Metrics of library value Steve O’Connor University Librarian Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Conventional measures of value Size of Library Numbers of volumes Numbers of book and serial titles Size of budget Budget splits –Staffing –Materials –Other
As measured in HK dollars
What is an even measure? The Digital Library metric is yet to emerge The Physical Library metric was never very clear –Always tied to ‘Mine is bigger than yours’ –‘I have more than you’
Grappling with a new order How to measure the digital world –Downloads –Ratio of use Uses to titles subscribed ? Uses to FTE ? –Cost per article downloaded –Cost per article per FTE Per research staff member
Fudging of the figures Use of print journals In-house usage of print materials Number of volumes includes many multiple copies Numbers of e-journals includes multiple copies in different silos E-journals are ‘collected’ not by interest but by silo
Education18.com Ranking
Includes multiple copies Includes Chinese Million Book collection
Ratio is determined by adding UNEQUALS and dividing by Student numbers
Education18 assessments amateurish and meaningless… but very public!!! –What is the value of print titles (paid or unpaid) versus duplicate e-titles? –What is the relevance of the collections to information need? –How do these assessments relate to teaching or research value? If Libraries matter, then benchmarking and value determination really matters!
ADJUSTED
Growth of Digital… 增长的数字化 资源
Like and unlike How does one compare –Web growth –E-book and e-journal growth –Print growth ?????? Depends on purpose –Illustrative –Institutional comparisons –To stimulate debate
Application of consistent, detailed and agreed statistical definitions Decisions on the purpose of the statistical count outcomes Development of validly-based weightings for different factors
highlow high stewardship uniqueness Books Journals Newspapers Gov. docs CD, DVD Maps Scores Special collections Rare books Local/Historical newspapers Local history materials Archives & Manuscripts, theses & dissertations Research and learning materials ePrints/tech reports Learning objects Courseware E-portfolios Research data Freely-accessible web resources Open source software Newsgroup archives Collections as a measurement of value ?? With thanks to Lorcan Dempsey
highlow high stewardship uniqueness Books Journals Newspapers Gov. docs CD, DVD Maps Scores Special collections Rare books Local/Historical newspapers Local history materials Archives & Manuscripts, theses & dissertations Research and learning materials ePrints/tech reports Learning objects Courseware E-portfolios Research data Collections as a measurement of value ?? With thanks to Lorcan Dempsey
highlow high stewardship uniqueness Books Journals Newspapers Gov. docs CD, DVD Maps Scores Special collections Rare books Local/Historical newspapers Local history materials Archives & Manuscripts, theses & dissertations Research and learning materials ePrints/tech reports Learning objects Courseware E-portfolios Research data Collections as a measurement of value ?? With thanks to Lorcan Dempsey
highlow high stewardship uniqueness Books Journals Newspapers Gov. docs CD, DVD Maps Scores Special collections Rare books Local/Historical newspapers Local history materials Archives & Manuscripts, theses & dissertations Research and learning materials ePrints/tech reports Learning objects Courseware E-portfolios Research data Freely-accessible web resources Open source software Newsgroup archives Collections as a measurement of value ?? With thanks to Lorcan Dempsey
Principles within the institution Linked to learning outcomes Linked to research outcomes Another possibility is Grade Average Achievement, or Grade Average Improvement
Principles for benchmarking Common definitions as to journals/e- books/duplicate subscriptions Agreed timeframes or point-of-reference for measurement
Print Licensed Digitized Research & learning outputs … Catalog Metasearch Resolver Repositories … ILS ERM Knowledgebase Systems and services User environment Management environment
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