LSU incentive prizes of $200 bookstore gift certificates went to three participants. One name was drawn at random from each of the undergraduate, faculty, and staff groupings.

Executive Summary

The LSU Libraries participated in a national research and development project in Spring 2003 to measure perceptions of library service on campus. LibQUAL+, a survey tool developed by the Association of Research Libraries, gauges library users' opinions of the resources and services provided. The goals are to enable the Libraries to:

• Foster a culture of excellence in providing library service
• Help the Libraries better understand user perceptions of the quality of library services
• Collect and interpret library user feedback
• Respond positively to user needs and expectations

LibQUAL+ rated participants' responses to queries regarding:

1. Access to information

• Print and/or electronic journal collections
• Hours that services are available
• Document delivery/interlibrary loan

2. Affect of service

• Readiness and willingness to help users
• Knowledgeable, courteous, and caring assistance
• Understanding of user needs

3. Library as place

• Quiet, comfortable and inviting
• Space for individual and group activities
• Retreat for study, learning or research

4. Personal control

• Finding information on one's own
• Technology support
• Ease of access for independent use
• Accessibility of electronic resources from home or office.

A summary of data from the 2003 survey follows.

Survey Participants

1247 library users responded to surveys that were emailed to 8,600, or 25% of our campus population - a 14.5% response.

Respondents by User Group

629	11.6% of the 5400 undergrads we sent to
309	19.3% of the 1600 grads we sent to
246	15.4% of the 1600 faculty we sent to
63	Identified themselves as staff or library staff

Charts reflecting the following data may be viewed by clicking on the topic:

• Age groups of respondents
• Number of respondents by discipline
• User groups - number sent, number of respondents
• How often do you use the library? all user groups together
• How often do you use the library by user group
• How often do you access library resources via a library web page? by user group
• How often do you use YahooTM, GoogleTM, or non-library gateways for information? by user group

Feedback

475 respondents included comments with their surveys. Please use this form to view the comments with responses from the Libraries faculty.

Patron Category: --- Faculty Graduate Undergraduate Staff Discipline: --- Agriculture / Environmental Studies Architecture Business Communications / Journalism Education Engineering / Computer Science General Studies Health Sciences Humanities Law Other Performing & Fine Arts Science / Math Social Sciences / Psychology Undecided Keyword: | List All | List Keywords |

More books, journal subscriptions, electronic access

The LSU Libraries is underfunded. The Libraries has only $1,322,873 available in state funds for books and journals in the FY 04 budget. The 2002/2003 expenditures for books and serials without restricted monies (i.e. grants, contracts, and endowments) totaled:

• Books = $ 559,274.04
• Serials = $ 3,012,360.89
• Total = $ 3,571,634.93 (not including restricted monies)

Annual inflation of 7 to 10% in subscription costs has diminished buying power for journals substantially. The Libraries is dependent on the $2.2 million in Library Acquisition and Equipment funds allocated to it by the University to cover major subscription vendor charges. This one-time money, however, cannot be relied on year to year because it is dependent on legislative appropriations. Remaining subscription funding comes from the regular library budget.

The results of inflated journal pricing are clearly demonstrated by the reduced purchasing power of the $2.2 million commitment in one year's time. Last year, those dollars covered the total major vendor bill of $2,033,000, the University's commitment for Web of Knowledge support, and $62,477 to go toward other existing subscriptions.

This year, that same $2.2 million leaves the Libraries' with a balance of $46,214.44 due on the major serials bill, the full cost of Web of Knowledge at $112,540, as well as $1 million for other journal subscriptions and databases. This is if we set aside only $200,000 for purchasing books. The linked chart demonstrates the limited funding and sources of funds for books and serials at the state's flagship university for FY 04.

Indirect cost funds, revenue from fines and lost books, money from lapsed salaries, and donations when not restricted to special purposes also go to journals and books. Last year, this included $368,730 from indirect cost funds and $108,000 from revenue.

The projected subscription cost increase this year is 12%, about $300,000 more for the existing serial titles. Without a major increase in recurring funding, the Libraries is unable to add more books, journals, and databases. Future purchasing will decrease in all areas.

In Spring 2004, the Libraries will conduct an electronic survey to obtain faculty input on subscription needs. Titles no longer in demand will be canceled and a portion of that balance directed to new subscriptions.

Annoying Cell Phones

At the request of our patrons, use of cell phones is now restricted to lobby areas. The new policy is available at: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/lib/cellphone.html

Finding electronic journals

Go to the Libraries home page at http://www.lib.lsu.edu and select Electronic Journals. That links you to Journal Find which lists the Libraries Electronic Journals and then links you to the full-text.

Ingenta – Problems and Solutions

Ingenta provides faculty, research staff, and graduate students access to journal articles not owned by the Libraries. Titles may be available electronically or can be ordered and faxed to your office. The means of delivery is determined by the publisher. More publishers are agreeing to desktop delivery recently, but, unfortunately, it is still not common practice. Costs for Ingenta and other document delivery providers are subsidized by the Libraries for users in these categories up to $45 per article.

If you need an article in a title previously subscribed to by the Libraries but which is no longer available, please send this to the Interlibrary Borrowing Office via ILLiad at http://illiad.louis.lsu.edu/illiad/luu/logon.html. These articles cannot be ordered directly from Ingenta due to licensing limitations. For more information about Ingenta and how to use the service, go to the Libraries home page and select Ingenta. http://www.lib.lsu.edu/databases/descriptions/ingenta.html

Buy Books not computers

The computer labs in Middleton Library and the Chemistry Library are provided courtesy of the Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee, not from library funds. The materials budget is spent solely on books, journals, and databases.

Overwhelmed by the Library

Whether you are new to LSU or have been here for years, finding information in the Libraries and online can be challenging. Request assistance at the Reference Desk, Room 141, Middleton Library. Staff are stationed there strictly for the purpose of assisting you. With three million volumes, thousands of periodicals, and hundreds of databases, you may need help.

Floor plans of Middleton are available at the Reference desk or at: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/instruction/tour/map.html.

Requesting Instruction

Information on how to request orientation or instruction for university classes, or orientation for campus organizations, is available at: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/instruction/instructionrequest.html.

Billed for books turned in

You may request receipts when you turn in your materials in order to document that you have returned them. See more information at: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/circ/#receipts. If you are not satisfied with the resolution of your inquiries about library charges, you may file a formal appeal. The appeal form is available at: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/circ/appeal.html.

Reserve collection materials

The LSU Libraries complies with U.S. Copyright law and Fair Use provisions with materials for Reserve. These policies are not as restrictive as in the past. See http://www.lib.lsu.edu/collserv/colldev/policies/Copyright/copyrightweb.htm#LibResMat for the policies. Examples of materials that may be placed on Reserve are listed at the end of the section in the Libraries' Copyright policy cited here.

Many faculty find Blackboard and/or Semester Book excellent products for course management. They also include a module for reserve materials. For further information on these applications, see http://appl007.lsu.edu/elearning.nsf/index

Library needs renovating

The Libraries is now in the process of renovating one area of Middleton at a time as funds become available. The Reference desk area was redone two years ago and the Circulation/ Reserve area was updated over the summer.

Quiet vs. group study needs

This year, the Libraries will identify separate group and quiet study areas. The Periodical Reading Room on the main floor will become a group study location in the future. Unbound issues of periodicals may be taken to quiet locations in other parts of the building. As funds permit, we will be making changes on the third and fourth floors to accommodate group and individual studying preferences.

Reference and information assistance

The Libraries is focusing on improved service to users this year. All staff and student assistants who work at public service desks are participating in Customer Training Sessions. We are also conducting staff training on resources within library departments. The Libraries will concentrate on raising the knowledge level of library staff and demonstrating our willingness to help users.

Compact shelving in the basement

Compact shelving is a closed stack area, not available to the public, located in the basement. The LSU Libraries has limited space left in the open shelving areas. Volumes have had to be moved to compact shelving to provide space for new materials in the open stacks. Compact shelving is library stacks that can be moved to eliminate the aisles between them, so that more materials can be stored in a small area. A shelf section may be moved by turning a handle at the end of the unit. The Libraries have been very selective in determining the titles to go to compact shelving. Long runs of journals that are included in JSTOR have been moved to compact shelving because this resource consists of images of the pages as they appear in the print journals. Articles are available in TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), PDF, and PostScript formats. You may access them from your office or home.

Other titles have been moved there because of age and/or low use. Titles in compact shelving will be brought to the Circulation Desk on request. Any titles shelved in compact that are repeatedly called for may be moved to the open stacks.

Comments | LSU Libraries | Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803 Tel (225) 578-5652 | Fax (225) 578-9432 Copyright © 1996 - 2008 LSU Libraries Last Updated: Wednesday, 29-Aug-2007 16:31:02 CDT