An Evaluation of the Benefits and Value of Libraries

Viveca Nyström, Linnéa Sjögren

• Publisher: Chandos Publishing
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9781843346869
• eBook ISBN:
  9781780632933
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

An Evaluation of the Benefits and Value of Libraries provides guidance on how to evaluate libraries and contains many useful examples of methods that can be used throughout this process. There is substantial focus on the importance of goals and objectives, along with advice on strategies that can be used in the case of libraries that may not be well resourced for conducting surveys. The text will be useful as a handbook, and does not assume prior knowledge of finance or economics. A guide on how to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on library services and a discussion on how to use scenario analysis and the persona method is provided, as are examples of customer surveys, for users and non-users alike. - Provides guidance on library evaluation, monitoring and methods - Provides practical examples and customer surveys - Applies economic methods to library management

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of figures, tables and boxes
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• About the authors
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: What is benefit assessment?
• Chapter 2: Libraries and the surrounding world
• Chapter 3: Goals, mission statements and methods
• Chapter 4: Financial benefit assessment
• Chapter 5: Cost-benefit analysis of one-time investments
• Chapter 6: Customer surveys
• Chapter 7: The persona method
• Chapter 8: The balanced scorecard
• Appendix 1: Cost-benefit analysis
• Appendix 2: Gothenburg City Library users’ survey
• Appendix 3: 2008 Attitudes and Knowledge Survey of Gothenburg City Library
• Bibliography
• Index