Dissertation Information for Faraj Mohamed Kuraim NAME: - Faraj Mohamed Kuraim
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Case Western Reserve University (USA) (1983)
ADVISORS: - Burton V. Dean - Tefko Saracevic - William M. Shaw Jr.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Christinger L. Tomer
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: The principal factors causing reader frustration in a public library
Abstract: Recent studies of book availability have shown that about 50 percent of library users' requests for books were not satisfied, although the libraries owned about 90 percent of the books requested.
The major purpose of this study was to pinpoint and describe quantitatively the operational factors which affect user satisfaction in obtaining books from a public library, and to suggest ways for improvement.
The study applied a method whereby users of the library recorded availability and non-availability of the books they sought. When books were not located by users, an immediate investigation was conducted to determine their status and/or location. For purposes of comparison, another method was also used to measure the availability of the books known to be held by the library, and that of recently published books.
Of all of the performance measures examined in this study, the combined performance measure of circulation policy and library procedure was found to be the only measure which was poor and mainly responsible for unavailability and user frustration. Another important thing was that the help offered by librarians to users was found to be of great importance in increasing the overall measure of book availability and user satisfaction.
In order to improve the performance of circulation policy and library procedure, the study recommended that libraries must consider: (1) demand dependent loan periods, (2) demand dependent book duplication, (3) recall requests, (4) employment of an electronic security system or at least an exit control, (5) maintenance of full strength in the reshelving unit, and (6) improvement of the inventory checks.
The study suggested that more diagnostic analyses are needed in order to objectively measure and evaluate library effectiveness in terms of how satisfied or frustrated users are in finding what they want to read or to know. This type of study can be conducted at all types and sizes of libraries and the results can provide library managers with useful information and guidelines.
| |
MPACT Scores for Faraj Mohamed Kuraim A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-04-09 14:05:18
Advisors and Advisees Graph
|