by Dave Baldwin
Zimmerman Library Director
For the past two years, the General Library at UNM, along with 160 other North American academic libraries, participated in a Web-based survey called LibQual+.
This research and development project is intended to measure service quality in libraries. The LibQual+ survey asks faculty and students to rate both the quality and importance of a broad range of library services. The library thanks everyone who responded to the surveys and is pleased to report that your feedback has resulted in service improvements. The most important findings of the surveys are shown below with the library's improvements noted.
You told us: The library needs more convenient business hours.
Zimmerman Library is open 100 hours per week and, working closely with ASUNM elected officers, established longer hours during closed and finals week in May, 2002, and will have the same longer hours for fall semester finals. UNM final exams begin on December 7. Zimmerman will be open for study until: Dec. 4, 8-2 a.m.; Dec. 6, 8-12 a.m.; Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Dec. 8, 10-2 a.m.; Dec. 9-10, 8-10 a.m.; Dec. 11-12, 8-12 a.m.; Dec. 13, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Dec. 14, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Opening hours are as usual.
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You told us: The library needs more complete runs of journals.
The library now has electronic full-text access to approximately 28,000 journal titles including more than 12,000 electronic subscriptions, some of which are both print and electronic.
You told us: The library needs more comprehensive print collections.
In addition to purchasing more than 27,000 books in 2000/2001, the library has also added more than 68,000 electronic books in the past few years. The average cost of a book is now $70.26. The library acquires books at a rate consistent with many of UNM's peers and will continue to purchase books to support university instruction and research.
You told us: The library needs more modern equipment that lets the user more easily access needed information.
New computers were installed last summer, which not only provide access to all of the libraries' research databases and resources but also provides users with application software for use in creating documents and spreadsheets. This service was previously only provided in the campus computer pods.
You told us: The library needs more convenient access to information and needs to make electronic resources accessible from my home or office.
In the past year, the library's Web site (elibrary@unm.edu) has been overhauled to provide easier access to the library catalog and available electronic resources. Remote access to all of the libraries' research databases is available to everyone with an UNM NetID. Users simply click on REMOTE to access more than 200 research databases from home or office. The library also started a new service that made reserve materials for 174 classes available electronically 24/7.
In addition, the library management has addressed all the concerns about services expressed by the participants of the survey.
A new survey will be conducted again in the spring. If you have an opportunity to complete a survey, please do so in the knowledge that your feedback will result in corrective action whenever possible.
