Strategies for Enhancing the Implementation and Use of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standard for Improved Service Delivery in Selected Public University Libraries in Kenya

As demand for accountability, efficiency, and customer-focused services grows, public university libraries in Kenya face increasing pressure to adopt robust quality management approaches that enhance service delivery. Effectively implementing and using the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standard provides a strategic pathway to strengthen institutional processes, improve resource utilization, and ensure continuous improvement in library services. This study aimed to identify and propose strategies to enhance the implementation and use of the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standard and improve service delivery in selected public university libraries in Kenya. The study aimed to identify strategies to enhance the implementation and use of the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standard to improve service delivery in selected public university libraries in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey design within a multiple-case study involving five purposively selected public university libraries in Eastern Kenya. The target population comprised 92 respondents: 5 Deputy Vice-Chancellors, 5 Directors of Quality Assurance, 5 Officers in Charge of ISO, and 77 university library staff. The study used a combination of stratified and census sampling to select 11 university management members who provided qualitative data through interviews and 63 university library staff who provided quantitative data through questionnaires. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in a table, while the qualitative data were analyzed using an inductive thematic method and presented as narratives. The study reveals that effectively implementing and using the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standard in selected public university libraries in Kenya requires a holistic approach involving adequate funding, leadership commitment, ICT integration, staff capacity development, simplified processes, and continuous improvement mechanisms. The findings identify adequate funding and resource mobilization (98.4%) as the most critical strategy, followed by sustainability measures (87.3%), ICT integration (79.4%), simplified documentation and quality culture (76.2%), continuous monitoring and evaluation (73%), staff training (71.4%), and management support (68.3%). The study reveals that ISO 9001:2015 should be embedded as a continuous improvement framework rather than merely a certification requirement. The study recommends that university management should prioritize resource allocation, strengthen ICT integration, enhance staff training, simplify documentation, and promote a quality culture supported by continuous monitoring and evaluation to improve sustainable service delivery in university libraries.