CILIPS Council Conversations (continued…)

Category: Blog, CILIPS Council Conversations

At our biannual CILIPS Council meetings, representatives from each of our Regional Branches and Special Interest Groups come together to share updates on their committee’s activities, help shape the future of CILIPS event content, and discuss key themes related to cross-sector professional practice.

At our first meeting of 2025, reps reflected on the question:

What is the most effective way to gather feedback for our digital services?

• This topic blended neatly into discussion one at our March meeting – Does AI have a place in library services? – and it reflects how hard it can be to gather feedback on how technology is being used, which means we often feel compelled to guess what our users need from us (as they increasingly turn to digital tools and services).
• Some of our organisational websites have featured pop-ups for users to rate webpages through simple symbols like stars or sad/happy faces, with the option to add free text comments if they wish. This often flags up service-related feedback, even if that was not the original intention. But we must also brace for the fact that, the more open we are to authentic feedback, the more likely we are to get negative as well as positive comments coming through!
• Responses often depend on the users in question – in schools, for example, pupils can be something of a captive audience, but very few teachers respond.
• Context is also key – with services under the threat of cuts and closures, users seem far more likely to take the time to complete surveys.
• Survey burnout is real, which can ironically clog the same digital communication channels through which we are promoting feedback opportunities!
• Extrapolating from website data like user session numbers can help us to glean information on how often/how long particular webpages are used for. Again, linking to our AI Council discussion, this data then requires interpretation.
• Can we invite colleagues to map user digital journeys in finding a particular resource or page? This is even more effective when the tester is not part of the team that designed the original resource.
• Rewards like vouchers and prize draws are also valuable as incentives.
• Tying the quest for feedback to another event can work well e.g. inviting users to write a library love letter (or if needs be, a break-up letter) on Valentine’s Day!

CILIPS members, what are your most effective means of feedback when it comes to digital services? Are incentives invaluable or is context key; how easy or otherwise do you find it to offer CILIPS feedback on our own website resources?

Email the CILIPS team anytime at admin@cilips.org.uk to share your views and stay tuned for more in our Council Conversations series coming after our autumn meeting!

The next CILIPS Council will take place online via Microsoft Teams from 2.30 – 4.30pm on Wednesday 19th November. To join us and add your voice to these vital member discussions, please contact kirsten.macquarrie@cilips.org.uk.