The Library receives feedback in a number of ways and below are the main issues raised recently and our actions to resolve them.

"There is too much noise in the library"

  • We have improved our signage to indicate clearly the "Quiet" study areas within each Campus Library.
  • We introduced a new type of individual study "space" in our Jordanstown Library and if successful we will explore introducing similar furniture in other Campus Libraries,
  • We have developed plans for a text based noise "alert" service that will be introduced as a trial in Semester 2 2016.

"The Library is too cold"

We work with our colleagues in the Physical Resources Department who are responsible for the provision of  heating to identify problem areas and resolve temperature issues as soon as possible.

"The library should have longer opening hours"

A request for longer opening hours was raised in our Students Union Liaison meetings. While we are unable to extend our regular opening hours, we will continue to offer extended opening at times of most demand i.e., exam periods. We will continue to review our opening hours based on needs of students and actual usage of our Libraries.

"I find it difficult to find or access the e-resources that I need"

We introduced the USearch discovery tool to offer students a "Google" like search tool to simplify discovery of our resources. In 2015/16 we will expand the coverage of USearch to offer a more comprehensive search experience.
We recognise that students can experience difficulty accessing our online resources off-campus. We are prioritising improvements in this area and will provide guidance for students to help them overcome any difficulties they experience.

During academic year 2015-2016 we sought & received feedback in the following ways:

Surveys of library users

In November 2015 the Library carried out an online survey of students on book loan categories, i.e. how long you can borrow a book for. Over 400 students replied to the survey. Based on the results of the survey, the Library is planning to change our loan categories to give students greater flexibility in how they borrow books. These changes will be introduced in advance of the 2016/17 Academic Year and should create a system that will meet current student needs better.

During academic year 2014-2015 we sought & received feedback in the following ways:

Comments submitted via our "comments and suggestions" form online and on paper

We received 40 comments. 17 required a reply and all replies were made within our performance target of three working days.

  • 7 comments were praise for library staff.
  • 6 comments were complaints about noise within our libraries.
  • 6 comments were complaints about student computing resources and were passed to ICT Services.
  • 5 comments were complaints about a lack of heat within our libraries and were passed to the University Physical Resources Department.
  • 5 comments were complaints about printing/print payment and were passed to the Reprographics Services.

Regular meetings with representatives of the Students Union on each campus.

There were a total of 4 meetings in Semester 1 & 2. These meetings also have representation from and discuss Reprographics and ICT Services. Student representatives were briefed on new and developing services and asked for comment. Student representatives also raised a range of issues that they wanted addressed and brought forward a number of suggestions on Library services.
Details of the meetings available via the ISD website

Tweets sent to our Twitter account

In total, there were 46 tweets replying to direct queries via @uulibrary. The queries related to a wide variety of concerns, including e-journals, opening times, database problems, alumni enquiries, and complaints about noise in the Library  Some of the queries relate to non-library matters, for example, 24 hour lab opening, Blackboard problems and printing issues. We try to answer these queries as fully as we can, but often pass the user on to the relevant department. In addition, we also answer queries redirected on to us from other twitter accounts, for example, @UlsterUni.
Not all tweets can be answered with a tweet. We sometimes use direct messaging, which is useful for more complex queries, with the added bonus of not being in the public realm. There were 11 of these in this time period. Some queries need to be passed on to a specific librarian to be answered by email or over the phone when 140 character answers are not appropriate.

Comments made directly to library staff via email or letter

Library staff receive many direct comments on our service and the majority of these were thanks and praise for the support given by individual members of staff. Additional comments on any parts of our service are always passed on to a member of staff with responsibility for that area.

Surveys of library users

In Spring 2015 we carried out a user survey on the trial of a new online request form for Inter-Library Loan items. The response from users of the online request form was positive and this informed our decision to offer the service on a continuing basis.