MEASURING QUALITY MANAGEMENT LEVEL WITH REFERENCE TO ISO 9000 AND TQM FOR SPECIAL LIBRARIES IN INDIA

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to assess the impact of six factors viz., status of library; size of ALIS units; sector of organization (administrative control); type of organization (major fields of activities); resources; and quality awareness level (as independent variables) on Quality Management Level (OML) of special libraries in India. The QML is represented by nine key activities of libraries viz, Commitment by management/leadership; Education & Training; Services standards; Processes standards;' Customers' survey; Quality manuals; suggestion/ feedback systems; Quality circles; and Individual ethics for management and learning treated as dependent variables. In the study, the empirical data was collected through a questionnaire from a sample population of special libraries in India. A TQM based approach was followed by using modified form of European, Quality Model. Presents the findings on QML and its variations among special libraries in India and establishes knowledge on associative patterns between QML and six factors. The results of the survey reveal that (or proper performance measurement of LIS sector, OML depends upon a TQM oriented instrument concludes that QML is closely associated with innovation and reorganization process rather than streamlining and securing routine functions and processes which would be a conservative approach for successful Quality Management in libraries.