CONTEXT Evaluation of Information Services

Topics of Day Mission Vision Goals and Objectives Standards Types of Metrics  Input  Output  Performance  Customer-related  Outcomes (impacts)

Mission Indicates what the institution does (is)—a philosophical statement that broadly sets forth areas perceived to be important to the organization. Such statements are value assessments of what the organization should be doing Separates the institution from its peers

Mission Statement Focus on the present A mission statement should guide decision-making For research, this includes:  What to study  How to study  How to use results  How to communicate findings/ results

Vision Aspiration Concentrates on the future Provides motivations/ inspirations Not what we do now, what we plan/ hope to do.

Mission & Vision Many are on the Web for both institutions and libraries ation/missions.htm

Example: Mission The Howland Public Library provides materials and services to help community residents obtain information meeting their personal, educational and professional needs. Special emphasis is placed on supplying adults with current reading materials; on providing reference services to students (at all academic levels) and other information seekers; and on making facilities available for local individuals, organizations and agencies to do community work. The library serves as a learning and activities center for all residents of the Beacon School District.

Harold Bee Library Brigham Young University Offers a vision statement Two Mission statements  General Library  Library Web Site

Goals & Objectives Goals  Long-range statements of activity areas (usually 3-5 years) and suggest activities that will receive priority for organizational resources  May focus on collections, services, and administration Objectives  Are measurable, challenging, time-limited, and clearly understood Standards  External benchmarks  Library  Accreditation organizations

Example: Goal/objectives University of Florida, George A. Smathers Library 1. Optimize Delivery Of Library Resources And Services a) Build and manage library collections in support of academic programs (Develop collections consistent with funding) b) Provide timely access to requested materials c) Simplify search/discovery of library resources d) Build Digital Library infrastructure e) Build the information literacy/library instruction program f) Increase library outreach and marketing efforts g) Undertake systematic review of reference services designed

Example: Goals and Objectives I.A  At an inflation-adjusted base of $8,170,000, review the cancellation program to adjust actual expenditures for serials and monographs  In light of a one-time $500,000 addition to the materials budget, implement desiderata list in conjunction with faculty and program needs  Review the local results of the OCLC WorldCat Collection Analysis Service in preparation for a CSUL-wide initiative for coordination in building collection resources  Review ILL transactions as indicators for materials acquisition

Standards & Measures

Quality (examples) Collections Staff Management Leadership Services Facilities, equipment Programs Instruction, teaching, Fostering learning Examples of Quality Areas for Libraries/Archives

Measurement Questions 1. How much? 2. How many? 3. How economical? 4. How prompt? 5. How accurate? 6. How responsive? 7. How well? 1. How valuable? 2. How reliable? 3. How courteous? 4. How satisfied?

Four Perspectives 1. The institution and the communities served in the life of the library/archives 2. The library/archives and academic departments and programs in the life of the institution 3. The library/archives, department/ program, and institution in the life of the user/customer 4. The library/archives, program/ department, and institution in the life of stakeholders

Library/ Archive Perspective Questions  How Much  How Many  How Well Perpsective  Productivity  Efficiency  Effectiveness

User Perspective Questions  How Well?  How Satisfied?  How Responsive? Perspective  Service Quality  Satisfaction

Institution Perspective Questions  How Well?  How Much?  How Many?  How Efficient? Perspectives  Effectiveness  Efficiency

Stakeholder Perspective Questions?  How Well  Meeting Expectations Perspectives  Outcomes  Student Outcomes  Student Learning Outcomes

Types of Metrics Input* Output* Performance* *Might be presented in a cost-benefit context Customer-related Outcomes  Student outcomes  Student learning outcomes impacts  Other types--impacts

Performance Indicators Examples  Percentage of the population reached by electronic library services  Number of sessions on each electronic library service per member of the target population  Number of remote sessions on electronic library services per member of the population to be served  Number of documents and entries (records) viewed per session for each electronic library service  Cost per session for each electronic library service  Cost per document or entry (record) viewed for each electronic library service  Percentage of information requests submitted electronically  Library computer workstation use rate

Cost Analyses Cost-benefit analysis: The economic efficiency of a program expressed as the relationship between costs and outputs (or outcomes), usually measured in monetary terms Cost-effectiveness analysis: The efficacy of a program in achieving goals/objectives (or outcomes) in relation to program costs

How to Get Your Money’s Worth Mildred F. Sawyer Library at Suffolk University If you study in the library for one hour per week Total value for the academic year= $16.44 How did they calculate this?