Purpose Academic libraries play a vital role in supporting students' learning and research; however, mismatches between users’ expectations and service delivery can undermine their effectiveness. This study examines university students’ perceptions and expectations of academic library services in Bangladesh, focusing on core services, the library environment, and assistance and support. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative design was used, and data were collected via an online questionnaire from 505 students at six public and one private university. Convenience sampling was applied, and the data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-tests. Findings The findings reveal statistically significant gaps between perceived and expected services across all dimensions (p = 0.01). Students reported moderate satisfaction with traditional services such as library hours and documentation support, but expectations were substantially higher for digital and technology-based services, including e-books, digital lending and virtual reference platforms. Significant differences were also found in the library environment, particularly regarding collaborative learning spaces, sanitation facilities and secure, learning-friendly settings. Assistance and support services showed the largest gaps, highlighting unmet expectations for advanced research consultation, information literacy training, plagiarism awareness and online assistance. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence of service gaps in Bangladeshi academic libraries and underscores the need for user-centered policy interventions. Unlike prior studies in the Bangladeshi context, this research focuses explicitly on quantifying expectation-perception gaps rather than solely measuring service perceptions or validating standardized instruments.
Azmir et al. (Tue,) studied this question.