Usage of academic libraries: the role of service quality, resources, and user characteristics

Abstract

With the increasing intensity of competition between information providers in the field of information availability, and the increase in the prices of books, periodicals, and electronic information sources. With the emergence of new technologies and services in the field of providing information, all of these factors have led to the emergence of questions about the role of academic libraries at the present time. There were differences regarding the necessity of understanding and accommodating the needs and hopes of academic library users in the field of the quality and level of service provided by the library in order to achieve service quality and user satisfaction.

However, satisfaction with services is likely to explain the real and actual use of these libraries, and this is the subject of this study, which aims to test a model that explains the role of academic libraries and their uses and examines some important factors affecting the use of academic libraries, such as: quality of service, resources, and user characteristics.

This study was conducted in three academic libraries in the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, over the course of three semesters. Questionnaires were distributed to 210 students distributed among these three libraries, and the return was 188. The results showed that there were several differences in the use of academic libraries.