Reading List:
Measurement and Evaluation of Library and Information
Science Services
Administration of Information Resources -- LIS 391D.3 -- Fall 1998
Alwin, L., Campbell, M. D., Hatry, H., & Fountain, J. (1994).
Performance measures in government: A systemic view. Managing for Results:
Performance Measures in Government. Austin, TX: Board of Regents, The University
of Texas.
This item is an easy to read panel discussion reported in the
Conference Proceedings of the Managing for Results Conference held in Austin in
1994. Harry Hatry is a leading researcher and practitioner in the measurement
of arts and cultural services in cities and municipalities. He suggests that the
measures focus on helping management improve programs rather than accountability
and budget decisions. Fountain urges managers to learn how to use the information
gleaned from measurement and Campbell maintains that government needs to become
more practiced with measuring results rather than level of effort expended.
Other readings on a similar note:
Hatry, H., Blair, L., Fisk, D., & Kimmel, W. (1976). Program analysis for state and local governments. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.
Ammons, D. N. (1995, January/February). Overcoming
the inadequacies of performance measurement in local government: The case of libraries
and leisure services. Public Administration Review, 55(1), 37-47.
Reporting and capturing measures that address the public (customer) interest is
key. This author suggests that we emphasize performance yardsticks that interest
the public in lieu of a bottom line or profit and loss measure. He suggests that
we choose measures that put community pride at stake and also provide meaningful
comparisons and benchmarks. This article gives a brief history of public library
standards development and covers effectiveness, efficiency, and workload measures.
Other readings on a similar note:
Van House, N. A. & Childers, T. A. (1993). The public library effectiveness study: The complete report. Chicago: American Library Association.
Orr, R. H. (1973, September). Measuring the
goodness of library services: A general framework for considering quantitative
measures. Journal of Documentation, 29(3), 315-332.
Twenty-five
years ago, Orr wrote this paper on how to quantitatively measure services that
have many intangible elements. His measures ask questions that represent quality
and value, "How good is the service?" and "How much good does it
do?" Researchers who have created measurement techniques for measuring less
tangible characteristics of library service and characteristics such as organizational
effectiveness often cite this article.
Other readings on a similar note:
Cameron, K. (1986, January). The study of organizational effectiveness and its predictors. Management Science, 32(1), 87-112.
Lancaster, F. W. (1988). If you want to evaluate your library…. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois, Graduate School of Library and Information Science.
Saracevic,
T., & Kantor, P. B. (1997, June). Studying the value of library and information
services, part II: Methodology and taxonomy. Journal of the American Society
for Information Science, 487(6), 543-563.
This article describes a
taxonomy of value-in-use of library and information science services based on
user assessments that Saracevic and Kantor created as part of a study sponsored
by the Council on Library Resources. The aim is to create a solid, well-founded
measurement methodology with economic indicators and encourage its application
with library users in the real world. The taxonomy is called the Derived Taxonomy
of Value in Using Library and Information Services and it is similar to a faceted
classification system with classes, subclasses, and categories. It classifies
the reasons someone is using the library service, the interaction with the service,
and the results of using the service. Part I establishes the theoretical framework
for the methodology.
Other readings on a similar note:
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