LibQUAL+(™) Meets Strategic Planning at the University of Florida

Abstract Effective strategic planning can help a library focus on a common sense of purpose and can steer the library in directions that respond to a changing environment. The University of Florida Libraries embarked on a series of strategic planning activities in June of 2001. The process of thinking strategically has produced a renewed interest in dependable information about users' perceptions of our service quality, and LibQUAL+(™) emerged as one of the key contributors to this process. Our experience with LibQUAL+(™) and with strategic planning has been gained simultaneously. We have found that it provides a structure to support further communication with our users. LibQUAL+(™) will continue to shape our thinking as we move toward more strategic management methods that enable us to make informed decisions regarding our allocation of resources.