Development and Validation of the Librarians' Perceptions of Factors influencing Library Service Quality (LPF-LSQ) Scale

Abstract

This study aims to develop and validate a comprehensive, psychometrically sound scale to measure librarians' perceptions of the internal and external factors that influence Library Service Quality (LSQ)—a perspective missing from existing user-centric instruments like LibQUAL and SERVQUAL. The scale was developed through a multi-stage process: (1) Item generation from literature and expert consultations (60 initial items); (2) Content validation using Lawshe's Content Validity Ratio (CVR) with 33 experts; (3) A pilot study (n=308); (4) Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and (5) Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to establish the factor structure and model fit (n=309); and (6) Reliability testing using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. The final LPF-LSQ scale consists of 34 items across seven distinct, reliable factors: Library Staff (5 items), Physical Environment (6 items), Leadership (6 items), Government Funding & Policies (4 items), Users’ Demand (5 items), Global Trends (4 items), and Library Location (4 items). All constructs demonstrated high reliability (α > 0.87) and good model fit (CFI = .925, RMSEA = .074). This is the first validated scale designed specifically to capture librarians' diagnostic perceptions of LSQ drivers. It provides library administrators and researchers with a powerful tool for internal assessment, strategic planning, and benchmarking to proactively enhance service quality.