University of Bolton Library Service
Consultation Strategy
Definition
The Library’s aim is to provide an academic information resource supporting the teaching, learning and research needs of the user community on all major sites of the University, in such a way as to achieve the highest professional standards in a cost effective and user friendly manner.
The Library strives to listen to the views of its user community, in particular looking at the different needs of its different customer groups which are:
1. Undergraduate Students and Taught Postgraduate Students
2. Academic Staff and Research Students
3. Professional Services Staff
4. International Students
5. Off Campus Users
6. Externals
Context
As part of its ongoing commitment to Customer Service Excellence the Library should hold a Consultation Strategy and indeed review this strategy via the Management Team on a yearly basis. The Library receives feedback via its own consultation methods and also university consultation with users. All feedback received is analysed by the Management Team and fed into Library planning.
1 of 4 April 2016

Purpose/Aims
The purpose of the Consultation Strategy is to ensure that users are consulted in an effective way on a regular basis. The strategy will also outline for staff the different mechanisms available to consult with users. This strategy is a guide for all staff. It is intended that this document will sit on SharePoint with the programme of events to be updated by relevant staff as a working document.
Outcomes
Library users should feel that their views are heard and responded to in a timely and effective manner.
Staff should feel they have effective guidance in which to conduct consultation and be aware of the different consultation methods.
By receiving feedback on our services from our users either through University wide consultation such as the National Student Survey or our own annual Library Satisfaction survey it enables us to understand better, the needs of our user community.
Approach
The Library Service is involved in University wide consultation such as the National Student Survey. It also conducts a wide variety of its own consultation which is focused just on Library services.
It is increasingly important to use a variety of methods as ‘survey fatigue’ is a well known issue in the HE sector.
The consultation of different customer groups should also be ‘fit for purpose’ i.e. the mechanisms used should reflect the profile of the particular groups. In the marketing and communication of all consultation this should also be adhered to.
Any training and development issues regarding conducting user consultation should be referred to D.Grundy in the first instance.
Methods
The Library details its Feedback Methods on the Library Webpages:
(http://www.bolton.ac.uk/library/About-the-Library/Feedback-Methods.aspx).
However this does not cover the results of University wide consultation such as National Student Survey, UPSS, PTES and PRES.
The mechanisms the Library uses to consult with its ’ user community are detailed further below.
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Responsibility
Consultation with Customer Groups is the responsibility of all Library staff who deliver a service or runs a project.
Once the data has been analysed the findings should be sent to Library Management as an agenda item and copied into Dawn Grundy also.
Once Consultation has taken place it is the responsibility of the project leader to publish the details/response/ feedback on the Customer
Consultation pages of the Library Website where appropriate.
For further help please contact D.Grundy@bolton.ac.uk.
3 of 4 April 2016

All Library staff briefings
All Staff Bulletin
Annual Library Survey
CSE Survey
Collaborative Partner events
Comments Forms
Course Committees
Email and Phone
Focus Groups
– ad-hoc
National Satisfaction Survey
One to One Meetings- ad-hoc
Online and Social Media e.g. Facebook, Twitter and Library website
PRES – Postgraduate Research
PTES - Postgraduate Taught
Resource Allocation Meetings with Academic Group Leaders
Student Consultation Sessions - ASLUG
Targeted Surveys – ad-hoc e.g. 24 Hour opening
University Committees - Academic Board, Academic Quality and
Standards, Collaborative Partnerships Sub-Committee, Equality and
Diversity, Health and Safety
University Programme Satisfaction Survey (UPSS)
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Undergraduate and
Taught Postgraduate
Students
Yearly
Yearly
Ongoing
Termly
Yearly
Ongoing
Yearly
Termly
Termly
Yearly
Academic Staff and Research
Weekly
Yearly
Yearly
Ongoing
Termly
Ongoing
Bi-annual
Termly
Termly
Termly
Termly
Weekly
Yearly
Yearly
Ongoing
Termly
Ongoing
Termly
Professional
Services Staff
Off Campus
Users
External
Users
Part-time,
Full time etc
Disabilities International
Students
Yearly
Yearly
Annually
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Yearly
Ongoing
Yearly
Yearly
Ongoing
Yearly
Yearly
Termly
Yearly
Termly
Yearly
Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing
Termly Termly Termly
Termly
Yearly
Ongoing
Termly
Termly
Yearly
Ongoing
Termly
Termly Termly Termly Termly Termly
April 2016