Importance of Staff Capabilities to Provide a Quality Service in University Libraries: Users’ Perspective in Sri Lankan Context

Abstract

The research methodology employed a sample survey, encompassing 2131 participants, consisting of 1638 undergraduates and 493 academic staff members. These individuals were selected at random from seven state universities across different provinces of Sri Lanka. A structured Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 to 9, was utilized to gauge the users' perceptions of service quality based on nine key staff capability attributes. These attributes encompassed qualities such as dedication to instilling confidence in users, personalized user care, the ability to address user queries, user empathy, competency in responding to user queries, dependability, courtesy and politeness, willingness to serve, and the ability to understand user needs. The analysis of the collected data employed descriptive analysis and importanceperformance analysis. These analytical approaches allowed for an examination of the gap between users' expectations and their perceived experiences in the library regarding the nine staff capability attributes. The findings of this research demonstrate that, out of the nine staff capability attributes, seven were perceived by users as highly important and highly performed. This suggests that library staff excel in these areas and meet or exceed user expectations. However, two attributes, namely, employees' caring for users and their proficiency in addressing user queries, were deemed both low in importance and performance. Notably, attributes related to instilling confidence in users and providing crucial component of university libraries, even in the age of crucial component of university libraries, even in the age of digitalization and automation. It highlights the need for libraries to focuse on developing and enhancing various aspects of staff capabilities, particularly in the context of the evolving digital networked environment. By addressing the identified gaps in staff capabilities, libraries can continue to serve as vital hubs of knowledge and support in the academic journey of students and researchers, enriching the overall library experience.