Part One: Introduction 1.1 What is LibQUAL LibQUAL is an
assessment tool that measures patrons’ perceptions of library
service. It was derived from SERVQUAL, a popular tool for
assessing service quality in the private sector. Over 1,000
libraries had participated in LibQUAL as of spring 2007. LibQUAL
consists of twenty-two core questions, five local questions, and
a section for additional comments. The core questions include:
nine questions measuring Affect of Service satisfaction, eight
questions measuring Information Control satisfaction, and five
questions measuring Library as Place satisfaction. Local
institutions can meet individual assessment needs by selecting
local questions from a pool of pre-tested questions. In addition
respondents are asked to rate frequency of library use, literacy
information outcomes, and overall library satisfaction. The
Raymond H. Fogler Library at the University of Maine, together
with the rest of the University of Maine system, participated in
LibQUAL in the spring of 2007.