Ryerson Library Materials Availability Survey

Introduction

During the week of March 14-17, 2000 the Ryerson Library conducted a standard survey known as the Materials Availability Survey. It determines the rate of success that Library users experience when looking for items in the Library's collections.

Process

The survey was given users as they entered the Library and only to those who were looking for library materials.

A total of 1,545 surveys were distributed, 375 were returned, with 700 discrete items searched. This provided a confidence level of 95%.

Survey Design

The survey asked users to identify the items that they are looking for and to report whether or not they found them.

It asked users to rank on a 5 point scale how successful they felt their search for materials was.

Users identified their status, their school and what their reasons were for using the the materials.

• Of the 700 searches conducted users found 470 items for an overall success rate was 67%.
• Their overall success is mirrored by users' perceptions of their success: of the 314 responses to the 5 point scale question, 56% considered their search successful.
  
• The 5 significant reasons why items were not found:
  
  
  1. the item was in reference/Reserve (22%)
  2. the item was on loan, hold or recall (25%)
  3. the library did not own the item (15%)
  4. the item was in the library and in the correct location (13%)
  5. the item was not charged out and not on the shelf (7%).
     
     
• 68% of Ryerson's schools or departments were represented in the survey.
  
  The majority the users were day students (89.6%).
  
  
• The primary reasons for the use of materials were: course work (42%) and research (47%).

Recommendations and Actions

The survey indicates reasonable levels of success. Library Council is reviewing the results and various committees are investigating solutions to improve access to the our collections based on the survey results.