Can Money Buy Happiness? A Statistical Analysis of Predictors for User Satisfaction

Abstract

2007 data from LibQUAL+™ and the ACRL Library Trends and Statistics database were analyzed to determine if there is a statistically significant correlation between library expenditures and usage statistics and library patron satisfaction across 73 universities. The results show that users of larger, better funded libraries have higher expectations for information resource availability, but not higher satisfaction scores. Furthermore, the data show no significant correlation between library usage statistics and user satisfaction. The researchers conclude that the lack of expected correlations could be attributed to limitations in the LibQUAL+™ method of measuring patron satisfaction, or the difficulty of using the quantitative measurements found in ACRL statistics to try and accurately predict user satisfaction. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.