The shifting focus in the role of academic libraries entail a better understanding,
awareness and responsiveness to the needs of the library users. In an
environment of change and an age of accountability academic libraries have to
determine and demonstrate the impact their resources and services are having on
their institutional mission. Service quality is not based exclusively on the
perception of the librarians, but also dependent on the perception of users. Only
customers judge quality; all other judgments are essentially irrelevant" (Zeithaml,
Parasuraman, Berry 1999).
The reason of this study was to assess quality in the library and to determine the
perceptions of the Vaal Triangle Campus Library users as they relate to quality
service and to develop a model to improve service quality. The aim was to
determine library users' minimum expectations for services, their desired level of
service and then to identify the extent of service they currently perceive on three
dimensions of service quality: affect of service, library as place and access to
information.
A triangulation, mixed method research methodology was employed in this study.
Data was collected using focus group as well as individual interviews and the
LibQUAL questionnaire. Purposive sampling was used to determine participants
for the interviews while a total market survey was employed for the questionnaire
respondents.
Findings indicate that there is a gap between the users' expectations and
perception of service quality. The results indicate that there are variations within
the different user groups regarding the expectations and perceptions of service
quality at the Vaal Triangle Campus library. In view of the findings, the study
concluded by developing a service quality model based on Deming's PDCA cycle,
the ISO model and the Hoshin Kanri process / Information Science / M. Inf.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:umkn-dsp01.int.unisa.ac.za:10500/20099 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Pretorius, Hendrina Francina |
| Contributors | Ngulube, P. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | 1 online resource (iv, 207 leaves) : illustrations |
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