Users’ perception of and satisfaction with library services: a case study of Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan

Abstract

Academic libraries are facing challenges of competitive pressures, information availability, rising costs and a global digital environment. This situation calls for a better understanding of the specific needs of library users in order to provide the appropriate type and level of service that meets those needs. Assessment of service quality in libraries is one of the most reliable channels to know if clients are satisfied with services offered them. It is therefore imperative to investigate how library users perceive service quality. This paper examines the service quality and users’ satisfaction at Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan and also examines how user surveys have been employed in a number of previously published literatures. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study to evaluate the library’s performance by measuring the users’ satisfaction with (a) library services and resources (b) infrastructure/place/space and (c) suggestions for service improvement. The instrument was distributed randomly to a sample of 800 library users from the university. Suggestions are offered about ways library and information service providers could make more use of the information derived from their own and other organizations' user surveys to improve their services in order to survive.