A Survey on Gap Between Expectations and Perceptions of Users from Perceived Service in the National Library of Iran by Using the gap Analysis Model

The Present research aimed at measuring service quality in the National library of Iran from the users views based on the Gap analysis model by using the libQual tools. In this research, service quality has been studied from 3 dimensions: Effect of Service, Information Control, and Library as Place at 3 levels: "minimum", perceived levels of services" and "desired level". Statistical population of this research included all of users (females and males) who use different parts of NLAI in the year 2010. Due to the high volume of population and time & budget restriction, 332 people formed the sample size. Findings showed that from the user's view, librarians could not meet the minimum users’ expectations except in some cases. Library resource quality in perceived level of service is lesser than their minimum expectations. In other words, library resources could not meet minimum expectations and there is more gap until desired level. Library as place dimension has more quality rather than the other two dimension. But NLAI’s place quality at the perceived level is lesser than users’ expectation minimum. Of course there is a little gap with perceived level in this dimension.