Assessing building performance: Post occupancy evaluation of Penang Digital Library building

Educational building such as the library, has undergone various evolutions in terms of design, layout, and flexibility of its environment. The first of its kind, the traditional library is no longer being used and has become redundant and unappreciated over time. Hence, Penang Digital Library, has taken the evolution to another milestone as the first digital library with a physical attachment. Despite the step forward, it has caused another setback due to the absence of assessment in library facilities, resulting in underutilization and inconsistencies in matching users' needs and preferences. Hence, the purpose of this research is to assess the building performance via Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) approach. This approach is appropriate in measuring the building performance and determining the users' satisfaction levels. The objectives of this research paper are to identify the performance of the building, to determine the user satisfaction level, to analyze the correlation of building performance with user's satisfaction level, and finally to provide recommendation for improvement of the building. To complete these objectives, convenience method was used as the sampling method. A total of 200 questionnaires have been distributed by the researcher but obtained only 126 response back from the respondents. The collected data was processed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software.