This paper designed the questionnaire for the case and combines the Kano Model with the LibQUAL+TM model to understand the students’ perception and expectation of the library service quality in Sweden. Also, find a specific way to improve the satisfaction of the students.

La question traitée dans cette étude aborde la qualité du service des bibliothèques universitaires du Pakistan à partir du point de vue de leurs usagers. Plus précisément, l'étude examine les perceptions, les attentes et la satisfaction des usagers quant à la qualité des services de la bibliothèque, l'écart entre perceptions et attentes des usagers, les différences entre la qualité perçue du service selon les usagers, leur sexe, la bibliothèque concernée et la discipline académique. Pour se faire, l'étude développe une version Urdu du protocole LIBQUAL et en examine les propriétés psychométriques afin de valider le questionnaire dans le contexte pakistanais. A la connaissance de l'auteur, cette étude est la première tentative globale pour combler cette lacune en évaluant la qualité perçue des services dans les bibliothèques universitaires du Pakistan grâce à LIBQUAL. Les données ont été collectées à travers deux études distinctes par le biais d'un questionnaire papier adressé à des étudiants (premier cycle et au-delà) et à des personnels enseignants de 29 universités. 514 et 1473 questionnaires ont respectivement été sélectionnés de la première et de la seconde étude. L'analyse quantitative des données a été réalisée avec l'aide des logiciels Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) et l'Analyse des structures Moment (AMOS = Analysis of MOment Structures). Cette thèse fait une large part aux contributions et applications académiques pour l'étude présentée tout en considérant les limites. De nombreuses suggestions pour des recherches futures ont été faites à la fin de cette étude. / The problem addressed in this study investigates the service quality of university libraries of Pakistan (ULP) from the perspective of their users. More precisely, the study examines the users' perceptions, expectations, satisfaction, discrepancy in users' perceptions and expectations, individual differences in the perceived service quality across users, gender, library sector and academic disciplines. Indoing so, the study develops an Urdu version of LIBQUAL instrument and examines its psychometric properties to validate this instrument in Pakistani context. To the best of knowledge of the researcher, the current study is a first comprehensive attempt to address this gap by assessing the perceived service quality in the University Libraries of Pakistan through LIBQUAL. The data were collected in two separated studies conducted on graduate and undergraduate students and faculty members of 29 universities, through a paper-and-pencil questionnaire method. Total 514 and 1473 cases were finally selected from first and second study respectively. The psychometric properties of Urdu version of LIBQUAL were established through Cronbach alpha, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The quantitative data analysis was conducted with the help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) software. This thesis makes full consideration of the academic contributions and implications of the research presented whilst also considering its limitatons. A number of suggestions for future research have been made at the end.

Durante mucho tiempo, la evaluación de bibliotecas fue una práctica poco desarrollada; sin embargo, con el transcurrir de los años la evaluación se fue convirtiendo en una necesidad y en un aspecto esencial para la buena gestión de la biblioteca universitaria. La evaluación se convirtió en una actividad necesaria e importante para mejorar los servicios que se brindan en la biblioteca. Evaluar cada una de las actividades de la biblioteca universitaria es indispensable; no obstante, en los servicios es donde la satisfacción de las necesidades de los usuarios toma un papel importante, por lo que evaluar se torna una tarea indispensable. Una de las formas de evaluar la calidad de los servicios es mediante la aplicación de un modelo de evaluación de servicios que permita identificar las carencias y/o deficiencias del servicio brindado.

O tema central dessa pesquisa é a avaliação da qualidade dos serviços de informação. Seu objeto de estudo delimita-se à necessidade de entendimento dos processos de avaliação dos serviços das bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras. Como problemática da dissertação, tem-se que as avaliações compulsórias governamentais do ensino superior não são satisfatórias no sentido de demonstrar a real contribuição das bibliotecas universitárias para a qualidade do ensino superior brasileiro e que, para tanto, deveriam ter suas metodologias revistas por profissionais e instituições ligados às bibliotecas. Dessa forma, buscou-se entender os objetivos das avaliações de bibliotecas, e chegou-se à conclusão de que um conjunto avaliativo e não apenas uma ou outra metodologia deva ser considerada para avaliar a qualidade das bibliotecas universitárias. Propõe-se um somatório de avaliação objetiva, aquela em que são considerados dados coletados a partir de relatórios gerenciais, e subjetiva, cujos dados são advindos da opinião dos clientes sobre os serviços prestados. Tendo em conta outros estudos em desenvolvimento no Brasil a respeito das avaliações objetivas, optou-se por enfocar a avaliação subjetiva das bibliotecas, trazendo à discussão a importância das avaliações de qualidade nas bibliotecas universitárias a partir da percepção de seus clientes, destacando e apresentando uma metodologia específica, o LibQUAL+®, por meio de estudo de caso realizado nas bibliotecas da Texas A&M University. Dentre os procedimentos metodológicos adotados, destaca-se a utilização de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, por meio das quais foram realizados o levantamento e análise das fontes bibliográficas para a estruturação do referencial teórico e estudo de caso. Como procedimentos para esta etapa da pesquisa, foram consultadas bases de dados internacionais para o levantamento de artigos, além de livros, legislação, artigos de eventos científicos e teses. Como resultado da análise crítica da metodologia LibQUAL+® somada ao estudo de caso, apresentam-se as perspectivas de aplicação da mesma em bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras. Dentre essas perspectivas, destaca-se a possibilidade de inclusão da metodologia em um conjunto avaliativo das bibliotecas universitárias nas avaliações do ensino superior brasileiro, a possibilidade de geração de estatística nacional de bibliotecas universitárias até hoje inexistente no Brasil, o benchmarking a partir da identificação das melhores práticas, a possibilidade de estabelecimento de um melhor relacionamento biblioteca-cliente, uma gestão mais profissional, utilizando a avaliação como ferramenta de planejamento e de tomada de decisão baseada em evidências, visando aprimorar a excelência de seus serviços e produtos e evidenciar seu valor e o impacto de sua atuação junto à comunidade a que atende. Tudo isso, graças à convergência com outras práticas gerenciais, como a qualidade, a gestão do conhecimento e o marketing. / The central thematic of this research is the quality assessment of information services. Its object is delimited by the need to understand the evaluating process of the Brazilian university libraries services. The thesis issue deals with higher education governmental compulsory evaluations and how they are not satisfactory in order to demonstrate the real contribution of university libraries to the quality of higher education in Brazil, and that they, in order to achieve such objective, should have their methodologies reviewed by professionals and institutions related to the libraries. In this manner, it intended to understand the objectives of library evaluations, concluding that a set of evaluative assessments and not just one or another method should be used ir order to assess the university libraries quality. A sum of objective - data collected from management reports - and subjective evaluation - data obtained from the customers opinion about the services provided to them. Taking into account other studies about objective evaluations developed in Brazil, this study focus on the subjective library evaluations, bringing to the discussion the importance of university libraries\"s quality evaluations from the perception of their customers, highlighting and presenting a specific methodology, the LibQUAL+®, through a case study in the libraries at Texas A&M University. Among the methodological procedures, it highlights the use of literature and documents, through which a survey and bibliographic sources analisys were conducted in order to structure the theoretical analisys and the case study. As procedures for this stage of the research, international databases were consulted to search articles, and books, legislation, scientific articles, events and dissertations. As a result of the review of the methodology LibQUAL+® and the case study, it presents the perspectives of its application in Brazilian university libraries. Among these perspectives the possibility of inclusion of the methodology on a set of evaluative assessments of university libraries in Brazil, the possibility of generating a national statistics of university libraries which is still lacking in Brazil, the establishment of a benchmarking process based on the identification of best practices, the possibility of establishing a better relationship between customer and library, a more professional management, using the evaluation as a tool for planning and decision-making based on evidence, aiming to improve the excellence of its services and products and to demonstrate its value and impact to the community it serves stand out. All this, thanks to the convergence with other management practices, such as quality, knowledge management and marketing.

O tema central dessa pesquisa é a avaliação da qualidade dos serviços de informação. Seu objeto de estudo delimita-se à necessidade de entendimento dos processos de avaliação dos serviços das bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras. Como problemática da dissertação, tem-se que as avaliações compulsórias governamentais do ensino superior não são satisfatórias no sentido de demonstrar a real contribuição das bibliotecas universitárias para a qualidade do ensino superior brasileiro e que, para tanto, deveriam ter suas metodologias revistas por profissionais e instituições ligados às bibliotecas. Dessa forma, buscou-se entender os objetivos das avaliações de bibliotecas, e chegou-se à conclusão de que um conjunto avaliativo e não apenas uma ou outra metodologia deva ser considerada para avaliar a qualidade das bibliotecas universitárias. Propõe-se um somatório de avaliação objetiva, aquela em que são considerados dados coletados a partir de relatórios gerenciais, e subjetiva, cujos dados são advindos da opinião dos clientes sobre os serviços prestados. Tendo em conta outros estudos em desenvolvimento no Brasil a respeito das avaliações objetivas, optou-se por enfocar a avaliação subjetiva das bibliotecas, trazendo à discussão a importância das avaliações de qualidade nas bibliotecas universitárias a partir da percepção de seus clientes, destacando e apresentando uma metodologia específica, o LibQUAL+®, por meio de estudo de caso realizado nas bibliotecas da Texas A&M University. Dentre os procedimentos metodológicos adotados, destaca-se a utilização de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, por meio das quais foram realizados o levantamento e análise das fontes bibliográficas para a estruturação do referencial teórico e estudo de caso. Como procedimentos para esta etapa da pesquisa, foram consultadas bases de dados internacionais para o levantamento de artigos, além de livros, legislação, artigos de eventos científicos e teses. Como resultado da análise crítica da metodologia LibQUAL+® somada ao estudo de caso, apresentam-se as perspectivas de aplicação da mesma em bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras. Dentre essas perspectivas, destaca-se a possibilidade de inclusão da metodologia em um conjunto avaliativo das bibliotecas universitárias nas avaliações do ensino superior brasileiro, a possibilidade de geração de estatística nacional de bibliotecas universitárias até hoje inexistente no Brasil, o benchmarking a partir da identificação das melhores práticas, a possibilidade de estabelecimento de um melhor relacionamento biblioteca-cliente, uma gestão mais profissional, utilizando a avaliação como ferramenta de planejamento e de tomada de decisão baseada em evidências, visando aprimorar a excelência de seus serviços e produtos e evidenciar seu valor e o impacto de sua atuação junto à comunidade a que atende. Tudo isso, graças à convergência com outras práticas gerenciais, como a qualidade, a gestão do conhecimento e o marketing. / The central thematic of this research is the quality assessment of information services. Its object is delimited by the need to understand the evaluating process of the Brazilian university libraries services. The thesis issue deals with higher education governmental compulsory evaluations and how they are not satisfactory in order to demonstrate the real contribution of university libraries to the quality of higher education in Brazil, and that they, in order to achieve such objective, should have their methodologies reviewed by professionals and institutions related to the libraries. In this manner, it intended to understand the objectives of library evaluations, concluding that a set of evaluative assessments and not just one or another method should be used ir order to assess the university libraries quality. A sum of objective - data collected from management reports - and subjective evaluation - data obtained from the customers opinion about the services provided to them. Taking into account other studies about objective evaluations developed in Brazil, this study focus on the subjective library evaluations, bringing to the discussion the importance of university libraries\"s quality evaluations from the perception of their customers, highlighting and presenting a specific methodology, the LibQUAL+®, through a case study in the libraries at Texas A&M University. Among the methodological procedures, it highlights the use of literature and documents, through which a survey and bibliographic sources analisys were conducted in order to structure the theoretical analisys and the case study. As procedures for this stage of the research, international databases were consulted to search articles, and books, legislation, scientific articles, events and dissertations. As a result of the review of the methodology LibQUAL+® and the case study, it presents the perspectives of its application in Brazilian university libraries. Among these perspectives the possibility of inclusion of the methodology on a set of evaluative assessments of university libraries in Brazil, the possibility of generating a national statistics of university libraries which is still lacking in Brazil, the establishment of a benchmarking process based on the identification of best practices, the possibility of establishing a better relationship between customer and library, a more professional management, using the evaluation as a tool for planning and decision-making based on evidence, aiming to improve the excellence of its services and products and to demonstrate its value and impact to the community it serves stand out. All this, thanks to the convergence with other management practices, such as quality, knowledge management and marketing.

This master thesis deals with service quality monitoring in libraries and it focuses especially on the situation in university libraries. There are foreign tools described in this thesis, namely the American LibQUAL+® which uses user satisfaction surveys, and German Bibliothekxindex which compares libraries according to recieved statistical data. From the Czech environment there is an initiative of the National Library of the Czech Republic described, "Benchmarking of Libraries", which is based on the German Bibliotheksindex but it is not applicable in university libraries. The thesis includes a self made suggestion on how to monitor service quality according to both of the foreign tools which was also applied to a selected university library. The results of this research indicate that these foreign tools are applicable in the Czech Republic and that the selected university library provides services which its users are overall very satisfied with.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to explore students' perceptions of library services offered at Walters State Community College. This research involved LibQUAL+™, a nationally known academic library assessment instrument that measures three dimensions on a scale of approximately 22 aspects of service, divided into 6 groups (Heath, Kyrillidou, & Askew, 2004, p.264). These 3 dimensions are the following: Affect of Service (AS), Information Control (IC), and Library as a Place (LP). Responses of 666 students at Walters State Community College, Morristown, Tennessee, indicated the students' perceptions of acceptable minimum level of service, perceived levels of service, and desired levels of service. Each dimension was assessed by mean scores and p values to determine students' level of satisfaction with the library. Independent samples t tests were conducted to analyze the association between perceived means of the 3 service quality dimensions for the following: (1) Walters State Community College compared to 4 other community colleges, (2) male and female students at Walters State Community College, (3) traditional students 22 years old and younger and nontraditional students over age 22 at Walters State Community College. Pearson's correlation was conducted to analyze the relationship between library budgets and library services. Based on the findings of this study, Walters State Community College Library's mean scores were higher than the other 4 community college's in the 3 service quality dimensions. However, Walters State Community College's results indicated substantial room for improvement in the Affect of Service dimension. The mean scores between male and female students at Walters State College showed no differences among the 3 service quality dimensions. The findings also indicated that nontraditional students over age 22 rated Affect of Service and Information Control higher than did traditional students age 22 and younger. In addition, findings indicated a fairly strong relationship between library budget and the Information Control dimension for the 5 community colleges studied. The data offered in this study provided useful information for library self-study and ideas for improving the college's library services.

This exploratory study considered the problem of assessing quality in academic libraries. The research question that framed the investigation asked whether service quality scores from the LibQUAL+ instrument were related to the following college or university characteristics: institutional type, enrollment level, or the level of investment made in libraries. Data regarding Carnegie classification, FTE enrollment, and library expenditures were collected for 159 college and university libraries that participated in LibQUAL+ during 2006. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and regression analyses were calculated and the Bonferroni adjustment was applied to significance levels to compensate for errors caused by repeated calculations using the same data. Several statistically significant relationships were found; notably, negative correlations were found between each of the LibQUAL+ scores and total library expenditures. The study suggested that higher expectations among library users in large, research libraries led to slightly lower LibQUAL+ scores. Implications for practice included that survey results should only be used as one component of an assessment strategy, and practitioners might consider the potential role of library marketing or public relations efforts to influence user expectations. Recommendations were made for future research including replicating some aspects of this study with a more representative sample, analyzing respondent comments as well as score data, and exploring whether there are reliable differences in results for different types of institutions or among groups of respondents (students and faculty, or faculty by discipline).

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) provides an option for librarians to administer a combination of LibQUAL+® and LibQUAL+® Lite to measure users' perceptions of library service quality. LibQUAL+® Lite is a shorter version of LibQUAL+® that uses planned missing data in its design. The present study investigates the loss of information in commonly administered proportions of LibQUAL+® and LibQUAL+® Lite when compared to administering LibQUAL+® alone. Data from previous administrations of LibQUAL+® protocol (2005, N = 525; 2007, N = 3,261; and 2009, N = 2,103) were used to create simulated datasets representing various proportions of LibQUAL+® versus LibQUAL+® Lite administration (0.2:0.8, 0.4:0.6. 0.5:0.5, 0.6:0.4, and 0.8:0.2). Statistics (i.e., means, adequacy and superiority gaps, standard deviations, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, and polychoric correlation coefficients) from simulated and real data were compared. Confidence intervals captured the original values. Root mean square errors and absolute and relative biases of correlations showed that accuracy in the estimates decreased with increase in percentage of planned missing data. The recommendation is to avoid using combinations with more than 20% planned missing data.