Service Design for Libraries: An Introduction

The management concept of service science (SS), and its origins in the business sector through evolving customer service expectations are explored in this chapter. It proposes the concept’s utility—indeed its emerging necessity—as an administrative requisite to meet library users’ needs. The chapter is a conceptual one addressing SS and service design (SD) approaches to building customer service systems for libraries, the why and how of implementation in libraries regardless of the community served—that is to say, the why and how of implementation in libraries regardless of the community served. The changing outlook of customers and managers regarding commercial service expectations is not disputed in the business and management literature. Extreme customer service has become a norm. However, these service expectations can and have carried over into the public and nonprofit sectors. This chapter proposes that libraries become aware of changing service norms and utilize SD methods to meet users’ needs. Quite simply, libraries that do not investigate SD methods and implement community-specific design strategies, may begin to suffer patron dissatisfaction and even lose patronage. Alternatively, libraries which do adopt SD methods, may see increases in user satisfaction and patronage. SS and design are relatively novel subdisciplines of management studies. This, however, does not belie their importance. A broad introduction of the topics for library administration and planning considerations is warranted and necessary.