Patrons’ Expectations of the Service Quality at The Latse Contemporary Tibetan Cultural Library

Degree Name

MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management

First Advisor

Paul Ventura

Abstract

The quality of service delivered by the Latse Contemporary Tibetan Cultural Library is examined in the present capstone paper. Current library users and employees voluntarily participated in this study and provided the main source of information. Research methodologies include tape-recorded interviews, site visits, observations, and review and analysis of material culture, using the influential factors and primary dimensions from SERVQUAL (the Gap Theory) and LibQUAL+ to code and analyze the field data that I collected from the different informants.

This study attempts to answer three questions: How do patrons rate service quality at Latse Library? What factors influence library users’ expectations of service? What improvements do clients suggest?

Latse Library seems to function well from the perspective of technical assistance and research service. Findings also revealed that most library users praised the knowledge and skills of the library employees. Analysis of the interview data suggests that five factors influence the expectations of service quality among all users: word-of-mouth communication, personal needs, past experience, external communications, and spiritual and political symbols or national culture. However, the Library may need to close one gap before an emerging crack widens any further: One big challenge the Library faces is to overcome what might be described as a mysterious wall between the library and many potential users. The library also needs to address three other major issues: the website catalogue, a new circulating system and a new printer for Internet users.

Disciplines

International and Intercultural Communication | Library and Information Science

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