopier has been ordered for the Hallward Library, bringing the total there to 16. Machines in several other libraries were replaced with newer models over the summer. An investigation of rechargeable cards is underway, since the Mondex card facility has been withdrawn across the university.
‘Borrowing more books’
The survey showed that higher allocations were particularly wanted by undergraduate and taught course postgraduate students (whose loan entitlements are currently 8 plus 2 short loans and 10 plus 2 short loans respectively). Lending Services staff assessed the situation in all libraries over the summer and agreed that quotas could be raised as soon as that appeared to be in the best interest of students on taught courses, who often seek many of the same recommended titles. This session, with student numbers again increasing significantly, it does not seem feasible to raise loan entitlements just yet.
‘Returns service between libraries’
This is now in operation. You can return a book to any library and it will be transported back to its ‘home library’ as part of the service. In the first four months of operation up to mid July 2001, we dealt with over 10,700 books.
‘More training for Internet databases, e-journals and CD-ROMs’
We are now doing more training for users than ever before. There are new lunch time ‘drop in’ training sessions which introduce UNLOC, Web of Science, e-journals and other key services. In addition, we are doing other training specifically aimed at undergraduates, postgraduates and staff. If you are interested in finding out more about training, contact your subject librarian (see
‘Reconsider Short Loan periods’
Short loan periods in all libraries have been reviewed. The survey indicated that 3 loan periods per day plus weekend was the least popular option and that there was most dissatisfaction amongst respondents who used the DLRC most often. Short Loan at DLRC has therefore been changed to one period per day, and short loan periods at Hallward Library and James Cameron-Gifford Library, which also have 3 periods per day, will be reviewed again at the end of session.
‘Extend opening hours’
We extended opening hours before the exams last term. This session we plan to extend opening hours, in line with demand, at the weekends. We expect our larger sites will open until 9.30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from January 2002.
‘Improve various aspects of inter library loans’
Although in the survey 50% of respondents were very/fairly satisfied with ILLs, 15% were very/fairly dissatisfied. Questions in this survey did not probe further into reasons for dissatisfaction, but meetings since with research and academic staff have allowed us to take soundings. Many of the suggestions made have already been addressed. For example, readers are now given more feedback on the progress of difficult requests which may have to be sent to several libraries, and whether the requester wishes to proceed is now confirmed if an item is to be supplied “for use in the library only”. Budget limitations mean that ILL quotas cannot be increased wholesale for any group of users this session, but special cases will always be considered.
‘Improve the time taken to order and make available new books’
We are monitoring the progress of book orders from the point of suggestion (by a School) to the point of availability for use, in order to identify and minimise delays.
The bulk of our book purchasing is done under the terms of a consortium agreement between a group of twenty universities and our major suppliers. This agreement is due for renewal, and we are seeking to raise the priority of performance (i.e. delivery time) in its renegotiation.
‘Regular reviews of journal subscriptions’
This was favored by academic staff in particular. Nottingham has not had a journal cancellation exercise since 1993, which is very unusual (especially as journal price inflation is currently running at about 8% per year). Although we have not been able to expand our printed journals collection in recent years, we have expanded our e-journals. We are happy to review subscriptions to print titles which it is felt are no longer needed and will replace them with other titles of the same value.
‘More space in the library’
Space in the library is at a premium. We have carried out a number of refurbishment projects recently to reconfigure space so that it can be used more efficiently. We have also increased the amount of space (60 extra study places) in the Greenfield Medical Library where problems had become acute. We still hope to gain a remote store for library materials which will enable us to move older and lesser used material off site. More news of this will hopefully be available soon.
‘UNLOC should links to web resources’
We are very aware that ideally you should only have to look in one place in order to find all the information resources you are entitled to use. At present this is not the case – our e-journal holdings in particular cannot be located, let alone accessed, through UNLOC. We accept the principle that they should be, and that we should also guide users to the full-text versions via the most appropriate routes, with fewest obstacles such as passwords etc. Comprehensive software tools which permit this kind of sophisticated management of access to e-resources are only just emerging. While we await their maturity we will do our best to provide simple, time-saving means of access like the e-journal pages on the Library Services web site.
‘More staff at busier times’
Although the survey showed that you thought library staff did a good job, it also showed that you thought there ought to be more of them at busier times. This was especially important to academic staff and part-time students.
Lending, ILL and Subject Team staff have considered how this aspect of the service can be improved. In response to expressed demand, the Hallward ILL service is now normally staffed continuously, even at lunchtimes, Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Staff have also been asked if they will work in the busiest libraries to increase staffing at Lending Desks between 5.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. At those times when Subject Team or ILL staff are not available, enquiry forms will be offered. Academic staff and part-time students in particular are advised that they can make appointments to see library staff if they prefer.
- The future
We have made a number of major improvements in the service in the last few months. We are also currently working on ways to address other views expressed in the survey. Our resources are of course finite, so there is always more we could do. Your views have however been useful to help us prioritise what we are doing and give us ideas for the future.
Keep your ideas coming. You can contact us via the library suggestion boxes or by email at .
IS2017
November 2001