This is the second Library Search Benchmark Survey following up on the survey from 2022. The survey uses a modified SUPR-Q Scale (Standardized User Experience Percentile Rank Questionnaire) with questions measuring the quality people’s experience with the Library Search application. This is the second large scale survey on student, faculty, library employee, university staff self-reported behaviors, sentiment, and needs as they look for and access materials through Library Search. We added several questions to the survey about the use of AI in academic research. These responses complemented and informed a separate qualitative research project on AI use in Academic Research in May and June of 2025. We synthesized data from our Search Benchmark Survey with several other UX Research projects and this helped define the roadmap for Library Search for the next two years.
The Library Search application has had over 80 small scale qualitative UX research projects completed to inform specific features, data decisions or the system’s architecture. But we have not measured the overall user experience with Library Search with a large number of respondents representing the top user segments. Not having quantitative data at scale from all our users kept us from understanding high level challenges and opportunities improve the user experience in a strategic way for everyone. We couldn’t see the forest through the trees.
We chose to use a large scale survey distributed to all library employees, students, faculty, and University staff so we could understand the experience people were having overall and unique experiences by audience segment. We used the SUPR-Q scale because it provided us a simple 8 question design to measure the user experience across unique dimensions like ease of use, navigation, aesthetics, and clarity. We also incorporated an NPS score and overall satisfaction rating as benchmark measures.