A presentation in QQML 2018

1. Disciplinary standards of IL education
An international comparison of LibQUAL+ results
QQML 2018; 24th of May 2018
Information specialist Kristiina Hintikka and planning officer Ilmari Jauhiainen

2. Objectives of the study
• To examine in more detail LibQUAL user data about IL education
based on responses received from the Turku University Library,
University of Tartu Library, Aarhus University Library and University of
Caen Normandy Library
• To explore quantitatively
• how IL education perceptions and satisfaction differ by discipline and by
university
• quality vs. quantity?
-> Help libraries better understand user perceptions of library IL
education quality

3. LibQUAL+ - a tool for measuring library
customer satisfaction
• A web-based standardized survey tool designed to measure service
quality from the library users’ perspective.
• Assesses the perceptions of users to calculate service quality gaps
between the customers’ expectations and perceptions.
• In 2016, LIBER (Association of European Research Libraries)
initiated an international study using LibQUAL+ as a research tool.

4. Information Literacy Questions
Standard IL questions (on the scale of 0-9; only the perceived level)
1. The library helps me stay abreast of developments in my field(s) of interest.
2. The library aids my advancement in my academic discipline or work.
3. The library enables me to be more efficient in my academic pursuits or work.
4. The library helps me distinguish between trustworthy and untrustworthy
information.
5. The library provides me with the information skills I need in my work or study.
LIBER question (on the scale of 0-9; the perceived, minimum and desired
level)
• ”Up-to-date teaching that meets my current needs”.

5. Respondents / Participating libraries
• Caen not in LIBER survey -> no respondents for LIBER question
• Additionally, from Turku and Tartu: the number of hours librarians
used in average for each student taking a library IL course.
Library
Population N
Respondents (standard
questions)
Respondents (LIBER
question)
n % n %
Turku 22738 1439 6.33 % 903 4.18 %
Aarhus 34497 1949 5.65 % 980 2.84 %
Tartu 16050 504 3.14 % 280 1.74 %
Caen 37805 1024 2.71 % - -
Total 111090 4916 4.46 % 1183 2.92 %

6. https://mapswire.com
Tartu
Turku
Åarhus
Caen

7. Respondents / Disciplinary categories
Discipline n %
Human sciences 1770 36.00 %
Medicine and related subjects 792 16.11 %
Economy 653 13.28 %
Education 606 12.33 %
Natural sciences 364 7.40 %
Law 346 7.04 %
Engineering/Technology 98 1.99 %
Others 287 5.84 %
Total 4916 100 %

8. The quantities studied
• Mean of IL questions
• Individual values of IL questions were sometimes used as references
• Perceived value of LIBER question
• Performance Against Standards (PAS) percentage for LIBER
question
• Usually LibQUAL+ studies use adequacy (difference between perceived and
minimum scores) and superiority scores (difference between desired and
perceived scores)
• These quantities involve only one standard  need for a new quantity
involving the perceived score and both of the standards, against which it is
rated

9. Performance Against Standards (PAS) -
percentage
Desired
Perceived
Minimum
Superiority
Adequacy
PAS = Adequacy/(Superiority + Adequacy)
= (Perceived – Minimum)/(Desired – Minimum)

10. Some properties of PAS
• PAS describes in a single quantity how well the performance rates
against BOTH minimum AND ideal standards determined by
customers
• Simple rules of interpretation:
• If PAS < 0%, then the minimum standards have not been met (”worse than it
should be”)
• If PAS > 100%, then the ideal standards have been exceeded (”more than
excellent”)
• If 0% < PAS < 50%, then the perceived quality of the service is closer to
minimum than ideal standards (”OK, but you could do better”)
• If 50% < PAS < 100%, then the perceived quality of the service is closer to
ideal than minimum standards (”good”)

11. Quality vs. quantity (hrs)
Library
Perceived value of
LIBER question
Average of IL
questions
Hours used for each
student
Turku 7.17 6.77 0.1
Tartu 6.41 6.70 4.5
Putting more effort into IL education doesn’t mean rise in its perceived quality

12. Quality and standards 1/2
Library PAS of LIBER question (%) Average of IL questions
Aarhus 73.2 6.54
Tartu 52.1 6.70
Turku 45.8 6.77
PAS goes down, while the quality of IL education goes up
 standards for IL education are raised with its perceived quality

13. Quality and standards 2/2
PAS goes down, while the quality of IL education goes up
 standards for IL education are raised with its perceived quality
”IL education creates critical information users  critical also of IL education”
Aarhus:
6,54; 73,2
Tartu:
6,70; 52,1
Turku:
6,77; 45,8
40,0
45,0
50,0
55,0
60,0
65,0
70,0
75,0
6,50 6,55 6,60 6,65 6,70 6,75 6,80

14. Disciplinary perception of IL education 1/2
Discipline (all libraries) Average of IL questions PAS of LIBER question
Medicine and Related Subjects 6.57 75.5 %
Human Sciences 6.61 58.8 %
Law 6.41 57.9 %
Natural Sciences 6.49 56.4 %
Economy 6.49 50.9 %
Education 6.66 50.4 %
Engineering/Technology 5.64 37.5 %
Engineering/technology has the worst perception of IL education
Medicine has the best perception, when compared with standards,
but their standards were exceptionally low

15. Disciplinary perception of IL education 2/2
Discipline (all libraries, except Caen) Average of IL questions PAS of LIBER question
Medicine and related subjects 6.60 75.5 %
Humanities 6.76 62.1 %
Law 6.51 57.9 %
Natural sciences 6.71 56.4 %
Social sciences 6.70 52.7 %
Economy 6.53 50.9 %
Education 6.67 50.4 %
Engineering/Technology 6.61 37.5 %
In the previous slide, Social sciences dragged the results of all Human sciences down,
but here Humanities clearly have the best perception of IL education

16. Disciplinary standards
Law; 5,04
Medicine; 5,19
Economy; 5,64
Education; 5,91
Law; 4,30
Medicine; 5,09
Economy; 5,33
Education; 6,00
4,00
4,50
5,00
5,50
6,00
6,50
Minimum standards for IL education
Arhus Tartu
A quirk in the data? Or does it reveal something interesting about the disciplines?
In Turku, standards in all disciplines were equally high 
Does high quality of IL education cause also similarity of standards?

17. Thank you! Questions?
• Summary
• Resources put into IL education not simply reflected in its quality
• Excellent IL education creates more expectations of IL education and levels
out disciplinary differences in user exceptations of IL education
• Across Europe, humanities love IL education and engineers don’t much care
about it
• Contact us:
• kristiina.hintikka@utu.fi
• ilmari.jauhiainen@gmail.com