Libraries As Customers: Achieving Continuous Improvement Through Strategic Business Partnerships

There is no more important relationship than the one between the library and its suppliers. It affects much more than the library department with which the supplier deals directly and it should, therefore, be considered a critical link in the library’s ability to deliver quality service to its users. This article discusses the use of business partnering as a means to develop relationships between acquisition librarians and their vendors. An outline of service quality dimensions is presented and compared to criteria normally utilized to evaluate vendors. Librarians and vendors who are committed to providing quality service to their respective customers can begin the process of business partnering by discussing service quality dimensions and agreeing upon a plan to continuously improve service quality within both organizations.