Making surveys work for your library : guidance, instructions, and examples

Title:

Author:

Miller, Robin, 1980- author

ISBN:

9781440861079

Publication:

Santa Barbara, California : Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, [2019]

Physical Description:

viii, 117 pages ; 24 cm

Contents:

The value of surveys and why they're hard to get right -- Planning a library survey -- Survey methods that work for libraries -- Scopes of experience -- Writing survey questions -- Survey populations -- Survey distribution -- Analysis of results -- Taking action -- Appendix A: sample demographic questions -- Appendix B: sample questions about services -- Appendix C: sample questions about spaces -- Appendix D: sample questions about communication -- Appendix E: sample questions about collections -- Appendix F: sample programming questions -- Appendix G: additional resources.

Subject Term:

Library surveys.

Library administration -- Decision making.

Library administration -- Decision making. (OCoLC)fst00997610

Library surveys. (OCoLC)fst00998007

Local Subject:

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE COLLECTION

Added Author:

Hinnant, Kate, 1970-

Other Format:

Online version: Miller, Robin, 1980- author. Making surveys work for your library Santa Barbara, California : Libraries Unlimited, [2019] 9781440861086 (DLC) 2018042586

Available:

Library	Call Number	Material Type	Status
Searching... State Library of Oregon	025.58 Mille	4-Week Loan	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Instead of using expensive off-the-shelf surveys or relying on a poorly worded survey, read Making Surveys Work for Your Library and design your own that collect actionable data.

Library listservs and websites are littered with examples of surveys that are too long, freighted with complex language, and generally poorly designed. The survey, however, is a widely used tool that has great potential if designed well. Libraries can implement surveys for a variety of purposes, including planning, program evaluation, collection development, and space design.

Making Surveys Work for Your Library: Guidance, Instructions, and Examples offers librarians a contemporary and practical approach to creating surveys that answer authentic questions about library users. Miller and Hinnant have experience designing, deploying, and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data from large-scale, web-based user surveys of library patrons as well as smaller survey instruments targeted to special populations. Here, they offer library professionals a guide to developing--and examples of--concise surveys that gather the data they need to make evidence-based decisions, define the scope of future research, and understand their patrons.

Author Notes

Robin Miller is associate professor and assessment and instruction librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Kate Hinnant is associate professor and head of instruction and communication at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Miller and Hinnant (both, Univ. of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) argue that the ubiquity and ease of online surveys have encouraged librarians to employ them too freely and easily, at the cost of actionable data and patron good will. They propose the solution is to follow a carefully planned process that includes identifying the problem, selecting the appropriate instrument, and deciding on the correct themes and questions and the right audience and delivery method. The authors offer guidance on each of these phases as well as appendixes with sample questions. While the brevity of the book will appeal to the time strapped, the lack of detail can be limiting. A single survey example, from start to finish, would have enhanced reader understanding. Further, in the section on survey analysis, one example draws conclusions unsupported by the data provided by the authors, unintentionally highlighting the dangers of inferring too much with too little information. The deliberate avoidance of math and statistical tests might make the work less intimidating but may also lead to similar data analysis errors. VERDICT Though with some flaws, this book's emphasis on planning and preparation makes it worthwhile for library staff interested in understanding patron needs.--Evan M. Anderson, Kirkendall P.L., Ankeny, IA