Getting Started with Evaluation

Peter Hernon · Robert E. Dugan · Joseph R. Matthews

Jan 2014 · American Library Association

About this ebook

Everyone agrees that evaluation of library services is essential, but without a background in research it can be a challenge to apply abstract concepts such as strategic planning, evidence-based decision making, and accountability to real-world situations. Finally library managers have a workbook to help them master key concepts of service quality assessment, offering directed exercises and worksheets to guide them. Firmly rooted in practical application, this book

• Presents an overview of evaluation and the types of metrics, linking them to strategic planning and infrastructure
• Examines qualitative versus quantitative measures
• Shows how to decide which metrics are relevant to one’s own institution, covering benchmarking, best practices, peer group filters, and those metrics that offer a high return on investment
• Includes pointers for launching and maintaining successful library evaluation through flexibility and smart delegation among library staff
• Offers advice on marshaling data to effectively communicate the value and impact of a library and its services, no matter the audience

Complete with a detailed list of sources for metrics and concrete examples of evaluation in practice, this workbook will be both valuable and immediately useful to managers at academic and public libraries, as well as to library trustees and others interested in assessing service quality.

About the author

Peter Hernon is a professor at Simmons College (Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Boston) and the principal faculty member for the doctoral program, Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions. He was the 2008 recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ award for Academic/Research Librarian of the Year, is the co-editor of Library & Information Science Research, and has taught, conducted workshops, and delivered addresses in ten countries outside the United States. He is the author or coauthor of 55 books, including the award-winning Federal Information Policies in the 1980s, Assessing Service Quality, andViewing Library Metrics from Different Perspectives.

Robert E. Dugan is the dean of libraries at the University of West Florida (Pensacola, FL). Prior to assuming this position, he had been at Suffolk University, Boston; Wesley College, Dover, DE; and Georgetown University, Washington, DC. He has also worked in state and public libraries during his nearly 40-year career. He is the coauthor of eleven books, including Viewing Library Metrics from Different Perspectives.

Joseph R. Matthews is a consultant specializing in strategic planning, assessment, evaluation of library services, customer service, use of performance metrics, and the balanced scorecard. He is the author of several books, including The Customer-Focused Library, Strategic Planning and Management for Managers, and Measuring for Results; and the coauthor (with Peter Hernon) of Reflecting on the Future of Academic and Public Libraries, Listening to the Customer, and other books.