Quality Management System in Libraries: A Case Study

Abstract

International Standards are the backbone of the society, ensuring the safety and quality of products and services, facilitating and improving the present environment in which we live in. Conformity to International Standards helps reassure consumers those products, systems and organizations are safe, reliable and good for the environment. When products and services conform to International Standards consumers can have confidence that they are safe, reliable and of good quality. ISO 9001 is a worldwide standard designed and developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Switzerland. ISO 9001 is currently in use by close to one million organizations around the world. It is truly a worldwide standard for quality. Obtaining ISO 9001 certification puts libraries in a very select group. ISO standards draw on international expertise and experience and are therefore a vital resource for governments when developing public policy. Libraries around the world can the standards to provide quality library and information services to their clientele. A quality management system (QMS) is a formalized system that documents processes, procedures, and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives. A QMS helps coordinate and direct an organization’s activities to meet customer and regulatory requirements and improve its effectiveness and efficiency on a continuous basis. ISO 9001:2015 is an example of a Quality Management System. ISO 9001:2015, the international standard specifying requirements for quality management systems, is the most prominent approach to quality management systems. For libraries, certification can be a useful tool to add credibility, by demonstrating that services provided meet the expectations of users. The benefits of the certification are numerous and include user satisfaction and user centred services in the libraries. The paper discusses the various benefits of quality management system in libraries and adopting a quality management system standard; describe the various issues related to ISO 9001:2015 standard; and shares a case study of implementing such a system in the library attached to M G State Institute of Public Administration, Punjab, Chandigarh (India).