NEWS: Result of Employee Satisfaction Survey @ SLC Library

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Julianne Hancock
E: jhancock@slcpl.org <mailto:jhancock@slcpl.org>
P: 801.819.3763
 

The City Library Employees are Satisfied, Proud to Work at Library
Recommended Actions for Improvement to be Implemented

October 18, 2011 – SALT LAKE CITY – The City Library today announced the results of an employee engagement survey conducted in August. 87 percent of employees participated in the survey. Employees reported overall pride in working for the Library (5.73/7.00) and that the Library is a good place to work (5.01/7.00).

In order to learn about the working environment for employees, a committee comprised of Library administrators, representatives of the Library Employee Organization and a Board Member have met for several months. The survey was administered by Lighthouse Research and helped in the committee’s development of recommendations to be implemented over the next year.

Other highlights of the survey include:
·     Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they know and understand the Library’s strategy and mission.

·     Respondents, on average, gave a rating of 5.77 on the one-to-seven rating scale to describe their overall satisfaction with their supervisor.

·     Employees feel that their peers demonstrate an attitude of genuinely caring about Library users (6.18/7.00) and that they provide quality customer service (6.16/7.00).

·     Employees reported that they have the skills to provide the best library services (6.01/7.00)

·     Overall, employees are pleased with their benefits, rating their vacation and sick leave highest. (5.96/7)


“The results tell a story about the Salt Lake City Library of today,” said Beth Elder, director for the Salt Lake City Library. “We want to build on the positive attributes of our organization, and this survey has helped us identify where we can improve as we become the Library our community will need tomorrow.”

Library employees reported that books, materials and reference were the most important services provided. While over 3.8 million items will be checked out from the City Library this year, it is important to note that thousands of electronic books, articles, music and movies will be downloaded from the Library’s website. Additionally, the Library as a gathering place for public programming and community engagement continues to grow. “Our success in transitioning to the Library of tomorrow will be determined by how we adapt to these changes today,” Elder said.

The survey provided insight about areas where improvements could be made. Elder said that she and the Library’s Executive Leadership Team is committed to better communicating their vision, ensuring that the Library’s policies and procedures reflect this vision and setting clear expectations for the quality of services the Library provides.

“We will recognize and reward employees who work towards furthering the Library’s strategy and mission. We are developing tools and providing technologies that will improve our transparency and communication, all in response to what we learned in this survey,” said Elder.

"This opportunity to collaborate with the Library board and administration was a positive and important step in moving the Library forward,” said Mark Ewing, president of the Library Employee Organization.

A copy of the survey findings can be downloaded at www.slcpl.org/files/SurveySept2011.pdf <http://www.slcpl.org/files/SurveySept2011.pdf> .

A summary of the actions recommended for improvement can be downloaded at http://www.slcpl.org/files/Actions.pdf.