Expertise and evidence in the assessment of library service quality

The assessment of library service quality requires both expertise and objectivity. Undergraduate students are neither expert nor objective, and assessment methods that rely heavily on students’ perceptions are likely to be inadequate in several respects. Students’ needs are not necessarily consistent with their preferences, for example, and the limited experiences of most undergraduates give them only a partial understanding of library collections and services. Although user surveys provide valuable information about patrons’ perceptions, that information is no substitute for objective standards based on professional knowledge.