UNSW has used the Materials Availability Performance Indicator survey at least biennially for the past ten years. This survey has also been widely used by other Australian university libraries. The resulting data has provided information which has directed efforts to improve the Materials Availability Rate each year.

In the format currently used at UNSW, the indicator provides for a range of possible outcomes for a user search for physical materials. It is possible for this approach to also accommodate success or failure in searching for electronic materials but that has not been translated into reality in practice. Additional comments on the survey forms and details of items not in the collection are useful data. The range of standard outcomes include:
Materials immediately available, not in collection, user error - catalogue search, at another location, user error -location check, on loan, user error -Item status check, missing, user error - shelf search, didn't want to look further, missing in catalogue.

Participation by all groups other than undergraduate and post graduate coursework increased slightly this year, but these two groups continued the trend for around 86% of survey returns to be drawn from the student coursework experience in the Library. The survey continues to highlight the problems students have in locating coursework material.

Academic staff and visitors, although small in numbers, were the most successful in finding the material they wanted, followed by Postgraduate - Research students. It was salutary to note that postgraduate coursework students were even less likely than undergraduates to find the material they were looking for. General staff were the least successful of all.

Superficially, the overall result is disappointing in terms of the hope that the previous upward trend would continue.

It is worth noting the following:

1. Of items users couldn't find almost 75% were accounted for by three reasons:

2. The reasonably large increase in the proportion of items on loan would suggest that issues related to multiple copy purchasing be looked at again closely

3. The missing rate is reducing significantly and is now consistent with that in other libraries

4. User error - shelf check increased this year, highlighting problems users have with call numbers and sequences of material

1. Postgraduate course work students top three issues were on loan, user error - shelf check and missing

2. Comments included the following topics:

The survey process is becoming less and less relevant as more and more use is made of electronic resources which this survey does not adequately address. It was resolved that the instrument, in its present form, not be used again without a thorough investigation of its relevance and content.