A Study on Library Users Satisfaction Evaluation in Greek Academic Libraries

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1 A Study on Library Users Satisfaction Evaluation in Greek Academic Libraries Angeliki Giannopoulou, MSc Library & Information Center, University of Patras, Greece Vasiliki Kalliabakou, MSc Central Library, Athens University of Economics & Business, Greece Abstract: Libraries have always intended to provide qualitative services to their users. SERVQUAL is a customer satisfaction survey used by thousands of academic libraries worldwide and also is the model of quality measurement that we have utilized in our empirical study. Specifically, it is a national survey on evaluation the services that offered in Hellenic academic libraries in the past years. This study aims: (a) to identify the level of usage of services provided by the Greek academic libraries, (b) to evaluate these services according to user perceptions and (c) to utilize the dimensions proposed by the SERVQUAL instrument to assess the overall user satisfaction when interacting with the library environment. Quota sampling approach was employed to obtain approximately proportional sized samples of respondents from the users of 21 Greek academic libraries. The final sample was 950 library users. Empirical findings report that users know and use more the traditional services than the electronic services provided by the Greek academic libraries. Findings also revealed that users evaluate the quality of both traditional and electronic services almost equally and above average. Moreover, library users are more satisfied with the conduct of staff and less satisfied, first, with the library as a study place and then with the library collection. Keywords: Greek academic libraries, user satisfaction, service quality, service evaluation, SERVQUAL. 1. Introduction Quality is a concept easily perceived as positive without being defined with absolute precision. One definition that could be given for quality is the amount of characteristics attributed to an entity which enable it to satisfy expressed and implied needs (Bevan, 1999). Whether the product or service is of low, good or excellent quality depends on the degree of user satisfaction (Bevan, 1999). The quality of library services is evaluated based on the level of expectations of the users. The aim of this research is to empirically evaluate the library service quality of all Greek Universities (national survey) from the users perspective. In this study the SERVQUAL instrument has been used. 2. Services offered by academic libraries Academic library services can be (a) traditional services offered at the physical place of the library and (b) electronic services offered to the users electronically. Traditional services are: loan, inter-loan, reading room, customer service, book and journal

2 collection, copies, pc room, user education, audiovisual laboratory, European Documentation Centre (EDC) and Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) workstation. Electronic services are: website of library, online remote access catalog (OPAC) service, electronic journals and books, database, distance learning platform, digital collection, digital academic repository and paper order. 3. Literature Review The SERVQUAL instrument identifies service quality from the customer perspective (Parasuraman et al, 1991). SERVQUAL has been used to evaluate several academic and public libraries (see, Martin, 2003; Nagata et al, 2004; Satoh et al., 2005; Sahu, 2007; Green,2008). Specifically, SERVQUAL consisted of statements which measure users perceptions and expectations of service delivered on a five point Likert scale. The gap between the two scores is calculated. The service is good if perceptions meet or exceed satisfaction and problematic if perceptions fall below expectations. That instrument measures five dimensions (Zeithaml et al., 1990, p.26; Parasuraman et al, 1988): (1) Reliability: the ability to perform the promised service both dependably and accurately; (2) Assurance: the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence; (3) Empathy: the provision of caring, individualized attention to customers; (4) Responsiveness: the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service; and (5) Tanginess: the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials. Cook and Thomson (2000) found three dimensions to apply to library services, namely tangibles, reliability and affect of services. Nitecki and Hernon (2000) noted that there might be other dimensions for library services, such as users preference for self-sufficiency. According to the study of Cook and Heath (2001), the library service quality includes six dimensions: affect of service, ease to access, self reliance, reliability, comprehensive collection, library as a place. In more recent studies, Satoh and al. (2005) suggested that the library services of academic libraries consists four dimensions: affect of service (personal), library as place, collection and access, effect of service. Library as place and affect of service are the more traditional library service dimensions but information control measures aspects of library services which are important to the new user (Lincoln, 2002). Library as place is often a larger part of the habitus of individuals and the university alike, however, when students must utilize the space for studying and research because they are commuting students (Cook, 2001). Therefore were added items that measure the functional and technical quality of academic libraries. In this study, similar tools like LibQUAL, were considered. In this process, we were analyzed only the perspective of library users, because we emphasize in the evaluation of Greek academic libraries.

3 4. Methodology One of the most important methods of evaluating the quality of library services is the survey method. A well structured questionnaire was used for the data collection process. Participants were users of all Greek Academic Libraries (21 libraries), except the University of Peloponnese 1. Quota sampling (non probability sampling method) was used for selecting participants. Sample quotas for each Greek Academic library were proportionate to the total number of the population of users in each Greek Academic Library (see Table 2). This ensures that the final sample of the study is representative to the population in terms of number of users of Greek Academic Libraries. The final sample consists of 950 library users from the age of 18 to 55, including women (50.3%) and men (49.7%), with the majority of them being graduate students (69.5% of the sample); 22.9% of the sample were postgraduate students, 4.7% were academic staff and 2.8% were external users. The average age of the sample library users is 24 years old and mean of library visits is 8.5 times monthly. Participants use electronic services with mean value 6.83 times monthly. Table 1: Sampling Quotas per Greek Academic Library LIBRARY LIBRARY USERS 2 LIBRARY USERS /TOTAL POPULATION SAMPLE SIZE NEEDED PER LIBRARY 1. Athens School of Fine Arts 1, Aristotle University of 41, Thessaloniki 3. Agricultural University of 4, Athens 4. Democritus University of 12, Thrace 5. International Hellenic University 6. National & Kapodistrian 11, University of Athens 7. National Technical University 15, of Athens 8. Ionian University 5, Athens University of Economics & Business 12, University of the Aegean 9, University of West Macedonia 3, University of Thessaly 20, The statistical database of TQMU - MOPAV (Total Quality Management Unit of Greek Academic Libraries) had no library user data available for University of Peloponnese, so we could not calculate the corresponding sampling quota (research limitation). 2 Data for total library users for each Academic Library were obtained by the statistical database of TQMU - MOPAV (Total Quality Management Unit of Greek Academic Libraries). 3 According to sampling quota the aim for University of Thessaly was 81 library users. Due to time constrains 31 questionnaires were collected (thus 50 questionnaires below the sampling quota target which is a research limitation).

4 13. University of Ioannina 12, University of Crete 16, University of Macedonia 10, University of Patras 25, University of Piraeus 22, University of Central Greece Panteion University 18, Techical University of Crete 6, Harokopeio University 1, TOTAL The survey s questionnaire included Likert type questions regarding: (a) the level of usage of services provided by the Greek academic libraries, (b) the evaluation of these services according to user perceptions, (c) the dimensions proposed by SERVQUAL model and (d) participant s demographics. A pilot study to check the reliability of the items of the constructs (and the conceptualization and operationalization of questionnaire construction) took place at the Central library of Patra s University. Reliability test Cronbach a (Alpha) was good with Cronbach a > 0.7 for all constructs. After communicating with all Library directors, data collection process initiated by sending the appropriate number of questionnaires (according to quota sampling) to the 21 Greek Academic Libraries. The data collection period was from 10/4/2013 until 10/7/ Survey Results 5.1 Usage and Evaluation of Library Service Traditional services were used often by library users. Results indicate that the reading room has the highest percentage usage with 87.6% respectively of the total sample. Loans (80.1%), Customer service (75.7%) and Book Collection (66.6%) have also high percentages of usage. Low usage percentages have Inter Loan service (26.9%), user education (9.3%), European Documentation Center (6.6%) and audiovisual laboratory (3.9%). Interesting is the fact that although library users know the existence of academic journals (78.5%) they do not use them as a source for information (38.3%). The mean usage percentage of traditional library services is 46.3% of the total sample. Results of usage of electronic services show that the website of each academic library has the highest percentage usage (89.6%) of the total sample. High percentages of usage have also electronic search catalog OPAC (66.5%), electronic journals (49.5%), distance learning platforms (39.6%), database (38.2%) and electronic books (30.4%). Low usage percentages have digital academic repository (22.4%), digital collection (20.3%) of academic libraries and on line paper order from other libraries (10.9%). The mean usage percentage of library services is 40.82% of the total sample.

5 Diagram 1 shows the means of the evaluations per traditional services. Reading room has the highest level of evaluation with mean value of 3.97 (1-5 scale, 1=Lowest quality, 5=Highest quality). Loans (3.96), Customer service (3.9) and Book Collection (3.72) have also high quality evaluations. The relatively low quality evaluations are: Audiovisual library (2.68), EDC (2.81), User Education (3.1) and Room for Individual Study (3.24). The total evaluation of traditional library services is Diagram 1: Evaluation of traditional services (means) Diagram 2 shows the mean of evaluation per electronic services. The Web site and the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) have the highest level of evaluation with mean value 3.75 (1-5 scale, 1=Lowest quality, 5=Highest quality). Distance learning platform has also relatively high quality evaluation with mean The relatively low quality evaluations are paper order (3.18) and digital collection (3.33). The total evaluation of electronic library services is Diagram 2: Evaluation of electronic services (mean) 5.2 Evaluation of Greek Academic Libraries Affect of service refers to the behavior of library staff. It encloses the three dimensions of SERVQUAL instrument regarding the library personnel: assurance,

6 empathy, responsiveness. Specifically, the item with the highest evaluation by the users is willingness to help users with mean value of Also employees who are consistently courteous (3.98) and Employees who have the knowledge to answer user questions (3.94) are highly evaluated by library users. The Dependability in handling users service problems has the lowest evaluation (3.71), which can be explained by the layoffs due to economic crisis. In general, all items of Affect of Service score between 3.71 and 4 (mean: 3.83), which strongly indicates that the staff of Greek Libraries is performing at a relatively high quality level. Diagram 1: Affect of service evaluation (1-5 scale, 1=Lowest quality, 5=Highest quality) The Information Control refers to the library collection and it also includes the reliability of library services. The variable printed library material I need for my work is the highest evaluated item of the construct Information Control by the users with mean value of Printed and electronic journal collections is the second high evaluated item with mean of The Modern equipment that lets me easily access needed information has the lowest evaluation (3.26). The construct Information control is evaluated above average by users (mean: 3.39). Diagram 2: Information control evaluation (1-5 scale, 1=Lowest quality, 5=Highest quality) Library as a place or Tanginess is evaluated above average by library users (mean of all 5 items: 3.64). Diagram 7 presents the mean ratings for all items. Space that inspires study and learning (mean 3.75, 1-5 scale, 1=Lowest quality, 5=Highest quality) is the item with the highest rating from library users. Almost the same stands for the item comfortable and inviting location (mean 3.74). Then, getaway for study, learning or research has a high evaluation of Quiet space for individual

7 activities and community space for group learning and study have the relatively lowest evaluations with 3.51 and 3.48 respectively. Diagram 3: Library as a place evaluation (1-5 scale, 1=Lowest quality, 5=Highest quality) 5.3 Factor Analysis Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine factor structures and to show us which item belong to which dimensions. In order to further investigate how the variables-criteria correlate and group, we used factor analysis. Data have been analyzed using exploratory factor analysis to extract the underlying factors of website evaluation. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett s Test of Sphericity (BTS) has been calculated. All factors have been extracted using orthogonal varimax rotation. Only the factors having latent roots or eigenvalues greater than 1 were considered significant, were retained and reported. The factor analysis was used to identify the dimensions of library services between SERVQUAL items and factors. The results showed that Greek academic libraries service quality consists of four dimensions; however SERVQUAL instrument has five dimensions (Parasuraman et al.). The four factors found through the factor analysis in Greek academic libraries were: (1) Affect of service, consists of items on library staff and their behavior to library users (2) Library as a place, consists of items on physical place of academic library (3) Information control, includes items about the library collection and digital access (4) Items that help users to work Table 2 shows analytical the results of factor analysis including the four factors and their factor loadings. The KMO and Barlett s Test were good (KMO = 0.958, sig ). The sample of the survey was excellent with reliability and validity. Factor analysis extraction sums of squared loadings % of the total variance.

8 Table 2: Four factors of Greek Academic library services Factors I. Affect of Service Willingness to help users Dependability in handling users service problems Giving users individual attention Employees who deal with users in a caring fashion Employees who are consistently courteous Employees who understand the needs of their users Employees who have the knowledge to answer user questions Readiness to respond to users questions Employees who instill confidence in users II. Library as Place Library space that inspires study and learning A getaway for study, learning or research A comfortable and inviting location Library building Community space for group learning and group study Quiet space for individual activities III. Information Control Modern equipment that lets me easily access needed information A library website enabling me to locate information on my own Making information easily accessible for independent use Easy-to-use access tools that allow me to find things on my own Functionality of OPAC catalog Making electronic resources accessible from my home or office IV. Items that help users to work Print and/or electronic journal collections I require for my work The printed library materials I need for my work The electronic information resources I need Factor Loadings Affect of service is the largest and most important dimension among the four factors identified. This factor included many items on services that delivered to the users by library staff and many items on staff behavior. The item which showed the highest factor loadings was the willingness of library staff to help users. That s the item that library users of Greek academic libraries, consider most important. Dependability in handling users service problems is the second important item for library users. Also, very important for library users is the attention that was given from employees. Library users believe that the behavior of library staff is more important of the physical place of the library, even from the library collection. Specifically, library as a physical place is the second factor that was identified and information control is the third. Library as a place included items such as Library space that inspires study and learning, which is and the most important item for library users with the highest factor loadings among the items of that dimension. A getaway for study, learning or research is also important for library users. Additionally, they give importance to a comfortable and inviting location. Information control is the third factor. The items that showed the highest factor loadings of information control were a modern equipment that lets users easily access needed information and a library website that enabling users to find information on their own.

9 Finally, the last factor consists of items that help users to work, to do their thesis, or to study. The most important item of that factor is Print and/or electronic journal collections that users require for their work. 6. Discussion Greek academic library users have a better knowledge of the traditional type of services offered than the electronic services. Consistent with the above finding is the fact that library users prefer to use more the traditional services than the electronic services although electronic services are evaluated a little bit higher than the traditional services (evaluation of electronic services: 3.54, evaluation of traditional services: 3.44). Top traditional services used are: reading room, loan, customer service and the book collection. These results were expected because these types of library services are widely used by university students. On the other hand, there are only two electronic services which are significantly used by library users namely: the Library website and Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC). It is clear from the analysis that the tangible library environment attracts more its users to interact with it. One reason explaining the low usage level of the electronic services (40.82% of the total sample) is the lack of knowledge of their existence by library users. Therefore, an interesting proposal for libraries would be to promote their electronic services to their users and educate them how to use them. Another interesting result is the big difference between library users knowing the existence of academic journals (78.5%) and using them as a source for information (38.3%). Academic journals are considered as a reliable and up-to-date source of scientific information, but unfortunately the big majority of library users, namely the university students, are not used to utilize them. Librarians and academic staff must motivate students to use more the academic journals during their studies. Greek educational system has been strongly and many times criticised about the quality of services it offers to its end users (mostly students). After the analysis of the three LibQUAL dimensions Greek Academic libraries were found to offer above average quality services to their end users, therefore. Library staff was evaluated high by library users (mean 3.83), then the tangible aspects of the library (3.64) and finally the information the library offers (3.39). All three dimensions of Greek Academic libraries were evaluated above average, which means that University libraries offer acceptable service to Greek education. 7. Conclusions 950 library users from 21 Greek Academic Libraries participated to our national survey, which aimed to evaluate the quality of services offered by Greek Academic libraries. Empirical findings report that users know and use more the traditional services than the electronic services provided by the Greek academic libraries, while both types of library services are almost equally evaluated above average. Moreover, library users are more satisfied with the conduct of staff, then with the library as a study place and, finally, with the library collection. All three quality dimensions were evaluated above average and in the case of the conduct of staff the evaluation was towards high. In the future SERVQUAL model can be used to measure the quality of Technological Institutes libraries or other public libraries in order to compare these results with the results of Greek University libraries. Furthermore, SERVQUAL

10 instrument can be used to assess the quality of the Greek educational system as a whole. The primary goal of factor analysis was to reduce a large number of variables into a smaller number of important factors. Furthermore, the goal was to identify any correlations between research variables and how they load on specific factors. The results showed that Greek academic libraries service quality consists of four dimensions; however SERVQUAL instrument has five dimensions. Finally, it would be interesting to conduct similar national surveys to other European countries (or globally) for comparison purposes and for implementing benchmarking findings. References Asemi, A., Kazempour, Z., Rizi, H.A. (2010). Using LibQUAL1TM to improve services to libraries: A report on academic libraries of Iran experience. Electronic Library. 28 (4): Association of Research Libraries. (2011). Texas A&M University LibQUAL Survey, Washington. Bevan, N. (1999). Quality in use: Meeting user needs for quality. The Journal of Systems and Software. 49 (1): Chen, K.N. (2006). Library evaluation and organizational learning. Journal of Librarianship an Information Science. 38 (2): Cook, C., Thompson, B. (2000). Reliability and validity of Servqual scores used to evaluate perceptions of library service quality. The Journal of Academic Librarianship. 26 (4): Cook, C. (2001). A mixed-methods approach to the identification and measurement of library service quality constructs: LibQUAL+. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Einasto, O. (2009). Using service quality monitoring to support library management decisions: A case study from Estonia. The International Information & Library Review. 41 (1) : Kyrillidou, M. (2000). Research Library Trends: ARL Statistics. Journal of Academic Librarianship. 26 (6): Lincoln, Y. (2002). Insights into library services and users from qualitative research. Library & Information Science Research. 24 (1): Mirza, M.S., Mahmood, K. (2012). Electronic resources and services in Pakistani university libraries: A survey of users' satisfaction. The International Information & Library Review. 44 (3): Pinto, M., Fernández-Marcial V., Gómez-Camarero C. (2010). The Impact of Information Behavior in Academic Library Service Quality: A Case Study of the Science and Technology Area in Spain. Journal of Academic Librarianship. 36 (1): Westbrook, L. (1994). Qualitative research methods: A review of major stages, data analysis techniques, and quality controls. Library & Information Science Research. 16 (3):