Information technology (IT) is playing a very important role in facilitating access to global information and knowledge resources in libraries

IT services in Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad (PSAS) plays a very significant role and is geared towards fulfilling the information needs of users in learning, teaching, research and consultation.

The aim of this study is to obtain users’ perception of IT services in PSAS. The analysis includes the estimation of the relative importance and the level of users’ satisfaction of the services provided. This information can be used to improve the quality of IT services given by the library.

IT services

Users’ perceptionSatisfaction

Users’ perceptions on IT services in PSAS.

Main elements of IT services in PSAS:Website

Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)Electronic Databases

Internet ServicesSelf Check MachineBook Drop Terminal

Wifi Services.

The respondent for this study includes all categories of users in PSAS.1) Undergraduate/Postgraduate students,2) Academic Staff/Lecturers,3) Non-academic Staff and4) Researchers .

IT Illiterate

No Publicity

Time ConsumingNot

using IT services

•To identify the trend in utilizing IT services in PSAS.

•To examine the importance of each IT services provided.

•To examine user satisfaction level on the utilization of IT services provided by PSAS.

•To identify factors that contribute to non-satisfaction among users on the IT services.

•To discover steps to improve IT services in disseminating scholarly information.

IT service is indispensability supports for an organization or a business (Tian Jun and LiuZhongchuan, 2007). Role of IT in libraries from overview aspect is traditionally,computers in libraries have been used, and in most cases are still being used toautomate the following library functions, acquisitions and budgets; cataloguing andshort loans; circulation; serials control (Periodicals); and provision of access to onlinecatalogues. Basically IT really helps daily operation and organizational strategy.

A large amount of evidence shows that customer satisfaction and behavioral intentionare influenced by customers’ perceptions of performance (Burton et al., 2003).

The study reinforces the importance of customer experience and suggests thatexperience may affect satisfaction (via an interaction effect) and also willingness toreuse a service.

Sadeh (2007) stated that this change in users’ perceptions and their preference forinternet tools and services such as web search engines, e-mail, blogs, and RSS feeds arethe outcome of several factors. One of the factors in her research is users assign greatvalue to the ease of use, ease of access, and speed that characterise internet tools andservices.

Variables and measures

Important

• How important is each type of IT services in PSAS?

Satisfaction(five dimensions of service quality was measured: reliability; responsiveness; assurance; access; and communication.)

• Are they satisfied with the aspects of IT services provided by PSAS?

A total of 381 questionnaires have been received out of 500 which weredistributed to selected respondents within the population.

The Importance and the satisfaction of the services are the two variables thathave been measured in this study using Likert-Scale.

Data gained was analyzed using SPSS software whereby descriptive analysis(frequencies, percentage and means) was used to measure the data.

The study was also used to identify the usage trend of the IT services providedby PSAS.

The instrumentation based on the definitions of quality service determinants,which use the following five dimensions :- reliability; responsiveness; assurance;access; and communication.

RESPONDENTS PROFILE

Majority of the respondents are:

• Male PSAS users (59.1%).

• Malay (40.9%) .

• Age between 30-40 years(48.3%)

• Users who come to the library every day (58.3%)

• Aware all of the facilities and services available in the library (34.9%).

• Able to use the IT services provided (78.5%).

Utilization of IT services

Score Percentage

IT Services 1 2 3 4 5 Mean SD

PSAS Website - - 33.9 57.5 8.7 3.75 .602

E-databases/

Online Journals

22.6 8.7 43.0 17.1 8.7 2.81 1.214

OPAC - 8.7 25.2 57.5 8.7 3.66 .756

Self Check 7.9 8.7 43.0 31.8 8.7 3.25 1.004

Book Drop 7.9 41.2 16.5 25.7 8.7 2.86 1.147

Internet Services 7.9 - 25.2 32.0 34.9 3.86 1.137

Wireless Services 7.9 - 25.2 49.9 17.1 3.68 1.016

User trends on the utilization IT services

Users evaluation on IT

Score Percentage

IT Services 1 2 3 4 5 Mean SD

PSAS Website - - 13.6 60.6 25.7 4.12 .617

E-database/

Online Journals

- - 22.3 34.1 43.6 4.21 .784

OPAC - - 8.7 47.8 43.6 4.35 .634

Self Check - 2.9 8.7 49.1 39.4 4.25 .731

Book Drop - 16.5 26.5 31.2 25.7 3.66 1.035

Internet Services - - 31.5 34.1 34.4 4.03 .812

Wireless Services - - 17.8 34.1 48.0 4.30 .754

The important of IT services in PSAS

Score Percentage

Service quality

Dimensions

1 2 3 4 5 Mean SD

Reliable - - 28.3 63.0 8.7 3.80 .576

Responsiveness - - - 91.3 8.7 4.09 .282

Assurance - - 23.1 54.6 22.3 3.99 .675

Accessible - 13.6 - 77.7 8.7 3.81 .774

Communications - - 28.3 63.0 8.7 3.80 .576

User satisfaction

Score Percentage

Elements 1 2 3 4 5 Mean SD

Very hard to use - 45.9 40.4 13.6 - 2.68 .702

Not accessible - 28.1 40.9 22.3 8.7 3.12 .916

Slow speed - 36.5 54.9 - 8.7 2.81 .822

Not effective

(always out of

service)

- 31.0 48.8 11.5 8.7 2.98 .879

Not user-friendly - 54.3 45.7 - - 2.46 .499

Uncomfortable - 54.3 23.4 22.3 2.68 .816

Low quality of

facilities

- 54.3 32.0 - 23.6 2.73 1.009

Factors contributing to non satisfaction among users

Action to improve IT services in disseminating scholarly information must and will be taken if the satisfaction level is below 60%

Realizing the importance of providing better services to users’, PSAS need to improve and upgrade some of the IT services.

Good relationship and understanding should exist between PSAS staff and users’

Staff and management should provide the best IT services to users’ in order to achievetheir mission, avoiddissatisfaction, thereby giving a good perception to users’.

At the moment, most of the recommendations received have been fullfilled , such asincreasing the bandwidth from 155MB to 200MB to speed up the internet access andsupport the traffic load.