Quality assessment of academic libraries' performance with a special reference to information technology‐based services: Suggesting an evaluation checklist

Abstract

Purpose

The present paper's purpose is to review the literature related to quality assessment and performance evaluation in academic libraries, whether empirical or theoretical, and to extract key issues. It aims to explore which criteria exert a significant relationship with the academic libraries' performance quality; identify a set of criteria that appears to be useful for assessing the quality of academic libraries ITBS; and use these criteria to develop an instrument or evaluation checklist for evaluating the quality of academic libraries ITBS.

Design/methodology/approach

Related keywords such as “academic libraries research”, “academic libraries evaluation”, “academic libraries assessment” were searched on the web as well as some leading databases. In addition, available library resources as well as online book databases were consulted. Key issues were identified, categorized and discussed to develop the evaluation checklist suggested by the paper.

Findings

A number of indicators have been developed and tested in quality assessment studies debated in the paper. The literature reveals that evaluating ITBS in academic libraries should be considered to a greater extent and thus, more evaluation studies on the basis of validated tools are needed.

Research limitations/implications

The review does not claim to be comprehensive.

Originality/value

The paper can serve as a research roadmap concerning quality assessment of ITBS in academic libraries for researchers, managers, academic authorities and users.

Citation

Babalhavaeji, F., Isfandyari‐Moghaddam, A., Vahid Aqili, S. and Shakooii, A. (2010), "Quality assessment of academic libraries' performance with a special reference to information technology‐based services: Suggesting an evaluation checklist", The Electronic Library, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 592-621. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640471011065409