Performance Audit through LibQUAL+ Technique: The Experience of Burdwan University and Visva-Bharati Library Users.

Introduction-This paper discussed the need of performance audit through LibQUAL+ technique in University Library users in West Bengal, India. LibQUAL+ Technique is developed by Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in the year 2000. It is a suite of services that libraries use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon users' opinions of service quality. In this paper, an attempt has been made to measure the performance of Burdwan University Library and Visva-Bharati Library Users through LibQUAL+ technique. Comparative study of each dimension that is Library as a Place (LP), Information Control (IC) and Affect of Service (AS), Adequacy Gap (AG), Superiority Gap (SG) and Zone of Tolerance has been determined. This technique has been applied to know what library users saying about the performance of the library. Methods-To conduct of this study a large variety of data-gathering and analysis techniques have been adopted such as surveys, interviews, observations, etc. of the users of both the libraries. Findings-Visva-Bharati Library (VBL) performs better in all respect than Burdwan University Library (BUL) specially overall library performance of VBL (3.20 mean score) where as BUL (3.34 mean score) in West Bengal, India. Suggestions-Library authority should concentrate whether minimum service levels are available to users, what their desired service levels are but what they are getting (perceived) at this moment. Faculty, scholars and students opinion (feedback & suggestions) regarding library services have to take regular interval i.e. quarterly, half-yearly or yearly. Besides that, authority of university library should always promote introduction of new services to the academic community through notification as well as put it library website or university website. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]