Benchmarking user satisfaction in academic libraries - a case study

Mundt, Sebastian Benchmarking user satisfaction in academic libraries - a case study. Library and Information Research, 2003, vol. 27, n. 87, pp. 38-46. [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

Customer satisfaction and service quality have so far been evaluated mostly from a local perspective although the quality element has been firmly established in academic library management for at least a decade. Critics of inter-institutional comparisons often object that different preconditions are not considered adequately. Examples from a joint user satisfaction survey conducted by 15 German university libraries in 2001 suggest that comparative data are a suitable means to identify cases of “best practice” and can effectively initialize processes of customer-focussed improvement. Furthermore, if compared with corresponding statistical data or performance measures, satisfaction ratings can reveal possible structural strengths and deficits relative to other libraries. On the other hand, follow-up telephone interviews with participating libraries showed that the survey results substantially challenged the institutions’ internal communication and public relations organisation, and underlined that even in a well-developed culture of assessment the need for professional mediation and coordination of comparative analyses may not be underestimated.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: academic libraries, customer service evaluation, user satisfaction
Subjects: D. Libraries as physical collections. > DD. Academic libraries.
F. Management. > FD. Public relations.
C. Users, literacy and reading. > CB. User studies.
Depositing user: Kristina Brown
Date deposited: 18 Mar 2005
Last modified: 02 Oct 2014 12:00
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/6084

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