Towards better library services: an investigation of factors affecting tourists’ satisfaction with “library + cultural tourism”

Abstract

Purpose“Library + cultural tourism” (LCT) is a new direction for the sustainable development of libraries, but few scholars have researched it from a tourist perspective. The purpose of this paper is to identify what factors affect tourist satisfaction (TS) with LCT, reveal the interaction among these factors and provide strategies for better library services.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected 5,308 comments on Tianjin Binhai Library from three popular online travel communities. Grounded theory was adopted to identify what factors affect TS with LCT and reveal the interaction among these factors.FindingsThe results indicated that TS with LCT was affected by complex factors related to tour plans, tour expectations, cultural characteristics, environment, support services and emotions. Cultural characteristics, environment and support services were impacted by tour plans and tour expectations, which directly or indirectly affected TS mediated by emotions. TS further influenced their expectation of their next tour.Originality/valueThis paper uncovered critical problems with LCT using a case study of Tianjin Binhai Library. The results provide a reference for library practitioners to develop better library services for tourists and regular users/readers.