Quality management and Library and Information Services: Competitive advantage for the information revolution
IFLA Journal, 21 (4):
265-273 (1995)Abstract
Providing high quality services has always been the role of library and information managers; now, however, greater competition for resources, the rising expectations of funders and clients and the increasing complexity of information provision from a variety of new providers mean that management skills must match these more intense demands on and threats to library and information services. The exploitation of quality management techniques is therefore timely. A quality approach is important because of the impact of business principles on information services and the changing environment in which all library services are being developed. Defining quality in terms of users' needs precedes the measurement of quality. Goals have to be understood by the library and information service before it can be determined whether they have been achieved. An effective quality management approach within a library and information service can facilitate the setting of goals for the service and chart a way forward to ensure that services meet the challenges not only of today but of tomorrow.