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Using LibQUAL+[R] data provided by 295,355 of the participants who completed the LibQUAL+[R] survey in 2003, 2004, and 2005, the present study was conducted to address three research questions. First, what differences, if any, have occurred across time in the use by (a) undergraduates, (b) graduate students/postgraduates, and (c) faculty of on-premises library information resources versus non-library information gateways such as Google? Second, what differences, if any, have occurred across international regions in the use by (a) undergraduates, (b) graduate students/postgraduates, and (c) faculty of on-premises library information resources versus non-library information gateways such as Google? Third, what differences, if any, are there in perceptions of library service quality across four user types ("Nonusers," "Traditionalists," "Web Techies," and "Voracious Users") reflecting different on-premises and Internet gateway usage frequencies? The results shed light on information use trends and patterns around the world. (Contains 10 figures, 2 tables, and 9 notes.)

Objectives: To explore how the library service expectations and perceptions of users might differ across health-related libraries as against major research libraries not operating in a medical context; to determine whether users of medical libraries demand better library service quality, because the inability of users to access needed literature promptly may lead to a patient who cannot be properly diagnosed, or a diagnosis that cannot be properly treated. Methodology: We compared LibQUAL+® total and subscale scores across three groups of US, Canadian and British libraries for this purpose. Results: Anticipated differences in expectations for health as other library settings did not emerge. Conclusions: The expectations and perceptions are similar across different types of health science library settings, hospital and academic, and across other general research libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]