LibQual

Customer satisfaction surveys are now increasingly administered by many service industries ranging from dentists to airlines. This increase has been fuelled by the increasing growth of service industries compared with manufacturing industries and the demand for total quality management for both industries. Along with the increased research into customer satisfaction
has been a corresponding increase in the diversity of measurement scales used in customer satisfaction surveys (Devlin et al., 1993). A review of the literature revealed over 40 different scales used to measure consumer product or service
satisfaction, from retail to airline settings (Haddrell, 1994). With such a large number of alternative scales available, many in everyday use, it is timely to compare some of the common scales to evaluate their merits. This is the purpose of this paper.

Academic library is an important academic facility at Higher Level Institution. The library need to improve their level of providing service quality to more relevance and updated because the increasing international students in Malaysia since 2007. A uniform mechanism is needed to measure service quality of academic library to be applied at Higher Level Institution. This study thus set to identify the international students' perception on Perpustakaan Sultanah Zanariah (PSZ) service performance using LibQUAL model and to determine the level of user satisfaction on PSZ quality services. Alternative approaches to study user expectation is using SERVQUAL model. Modification on library settings, LibQUAL was developed as an instrument to measure library quality services. Thus, this study decides to use LibQUAL model as based to measure PSZ quality services. LibQUAL model will determine user expectation by two gap analyses which are gap between perception and minimum (Service Adequacy Gap) and gap between perception and desired (Service Superiority Gap) based on Zone of Tolerance concept. A survey was conducted at PSZ to obtain feedback from the international students on their experiences with library services. Information was collected using a 9-point Likert Scale questionnaire consists of three parts; minimum, desired and perceive. Questionnaire focusing on the areas of general library services, policies, collections, electronic access, and the library environment. Qualitative results were gathered through an option of additional comments. Based on random sampling on 90 respondents, the result of the study revealed that the level of service quality only across minimum level and do not achieved the customers desired. Analysis of the survey data would aid the PSZ in becoming more aware of their library services for international students as well as their domestic patrons.

Purpose -The main purpose of this paper is quality assessment of services provided by the MUMS libraries and determining member satisfaction and expectations of library services in the LibQUAL dimensions. Design/methodology/approach -This research used the survey method for collecting data. Library service quality was measured by using 22 items taken directly from the 2004 version of the LibQUAL scale. Findings -The highest average score was "Service affect" with 6.39 and the lowest score 5.75 belonged to "Library as place". Total results emphasised the importance of librarians' specialised knowledge level in presenting appropriate services in circulation and reference sections. A significant outcome, is in the "information control" dimension, and appropriate working hours; classification system for searching and accessing to information and appropriate time for loaning resources. The biggest gap related to updated multimedia databanks, appropriate number of computers and adequate facilities like laptops/PCs and broadband networks for better access to subscribed electronic resources through the MUMS central library web site. Practical implications -The results of this study emphasise the importance of librarians' specialised knowledge level in presenting appropriate services in circulation and reference sections as well as identifying strengths and weaknesses of MUMS schools and hospitals libraries for improving decisions affecting the library service quality. Originality/value -The findings show all highly important aspects of the "Service affect" dimension in academic libraries such as understanding user needs and presenting perfect service.

Libraries incessantly undergo change determined by evolving user needs. These are often induced by the emergence of previously unavailable tools. Web 2.0 represents an example of such a need-shifting technology, which has led to an embrace of new user interactivity services for many library websites, thus coined Library 2.0. This paradigm shift calls for new evaluation models to include the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies. The aim of this paper is to present such a model, and to evaluate the quality of Library 2.0 functionalities, measuring the quality of the 2.0 services offered through the websites based on user perception. We adopt fuzzy linguistic modeling to represent user perception, and apply aggregation operations to linguistic labels in order to evaluate the quality of the new services. Furthermore, our model subsumes the LibQUAL+methodology, allowing for the identification of specific 2.0 functionalities in need of improvement and of those outstandingly satisfied by the system.

Presenta el resultado de la evaluación de la calidad aplicado al servicio de una biblioteca en la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) bajo la metodología LibQUAL+ en una muestra conformada por usuarios de cinco facultades. El estudio brinda al final un conjunto de recomendaciones y sugerencias para la mejora del servicio.

Abstract
Purpose – This paper seeks to examine three types of measurement and evaluation currently used in
the special library environment and to identify the relationships that must exist between the individual measurement processes to enable holistic and strategic evaluations of special libraries to take place.

Design/methodology/approach – Looks at how responsible measurement and evaluation within the context of the special (corporate, government, hospital, etc.) library must reflect the ways in which the library uses its resources (budget, staff, buildings, collections, technology, equipment), how well it
delivers its services and how well it satisfies its clients now and into the future.

Findings – If these measurements and evaluations are to be understood, respected, supported and valued by management, it is also necessary to take it one step further and include the ways in which the information provided through the library services supports the achievement of organisational
objectives. One needs to measure how well the services are seamlessly integrated into workflows, how they are prioritised according to their importance and how closely aligned they are with the strategic goals and objectives of the organisation.

Originality/value – May mean a change of mindset on the part of the library managers to enable them to let go of the traditional services and resources and to approach service development and
improvement with a strategic view.

Keywords Special libraries, Performance appraisal, Information management, Library management, Strategic management
Paper type Conceptual paper

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the thematic of customer-centered quality in academic libraries and contribute to the importance of quality evaluations based on the perception of their customers for this type of library. It is especially important in Brazil, where evaluations of higher education institutions and their infrastructure items, including libraries, are compulsory. It highlights a specific methodology, the LibQUAL+®, created in the United States and used in hundreds of libraries around the world, but without any perceptible application in Brazil as yet. From the analysis of LibQUAL+® assessment procedures, the article aims to present the benefits that can be achieved from the application of this methodology as well as it intends to verify the possibilities of using it in academic libraries in Brazil. It concludes that the methodology presents aspects which can support the academic library management, as identifying strong and weak points of the services, becoming ...

IntroductionFor years, researchers in the field of library and information sciences have been investigating information needs, user demands, and user perceptions of the importance and significance of library services. They sought for an elusive and multifaceted concept which characterized quality as a category (involving size, current titles, and subject coverage of the category), or utility of library services (involving the number of fulfilled goals). However, in the recent years, researchers have shown a tendency toward retrieval and other texts in order to focus on user perceptions and adopting a qualitative approach to reflect the viewpoints of users or customers about library services (Nitecki & Hernon, 2000).Academic and research libraries have made efforts to offer better definitions for new scales that outline their services. Increases in the users' demands for better services have led these libraries to evaluate themselves based on the feedback they receive. On the oth...

Presenta el resultado de la evaluación de la calidad aplicado al servicio de una biblioteca en la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) bajo la metodología LibQUAL+ en una muestra conformada por usuarios de cinco facultades. El estudio brinda al final un conjunto de recomendaciones y sugerencias para la mejora del servicio.

It presents the results of quality test applied to a library service at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) under the methodology LibQUAL + in a sample comprised of users of five faculties. The study offers the end a set of recommendations and suggestions for improving service.

Propose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between users' information literacy and their satisfaction with the central Library services of the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili. Methodology: This is an applied research and a survey study. The research methodology is a correlation type. The statistical population consists of 11647 students (undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate) and faculty staff at the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili. The sampling approach is convenience or accidental sampling and the sample size includes 253 persons. The data-gathering instrument, in this research, includes user satisfaction questionnaires, LibQUAL for local library services, Webqual 4 for web services, and an information literacy questionnaire, based on information literacy competency standards for higher education, developed by ACRL. Data were analyzed by descriptive & inferential statistics (U-Mann Whitney & Kruskal-Wallis test and spearman’s correlation) using...

Web 2.0 tools have changed the relationship between users and libraries by improving the involvement of users in the libraries activities. To use such tools efficiently, it is essential to know if they are meeting user requirements and expectations, and how they could be improved to increase user satisfaction. The aim of this paper is to present a model to evaluate the quality of the Library 2.0 services. To do so, the quality assessments are defined using user's perceptions on the quality of the Library 2.0 services provided though the websites of the libraries. We assume a fuzzy linguistic modeling to represent the user's perceptions and apply tools of fuzzy computing with words based on the LOWA and LWA operators to compute the quality assessments of the Library 2.0 services. In addition, the model uses the LibQUAL+ methodology, allowing for the identification of specific 2.0 services in need of improvement and of those outstandingly satisfied by the library.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the thematic of customer-centered quality in academic libraries and contribute to the importance of quality evaluations based on the perception of their customers for this type of library. It is especially important in Brazil, where evaluations of higher education institutions and their infrastructure items, including libraries, are compulsory. It highlights a specific methodology, the LibQUAL+®, created in the United States and used in hundreds of libraries around the world, but without any perceptible application in Brazil as yet. From the analysis of LibQUAL+® assessment procedures, the article aims to present the benefits that can be achieved from the application of this methodology as well as it intends to verify the possibilities of using it in academic libraries in Brazil. It concludes that the methodology presents aspects which can support the academic library management, as identifying strong and weak points of the services, becoming closer to the library´s customers' needs, comparing the library performance with other libraries and defining the best practices in the field, besides contributing to a more professional management of the libraries.

Apresenta o resultado da avaliação da qualidade aplicado ao serviço de uma biblioteca na Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) sob a metodologia LibQUAL+ numa mostra conformada por usuários de cinco faculdades. O estudo brinda ao final um conjunto de recomendações e sugestões para a melhora do serviço.--IMPORTANTE: Para ver este artigo a texto completo use a opção ESPAÑOL do seletor de IDIOMA--