Discusses the concepts of accountability and quality assessment in higher education. Topics include performance indicators in academic libraries, including international standards; factors affecting the reliability and validity of data, including consistency, ease versus utility, and values; and recommendations for research libraries. (LRW)

Discusses Total Quality Management (TQM), benefits to libraries, and possible barriers to its adoption. An overview is provided of 13 articles included in this issue on (1) library approaches to TQM; (2) implementing a TQM program; (3) supporting TQM efforts; and (4) learning from the experience of others. (EAM)

Examines the conceptual basis for the cost of quality and its application to libraries. The framework for analysis of this conceptual basis includes definitions of the cost of quality; a brief historical review of the cost of quality; and the application of quality cost to libraries, including an explanation of how quality costs respond to quality…

Focuses on the customer satisfaction element of Total Quality Management (TQM) in libraries, including definition of the terms customer and customer satisfaction, determining customer expectations, complaint systems, keeping customers, and empowerment of staff. Appendices list approaches libraries and other organizations have used to improve…

Examines the Total Quality Management (TQM) activities at a federal government agency (i.e., the Defense Fuel Supply Center) using the following criteria established by the Federal Quality Institute: top management leadership and support; strategic quality planning; customer focus; training and recognition; employee empowerment and teamwork; and…

Provides a review of the total quality management movement and process, and advocates applying it to higher education as a solution to current problems. Customer emphasis, continuous improvement, developing human resources, and using tools for process development are described; and examples from specific academic institutions are included.…

Examines the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the federal government setting. Topics covered include federal corporate culture, benefits to employees, early programs in productivity improvement, governmentwide implementation, the information network on TQM applications maintained by the Federal Quality Institute, and barriers to…

Advocates the use of the Total Quality Management (TQM) model for libraries to survive financially and to retain their customers. An award for library quality based on the Malcolm Baldridge Award is proposed to enable institutions to use an evaluation procedure that rewards a commitment to continuous improvement. (Contains five references.) (EAM)

Describes the Oregon State University library's experience with Total Quality Management (TQM) from initial training and development of two teams to its use as an impartial problem-solving tool which anyone can use. Staff concerns and fears about TQM are discussed, and benefits are explained. (Contains five references.) (EAM)

Outlines the problem-solving team training process used at Harvard University (Massachusetts), including the size and formation of teams, roles, and time commitment. Components of the process are explained, including introduction to Total Quality Management (TQM), customer satisfaction, meeting management, Parker Team Player Survey, interactive…

Explains the need for meaningful performance measures in libraries and the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach to data collection. Five tools representing different stages of a TQM inquiry are covered (i.e., the Shewhart Cycle, flowcharts, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and control charts), and benchmarking is addressed. (Contains…

Argues that, as library roles change, providing access to information resources is becoming more important than acquisition of library resources and that libraries should be evaluated based upon what they actually do. Access and performance measures are proposed to supplement the statistics collected by the Association of Research Libraries. (30…

Summarizes the experience of the Harvard College Library (Massachusetts) with Total Quality Management (TQM) and its plans for a pilot implementation and training process. The strength of the approach is shown to lie in the broadly based membership of the steering committee, commitment to group process, and ongoing communication efforts with…

Advocates the need for libraries to identify, nurture, and sustain new partnerships given rapid technological advancements and trends in information economics. Principles of partnerships are described, including Total Quality Management (TQM), negotiation, seamless connectivity, performance data, trust, patience, and perseverance; and steps in the…

Addresses training in the context of organizing and implementing a Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative. The customer service implications and relevant training or skill implications for the following phases are described: (1) exploration and commitment; (2) organizing for quality; (3) start up; and (4) expansion and integration. (Contains 18…