2015 University Library Survey

This survey asks about your use of Library collections, services, and spaces. It will take about 10 minutes to complete. Your responses are very valuable and inform the Library’s plans for future services. Confidentiality: Your name and answers will be kept confidential and will only be reported in a statistical form that does not identify individual responses. Once you take the survey, we will use the survey identification number to remove your name from the list of people to be sent reminders. PLEASE NOTE: You cannot go back to a previous question, you can only continue forward. Using your browser’s back button will eject you from the survey and delete your responses. Be sure to SCROLL DOWN, as necessary, to the continue button on each page.If you have questions, please email . Thank you for your input!

Please select one option for each item below. During the current academic year, how often have you:

Weekly / Monthly / Occasionally / Never
Physically visited a Library / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Attended/convened class session led by a librarian / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Consulted with, or asked a question of, a Library staff member / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Used physical Library materials (books, DVDs, print journals, etc.) / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Used electronic Library materials (ejournals or ebooks, digital images, etc.) / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Used VIRGO (the online catalog) or used the Librarys website ( / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

What is the reason that you have never used the Library?

Which Libraries do you use on a regular basis? Select all that apply.

  1. Alderman Library
  2. Astronomy Library
  3. Brown Science/Engineering Library (Clark Hall)
  4. Chemistry Library
  5. Clemons Library
  6. Darden Graduate Business Camp Library
  7. Library Data Commons@Curry
  8. Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library (Campbell Hall)
  9. Claude Moore Health Sciences Library
  10. Arthur J. Morris Law Library
  11. Math Library (Kerchof Hall)
  12. Music Library (Old Cabell Hall)
  13. Physics Library
  14. Special Collections Library

Which of these Library services have you used during the current academic year? Select all that apply:

  1. Digital Media Lab
  2. Scholars Lab (including Geographic Information Systems)
  3. Special Collections
  4. Research Data Services

How satisfied are you with the following aspects of the Library collection?

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / N/A
Relevancy of materials / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Range of materials on my topic / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Up-to-date materials / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Ease of use / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Help from Library staff with finding or using materials / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Please briefly list the types of materials or information that are most important to your work (e.g., 19th century fiction, foreign-language materials, specific journals or databases, financial data).

How satisfied are you with the following?:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / Have Never Used
Virgo, the online catalog ( / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Library website ( / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Library research guides ( / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Off-Grounds access (EZ Proxy, VPN) / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Library databases such as JSTOR, Web of Science, etc. / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Library staff assistance / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Getting materials from another institution through Interlibrary Loan / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Delivery of materials through LEO / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Please share any comments you may have about finding and using the Librarys materials. Please be as specific as possible.

How satisfied were you using the Library for the following purposes this academic year? If you did not use the service, select Have not used.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / Have not used
Browsing the book shelves / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Getting food and/or drink / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Working/studying by myself / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Working/studying with a group / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Using a reservable space / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Socializing/relaxing / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Using equipment (computers, scanners, printers, etc.) / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Using software / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Attending Library workshops or instructional classes / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Did you have any problems with using the library within this academic year?

  1. Yes
  2. No

Please describe the problem(s) that you experienced this academic year:

Where do you typically begin your online research?

  1. Google Web Search
  2. Google Scholar
  3. Other web search engine
  4. Wikipedia
  5. Library databases such as JSTOR, Web of Science, etc.
  6. Virgo (the online catalog) or the Librarys website
  7. Library research guides (
  8. Do not have a typical starting point
  9. Other

Please rate your level of interest in using Library services to:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / N/A
Discover and access new material in your field / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Get help in incorporating digital content / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Maximize the use of archives or other primary sources / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Create, manage, and/or share data sets / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Connect with scholars/researchers in other disciplines / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Preserve my scholarly work for the future / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Explore new forms of academic work / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Develop my digital identity through the use of portfolios and social media / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Please rate your level of interest in the following Library services:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / N/A
Help with starting and conducting research / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Help with finding materials for my assignments and other interests / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Help with incorporating digital content and technologies into your assignments / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Explore new forms of academic work (e.g. 3D printing, GIS, etc.) / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Training in tools for analyzing or manipulating digital content (geographic data, images, video, etc.) / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Training in how to use archives or other primary sources / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Help with finding and/or working with data sets / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Please rate how the University Library contributes to your academic work.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Helps me study and work more efficiently / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Provides materials valuable to my work / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Provides access to the equipment/technology I need / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Improves the quality of my academic work / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Helps me work collaboratively / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Prepares me for future graduate school or a career / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Please rate how the University Library contributes to your academic work.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Allows me to be more productive / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Allows me to keep current in my field / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Enriches my teaching and/or learning / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Provides materials valuable to my work / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Contributes expertise valuable to my work / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Helps me work collaboratively with colleagues / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Prepares me for further education or a career / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Please rate how the University Library contributes to your academic work.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Allows me to be more productive / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Allows me to keep current in my field / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Enriches my teaching / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Provides materials valuable to my work / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Contributes expertise valuable to my work / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
Helps me work collaboratively with students or colleagues / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Please list specific ways in which the Library could better contribute to your academic work.

Thinking of the U.Va. Libraries overall, please describe your views using the sliders below.

No Answer / Friendly / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / Impersonal
❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
No Answer / Proactive / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / Responsive
❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
No Answer / Traditional / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / Innovative
❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
No Answer / Welcoming / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / Intimidating
❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
No Answer / Safe / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / Unsafe
❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏
No Answer / Challenging / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / Easy
❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

How do you prefer to learn about Library services and resources? Check all that apply.

  1. Targeted Email
  2. Flyers/brochures/signs
  3. Library staff
  4. Library website
  5. Peers or colleagues
  6. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  7. Text or chat (IM)
  8. Other (please specify)

Please rate your overall satisfaction with the University Library system.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏ / ❏

Please add any comments you have about the University Library system. Be sure to specify which Library (Alderman, Astronomy, etc.) if you are referring to a particular one.

If you would be willing to participate in discussions, interviews, or other surveys exploring similar questions and issues in more depth, please fill in the information below. Please note that if you provide this information, your responses to this survey will no longer be anonymous, but they will remain confidential.By submitting your information below, a library staff member may contact you to learn more about your responses.

First Name

Last Name

Phone

Email Address

THANK YOU for taking time to answer these questions about your experiences with the University Library!

1. 2015LibraryUserSurvey

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LIBRARY • CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA