Assessing Service Quality: Satisfying the Expectations of Library Customers

Librarians, library directors, and trustees will find practical ideas, sample forms, and worksheets for developing a library customer service plan. The book invites librarians to think about customer service in new ways, in areas such as distance education, use of library web sites, and partnerships and consortia for electronic collections. It explains the theoretical base of service quality and clarifies the distinction between service quality and customer satisfaction, then outlines strategies for developing a library customer service plan and suggests possible customer-related indicators that provide insight for library planning. Coverage includes measuring and evaluating components of service quality, managing complaints and compliments, and listening to customers through surveys and focus groups. This second edition is substantially revised to take into account changes in the field since the first edition was published in 1998. Hernon is professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College. Altman is former visiting professor in the Department of Library and Information Studies at Victoria University. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)