Post-occupancy evaluation of academic and research library facilities

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of an indicative assessment of the major technical and functional elements of performance, carried out on the main academic and research library of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach - Published literature has been analyzed to review knowledge areas pertaining to the performance requirements of academic and research library facilities. A questionnaire was developed to obtain the users' feedback on their experience with the built environment. The findings of the user satisfaction survey were analyzed and reported to describe the degree of compliance with the collected performance requirements. Finally, a plan of action was developed and recommended to improve the performance of the main academic and research library of KFUPM. Findings - The study has determined the values of the satisfaction indices obtained for the 22 elements of performance, and identified the corresponding degree of satisfaction with each of the elements. The study also developed a plan of action to improve the performance of the library. Originality/value - The main purpose of conducting the assessment was to determine whether or not design decisions made by design professionals are providing the performance needed by users who use the facility. The paper provides a systematic approach to evaluating the technical and functional performance of existing academic library facilities. It is of practical value to library administrators and facility managers responsible for day-to-day operations of such facilities.