ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 64/C&RL News Customer feedback—how to get it By Linda K. Wallace Use ALA ’s survey and share your results T he Customer Satisfaction Survey (on next page) designed by ALA is intended as a tool to be used by all types of libraries, one that will generate direct feedback from those we value most— our customers. For advice on how to plan and administer a more in-depth user survey, see Measuring Academic Library Performance (Chicago: ALA, 1990). If you already have conducted a similar study and have responses from within the last six months that address the questions asked, we encourage you to forward the results to us with the date when the information was col­ lected. Survey tips Some tips for administering your customer ser­ vice survey: 1. You may customize the survey by add­ ing your library’s name and logo in the space provided or by adding other questions that are pertinent to your library. 2. Decide w ho will distribute the survey form. You may wish to recruit students or other volunteers for this task. 3. Decide when to distribute the form. We suggest that you distribute it for at least 12 hours during National Library Week, April 17- 23,1994, including some mornings, afternoons, and evenings/weekends. Choose times that are typical business hours— not your busiest or slowest. 4. Decide where to distribute the survey forms and who should get them. You may wish to station someone at the main entrance to give surveys to all who enter or exit or to every third/fourth/fifth person (you choose the inter­ val). You may want to send the survey to fac­ ulty members. 5. If you do not have someone to dis­ tribute the survey, you may leave survey forms and pencils on a desk with a sign inviting li­ brary users to respond. This should be in a supervised area. 6. Send a press release to campus media to make people aware that you are conducting a customer satisfaction survey. You may also want to send a follow-up release— “Library us­ ers give high marks for service” or “80 percent o f library users say they want more hours.” 7. Hold an orientation session for your survey team. Team members should be in­ structed to be encouraging— “We will really ap­ preciate this”— but not overly persistent if some­ one is clearly in a hurry or does not wish to participate. Have plenty of pencils to give out. 8. Make your survey visible. Post signs saying, “We want to hear from you. Please fill out a Customer Satisfaction Survey today.” Have a large box clearly identified to collect surveys ( “Return surveys here, thank you”). 9. Have a “coding party” with your sur­ vey team tabulating the results. 10. Record the total number o f responses to each question for faculty and students and send the results by May 15,1994, to: Customer Satisfaction Survey, ALA Public Information Of­ fice, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 606ll. {Note: Comments are primarily for your use. Send only those that you feel are particularly insightful or might be useful for ALA’s legislative/publicity efforts.) Questions? Call the ALA Public Information Office at (800) 545-3433, ext. 5044. ■ Linda K. Wallace is director o f the ALA Public Information Office February 1994/65 Customer Satisfaction Survey LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. Our library staff wants to meet your needs. Please take a moment to answer these ques­ tions and let us know how we are doing. Place a check mark by the answer that applies. 1) How satisfied are you with our books and other services? □ Extremely □ Very □ Somewhat □ Not Very □ Not at all 2) How helpful is our staff? □ Extremely □ Very □ Somewhat □ Not Very □ Not at all 3) How easy is it to find what you need? □ Extremely □ Very □ Somewhat □ Not Very □ Not at all 4) How important is the library to you? □ Extremely □ Very □ Somewhat □ Not Very □ Not at all 5) How often do you visit the library or call for information? □ Weekly □ Monthly □ Four times a year □ Twice a year □ Once a year 6) How often do you ask a librarian for help? □ Weekly □ Monthly □ Four times a year □ Twice a year □ Once a year 7) Are there other things you would like the library to offer? □ More books □ More hours □ More reference materials □ Other (please explain below) 8) Are you? □ A student □ Faculty/staff □ other Please share your comments or suggestions about how we can improve our services to you. Your name and telephone (optiona________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________l) ___________________________________________________ This survey is being conducted in cooperation with the American Library Association. Thank you for taking time to comment. 66/C&RL News February 1994/67 “ W rite for Am erica's Libraries” campaign goes online ALA will take its campaign to collect testi­ monials about how “Libraries Change Lives” online in 1994. More than 10,000 letters and 45,000 statements in support of libraries were received, many of them from college librar­ ies, during the first year o f the “Write for America’s Libraries” campaign sponsored by ALA and Friends o f Libraries USA. The campaign was launched last year dur­ ing National Library Week and will continue in 1994. The theme for this year’s National Library Week, April 17-23, will again be “Li­ braries Change Lives.” Libraries that submit 25 or more testimonials will receive the Encarta Multimedia Encyclopedia compli­ ments of the Microsoft Corporation. One person will be selected to represent each state on an honor roll of “Satisfied Cus­ tomers” to be recognized by ALA President Hardy R. Franklin. Names and a statement (no longer than 100 words) telling how the library changed or made a difference in the life of that person should be sent by May 15, 1994, to the ALA Public Information Office. Library supporters will also be able to reg­ ister their support online for the first time by sending electronic messages to a special mail­ box via Internet: sup-lib.@uicvm.uic.edu or Bitnet to: sup-lib.@uicvm. ALA has used the letters collected in testi­ mony to government agencies and they will be hand delivered to members o f Congress during the 1994 Library Legislative Day on April 19. Letters supplied by ALA were incorporated into a speech given by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who cited the vital role of libraries in delivering health care information. And they have been featured in three columns by nationally syndicated columnist Bob Greene. For a free National Library Week tip sheet, contact the ALA Public Information Office at (800) 545-2433, ext. 5044. A free brochure called “Has the Library made a difference in your life?” is also available. For more program and promotion ideas, see the 1994 “Libraries Change Lives” Cam­ paign Book Supplement available from ALA Graphics (Item 016, $4); phone: (800) 545-2433, press 8. ■