Assessment of Reengineered Library Services and Spaces for Improved User Experience in Universities in Kenya

Abstract

Innovation and transformation have been synonymous with the library environment, as they strive to rethink the services they offer amidst the changing information landscape. This paper assesses the reengineered library services and spaces in universities. The paper demonstrates how university libraries in Kenya have re-engineered their services and spaces variably in order to cope with the changes in the information landscape and for improved user experience. A multiple case study approach of six purposively selected private and public university libraries in Kenya based on Webometric ranking as an indicator of reengineering was used. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with 30 librarians and 25 focus groups of students. The qualitative data collected was analyzed through content analysis. The findings show that university libraries have re-engineered their services to respond to the changes and nurture a competitive advantage, but users still associate libraries with traditional services. It also revealed that reengineering has not had an effect on the satisfaction levels and usage of the library. The authors conclude that reengineering library services and spaces in universities has not improved user experience. The study recommends continuous reviews of the re-engineered services for improvements or redesign; involvement of library users in the redesign of the services, and promotion of the re-engineered services. This study has practical implications in assessing the re-engineering of library services and spaces by providing useful insights for future reengineering initiatives.