Assessing Service Quality: Satisfying the expectations of library customers

Technological progress has meant that the old measures of service quality no longer apply. If libraries are to succeed, they must see themselves in competition with other institutions and sources of information, especially the Web, and make customers feel welcome and valued. This classic book is brought fully up to date as Peter Hernon and Ellen Altman integrate the use of technology into the customer experience. They offer solid, practical ideas for developing a customer service plan that meets the library's customer-focused mission, vision, and goals, challenging librarians to think about customer service in new ways, including: distance education; use of library websites; partnerships and consortia for electronic collections; and ways to effectively embrace change for continuous improvement.