Rising Tides: Faculty Expectations of Library Websites

Looking at 2003-2009 LibQUAL+ responses at research-oriented universities in the United States, faculty library users report a significant and consistent rise in desires and expectations for library-provided online tools and websites, even as student user groups show declining or leveling expectations. While faculty, like students, also report increased satisfaction with current library-provided online tools and resources, the marked difference between the expectations of faculty and student users is an important one. Rising faculty expectations highlight the importance of strengthening communication and connection with faculty users so that libraries can retain relevancy in the academic environment.