Evaluating the Library 2.0 Services via Computing with Words

Web 2.0 tools have changed the relationship between users and libraries by improving the involvement of users in the libraries activities. To use such tools efficiently, it is essential to know if they are meeting user requirements and expectations, and how they could be improved to increase user satisfaction. The aim of this paper is to present a model to evaluate the quality of the Library 2.0 services. To do so, the quality assessments are defined using user’s perceptions on the quality of the Library 2.0 services provided though the websites of the libraries. We assume a fuzzy linguistic modeling to represent the user’s perceptions and apply tools of fuzzy computing with words based on the LOWA and LWA operators to compute the quality assessments of the Library 2.0 services. In addition, the model uses the LibQUAL+ methodology, allowing for the identification of specific 2.0 services in need of improvement and of those outstandingly satisfied by the library.