Delivering quality and excellent service delivery has become a winning strategy for service organisations like public libraries in a world where services account for large percentages of gross domestic product (GDP). Excellence sustains a customer’s confidence in an organization, results in more new customers and ensures profitability and sustainability. The purpose of this study was to measure the extent of the quality of service using the five conventionally recognised dimensions of service quality, determine the order of relative importance of the five dimensions, and propose solutions to the quality gaps identified in the study. Anchored on the Gaps Model of Service Quality (GMSQ), the study employed a stratified random sampling technique, wherein the researchers targeted to collect primary quantitative data from 455 registered users. With the help of staff within the three selected public libraries, the subjects were categorised as either youth or adults. A standardised, six-point Likert scale SERVQUAL instrument, derived from the pioneering works of Parasuraman et al. was administered, and 254 users responded, yielding a 55.8% response rate. The findings revealed that for the five dimensions under investigation, a collective average service quality gap score of −1.2, was realised, indicating that the perceived quality of service delivered by the three libraries fell below customers’ expectations. This suggests the need for the concerned libraries to strategise appropriately for quality control. From the findings, the study offers some recommendations for improvements. This study also contributes to the existing studies assessing service quality and library user input in evaluating information services.
Ditebo et al. (Wed,) studied this question.