2016 WebJunction Satisfaction Survey Results
This summer, we asked you in our annual satisfaction survey to help us better understand how WebJunction is meeting your continuing education needs, what those needs are and where we could improve.
More than 1,100 of you took the time to give us your feedback, and for that we are very thankful! Knowing what's working and what could be improved helps us immensely to adjust and make your WebJunction experience even better.
You've let us know that overall, you are happy with WebJunction webinars, courses, articles and resources, citing your happiness with the fact that they are all free, and that they are relevant, convenient and useful. And you provided lots of great topic suggestions and pointed out a few areas that could use our attention to make your experience easier and clearer.
Read on for more details on the satisfaction survey results:
Who are WebJunction learners?
Of the 1,171 survey respondents, 96% live in the United States and 2% in Canada, with learners in many additional countries comprising the remaining 2%.
Just over 77% of respondents work in a public library, and the number of people served by respondents’ libraries was pretty equally distributed.
Of the people who filled out the survey, just over half said they used the site in the last week or month, while 23% used WebJunction in the last three months and 24% in the last six months or longer.
How satisfied are learners with WebJunction and in what ways?
Overall satisfaction was up this year, with 87% of those surveyed replying they are satisfied or very satisfied with WebJunction overall.
When asked about specific factors that positively influence their level of satisfaction:
- Free (90%) had the biggest response
- Access to library-specific learning (69%), fits around schedule (68%), and usefulness of resources (64.5%) all similar factors of satisfaction.
- That the learning is online and quality of webinars also scored well.
- Free, access to library-specific learning and fits schedule were all up slightly, but usefulness of resources jumped from 35% in 2015 to 65% this year.
- Respondents indicated that the look and feel and ease of use of the website did not have as much of a positive influence in their level of satisfaction, and those are areas we’ll take a look at in the near future.
Why else are learners happy with WebJunction? High ranking responses include:
WebJunction courses help learners grow in their jobs
WebJunction keeps learners informed about what is happening in the library profession
Finding and registering for live webinars, webinar recordings and courses is easy
Articles on WebJunction are useful to their work
Nearly 95% of survey respondents said they would recommend WebJunction's free training to colleagues or staff. And we hope you do! The best way to stay up-to-date on the latest WebJunction webinars, courses and resources is to subscribe to our e-newsletter, Crossroads, and make sure to let your colleagues know about the free twice-monthly emails too!
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news and announcements.
What do learners value most about WebJunction?
Learners responded to this open-ended question with a plethora of different responses, but with some sorting, the consensus was that easy access/convenience, relevant topics, that the offerings are free, and in particular the webinars and courses top the list of the most valued aspects of WebJunction.
In your own words, you let us know:
"I am new to library work. WebJunction helps me do my job more effectively and often helps me define the questions I need answered!"
"WebJunction website and webinars offer current topical content in an easy-to-access format that keeps pace with changing ways people learn, while also providing additional resources for independent follow-up."
"Since much of my personal professional development is self-funded, WebJunction provides a much valued resource for me. The monthly e-newsletter always offers information touching on a variety of interests and highlights an available course, programming or promotional idea. WebJunction helps me remain connected to a larger body of peers."
"WebJunction is easy to use, pertinent to my library, current with the industry and a great resource for public library staff."
"You are there for me. And you know what I need before I know I need it. The quality is first rate and the fact that it is free astounds me. Thank you!"
What would learners change about their WebJunction experience?
Of course, no website is perfect, so we asked "If there was one improvement you could make to WebJunction, what would that be?"
The 540 responses were coded into nine categories. The majority, 46% (248), fell into the "nothing" or "don't change" category. Then:
Specific subject suggestions |
17% - 94 |
Usability |
16% - 89 |
Miscellaneous |
9% - 48 |
More courses-webinars |
6% - 32 |
Tech issues |
3% - 14 |
More emails/reminders |
2% - 11 |
More articles |
1% - 7 |
Time of day for webinars |
.9% - 5 |
Fewer emails |
.4% - 2 |
In general, how do libraryland learners get their continuing education and professional development?
This year, we also asked about learners' general continuing education/professional development habits, in order to see if what WebJunction offers aligns with learners' needs. Sure enough, there is substantial overlap in what WebJunction provides free and how library staff acquire the training and skills they need for their work.
Webinars |
93% |
995 |
In-person courses/training |
75% |
803 |
Articles and blogs |
71% |
757 |
Podcasts |
19% |
200 |
Videos |
40% |
421 |
Other (please specify) |
6% |
63 |
Thank you again to all who completed this survey! These responses are incredibly informative as we seek to continually improve WebJunction and make sure it is a relevant, valuable resource for library staff everywhere!