Abstract
Libraries are service organisations whose main purpose is to assist the community with knowledge and information through their well-organised services. Service quality has become a topic of considerable interest in academic libraries. The escalating expectations of users have required libraries to upgrade their standard of services. Historically, the quality of a library has been measured by the size of its collection, an evaluation of what the library has, rather than what the library undertakes. Quality is now defined as an important concept that organisations and institutions must understand in order to remain competitive. Therefore, librarians are now required to provide quality library services and check whether the quality of service meets the users’ expectations. Service quality is regarded as very important as it promotes customer satisfaction, profitability and customer commitment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the service quality of the University of Johannesburg at Doornfontein Campus from the Industrial Engineering students’ point of view. In this paper Industrial Engineering students’ perceptions of library services are discussed.
A survey was conducted using a modified version of SERVQUAL and LibQUAL questionnaires to ascertain the views of Industrial Engineering students’ about the services provided at Doornfontein Campus library. The dimensions of service quality were determined through exploratory factor analysis. The data was analyzed using SPPS Version 22 through paired samples t- test.
The gap difference between the student’s expectations and perceived services were calculated. The study shows that in all LibQUAL and SERVQUAL dimensions the average gap between the expectations and perceptions of the students is negative. In all dimensions of service quality students’ expectations had a higher level than that of the perceptions. Moreover, the comparison of all dimensions in both SERVQUAL and LibQUAL showed that the student’s perceptions of the received service quality was not the same. The study recommends that library staff will require education and more training on service improvement.
This study contributes to the understanding of the weaknesses of SERVQUAL in investigating quality in libraries. Using both SERVQUAL and LibQUAL Model dimensions, it provides senior management of the University of Johannesburg at Doornfontein campus with a succinct view of the service delivery offered. A comparison of the two models intended to enhance all stakeholders’ an understanding of the SERVQUAL and LibQUAL Models. This is the first user survey conducted at Doornfontein campus of the University of Johannesburg to assess the service quality through Industrial Engineering students.
M.Tech. (Industrial Engineering)