GALILEO User Survey 2003 Report
I would improve GALILEO by…
The number of usable surveys returned (593) was down from last year (858 in 2002). Of the 593 respondents, 264 (45%) completed the narrative question, "I would improve GALILEO by..." Users were allowed unlimited space to respond. This question asks users to address perceived shortcomings or areas that need improvement, so it is expected that the number of negative responses will be high; however, 14% of those who answered the question offered positive comments that included no suggestions for improvement. Some representative positive comments are below.
- "I love the databases for my high school students and recommend it highly. I can't imagine life without GALILEO now."
- "I personally wouldn't change anything about GALILEO because it gives us all the information we need..."
- "Keep expanding, that is my only criticism, however you are doing a tremendous job and have given me invaluable resources time and time again. Thanks!"
- "Georgia is very fortunate to have GALILEO, and your consuming public needs to appreciate it."
- "It's perfect!!!"
- "I'd like to see you put an item on your next survey asking us to mention what you are doing right!"
"Simplify"has been the highest single request by respondents for the past four years, and again this year it is a dominant theme. This year's percentage of comments in this vein remained the same as last year (17%). Comments referred to the number of choices on the home page and the difficulty of choosing a database. Some also mentioned the sheer volume of material available ("Since GALILEO is so big I'm not sure how you can improve it"). Comments representative of this category include the following:
- "It is extremely hard for users unfamiliar with the system to learn, despite instructions by library staff and teachers."
- "When I am searching for something, sometimes I don't know which program to use because I don't understand what each program provides information wise."
- "The current arrangement leads some to believe that GALILEO is a single database that can be searched."
- "Streamlining the offerings; there is information overload."
- "Making it easier to know where to find resources."
- "Making the search fields easier to use. I find it very difficult to navigate the databases."
- "By making it more user friendly to the non-full researcher - There is so much valuable info, but it is so incredibly buried away. - Look: think "GALILEO for Dummies"and you will be in the ballpark."
In contrast, nearly half the respondents (49%) asked for more - more full text, more databases, and more journals. Some asked for more databases by name and others asked for more information by topic. Specific databases requested include Gale Literature Resource Center, Gale Student Resource Center, and resources for the K-12 community, including SIRS Researcher. About 5% of the respondents asked particulary to re-subscribe to databases they lost in the past year, including ProQuest databases for the K-12 community, Library Literature Index, and Readers' Guide Abstracts.