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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the customer care practices at the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library (JKML), Kenya. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive research design was used. Simple random sampling technique was used to derive at an appropriate sample from the target population. A structured questionnaire and face-to-face interview was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 384 questionnaires were distributed to students and library staff. Face-to-face interview was conducted among five section heads. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and presented in tabulated summaries and figures. Findings JKML had not only put in place customer care practices but had also provided reliable services with notable professionalism among staff. Users were satisfied with the attention and information resources provided. Challenges encountered related to inadequate ICT infrastructure, lack of a written policy, lack of customer care skills among library staff and lack of managerial support. The study recommended inclusion of customer care in the mainstream of the strategic plan of the university. Research limitations/implications The major implication for this study is that sustainable customer care self-assessment needs to be explored in national and private libraries in Kenya. Practical implications This study provides a significant practical outlook on marketing-savvy approaches toward customer care and efforts made toward the achievement of the goals of the university. Originality/value This study provides insights on good practices on customer care which can be emulated by other academic libraries and adds value to the knowledge base.

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Introduction Worldwide, institutions create records to support their day to day activities. However, in absence of effective record management system, records do not provide the necessary support and information might be lost causing problems for the institution (Richmond, 2010). To provide an efficient and effective administration that ensures that institutions run as smoothly as possible, there should be proper management of records. International organization for Standardization (ISO) 15489 (2001) explained records management as the field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records, including the processes for capturing and maintaining evidence of an information about business activities and transactions in the form of records (Freda,2014). In the past decades of revolution, the method of information storage and how it is generated, the rate at which records are supplied to the end-users has increased drastically as a result of technological advancement. The rate of flow of the information within the learning institutions from the archive, to the employees and students at times makes it difficult for an employee to ensure that all the records have been read before destroying. Any document created by any employee during the official working hours of the organization remains the property of the institutions and therefore the employees should create records and documents so that they are efficiently and effectively managed to support the business dynamics of that organization. In higher learning institutions, record keeping systems are weak to a point that their functioning ability becomes nearly minimal. This situation is particularly evident in many public