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Measuring for Results; The Dimensions of Public Library Effectiveness
Reviews
407
Measuring for Results; The Dimensions of Public Library Effectiveness by Joseph R. Matthews. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. 240 pp. $40.00 (paper). ISBN: 1591581001. As stated on its back cover, this book reviews various approaches that have been used in assessing the public library’s value; and, as the title indicates, the emphasis is on effectiveness. The first chapter stresses the importance of determining and communicating the value of public libraries, briefly introduces some of the approaches and measures that have been used in doing so, and summarizes the rest of the chapters. The author makes a clear distinction among input, process, output, and outcome measures but could have more explicitly indicated that he is using output and performance measures interchangeably. The second chapter provides a good introduction to the respective roles of mission, values, vision, and strategy as they relate to assessing the effectiveness of a public library. Along the way, the author makes several important points. For example, performance measures should reflect the library’s goals and objectives; no single measure is adequate by itself. Chapter 3 further develops some of the issues raised in chapter 2. A relatively large, but welcome, amount of space is devoted to vision statements, a topic usually overshadowed by mission statements. A number of useful examples of strategies are provided as well. This chapter, as is true of much of the book, is a bit choppy in style; the author could have done a better job of tying mission, vision, values, and strategy to the planning process. The fourth chapter focuses on the users of public libraries. Most of it is devoted to highlighting and summarizing previous studies of public library users; less attention is given to community analyses than might be expected, however. The section on uses of the library actually considers types of uses and purposes and reasons for use as well. The next chapter addresses input, process, and output (or performance) measures. On the first page, the author draws a distinction between performance measures and performance indicators but unfortunately does not really develop that point much further. Again, it would be helpful if he had been more explicit in explaining the relationship between output and performance measures. He briefly considers benchmarking but identifies only two types (other works on benchmarking have identified more). It is not clear why the section on benchmarking is located in the section on process measures. Measures representing collection are given little attention here. Chapter 6 continues this logical progression by briefly considering outcomes or benefits of the public library. This chapter is a useful treatment of an increasingly important topic. It would be more useful had it provided more references to related literature. The seventh chapter focuses on the social benefits potentially provided by the public library and includes a brief, but interesting, description of the ‘‘social audit’’ as a means of assessing the social impact of an organization. Surprisingly, little attention is given to the reference or research role and benefits of the public library. Chapter 8 gives relatively extensive attention to the economic impacts of the public library. It includes a good section on cost–benefit analysis, but nothing directly addressing cost-
408
Reviews
effectiveness (a few indicators for which are included in a table in chapter 9). The ninth chapter purports to be about the ‘‘culture of assessment,’’ but much of it is actually about performance measures, a topic covered earlier. Indeed, this information about performance measures could have been more effectively presented if integrated with the earlier discussion of that topic. This chapter also describes the ‘‘balanced scorecard’’ approach to communicating value and performance, but this too might have been more useful if located elsewhere in the book. In fact, the next chapter (10) does present a brief, but useful, consideration of the importance of communicating the value of the public library. Appendix A is a long list of input, process, output, and satisfaction-based output measures. While useful and mostly accurate, one could quibble that a few measures appear to be mislabeled or miscategorized. For example, ‘‘number of clients served per librarian’’ sounds more like a performance measure than an input measure; ‘‘budget expenditures per capita’’ and ‘‘cost per capita’’ sound like the same thing but are in two different categories. And in spite of the title for this appendix, there is no list of actual outcome measures. Appendices B, C, and D are the ‘‘Toolbox of Performance Measures and Indicators,’’ ‘‘Quality-Oriented Performance Indicators,’’ and ‘‘Key Performance Indicators,’’ respectively. The rest of the work provides a variety of other useful tables, figures, and lists such as the one of social benefits or impacts. It would have been helpful, however, if the author had made a greater effort to reach more of a consensus for some of these lists rather than providing so many different options. Measuring for Results is not intended to be a how-to manual, so it gives little attention to the actual techniques that would have to be employed to assess the effectiveness of a public library. In addition, it gives only modest attention to electronic resources, networked services, and information technology. The book does provide a useful, succinct, at times insightful, overview of the approaches that have been taken to assess the value of public libraries; and while doing so emphasizes the importance of establishing a culture of assessment. It is recommended reading for public librarians, and I will be adding it to the readings for my course on the measurement and evaluation of library resources and services.
Ronald R. Powell Library and Information Science Program, Wayne State University, 106 Kresge Library, Detroit, MI 48202, USA E-mail address: [email protected] doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2004.02.003
Libraries Designed for Learning$ by Scott Bennett. Washington, DC: Council on Library and Information Resources, November 2003. 89 pp. $20.00 (paper) ISBN 1932326057. Print users may access the omitted tables and transcripts via the Council on Library and Information Resources Web site. Available: http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub122abst.html (accessed January 16, 2004).
407
Measuring for Results; The Dimensions of Public Library Effectiveness by Joseph R. Matthews. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. 240 pp. $40.00 (paper). ISBN: 1591581001. As stated on its back cover, this book reviews various approaches that have been used in assessing the public library’s value; and, as the title indicates, the emphasis is on effectiveness. The first chapter stresses the importance of determining and communicating the value of public libraries, briefly introduces some of the approaches and measures that have been used in doing so, and summarizes the rest of the chapters. The author makes a clear distinction among input, process, output, and outcome measures but could have more explicitly indicated that he is using output and performance measures interchangeably. The second chapter provides a good introduction to the respective roles of mission, values, vision, and strategy as they relate to assessing the effectiveness of a public library. Along the way, the author makes several important points. For example, performance measures should reflect the library’s goals and objectives; no single measure is adequate by itself. Chapter 3 further develops some of the issues raised in chapter 2. A relatively large, but welcome, amount of space is devoted to vision statements, a topic usually overshadowed by mission statements. A number of useful examples of strategies are provided as well. This chapter, as is true of much of the book, is a bit choppy in style; the author could have done a better job of tying mission, vision, values, and strategy to the planning process. The fourth chapter focuses on the users of public libraries. Most of it is devoted to highlighting and summarizing previous studies of public library users; less attention is given to community analyses than might be expected, however. The section on uses of the library actually considers types of uses and purposes and reasons for use as well. The next chapter addresses input, process, and output (or performance) measures. On the first page, the author draws a distinction between performance measures and performance indicators but unfortunately does not really develop that point much further. Again, it would be helpful if he had been more explicit in explaining the relationship between output and performance measures. He briefly considers benchmarking but identifies only two types (other works on benchmarking have identified more). It is not clear why the section on benchmarking is located in the section on process measures. Measures representing collection are given little attention here. Chapter 6 continues this logical progression by briefly considering outcomes or benefits of the public library. This chapter is a useful treatment of an increasingly important topic. It would be more useful had it provided more references to related literature. The seventh chapter focuses on the social benefits potentially provided by the public library and includes a brief, but interesting, description of the ‘‘social audit’’ as a means of assessing the social impact of an organization. Surprisingly, little attention is given to the reference or research role and benefits of the public library. Chapter 8 gives relatively extensive attention to the economic impacts of the public library. It includes a good section on cost–benefit analysis, but nothing directly addressing cost-
408
Reviews
effectiveness (a few indicators for which are included in a table in chapter 9). The ninth chapter purports to be about the ‘‘culture of assessment,’’ but much of it is actually about performance measures, a topic covered earlier. Indeed, this information about performance measures could have been more effectively presented if integrated with the earlier discussion of that topic. This chapter also describes the ‘‘balanced scorecard’’ approach to communicating value and performance, but this too might have been more useful if located elsewhere in the book. In fact, the next chapter (10) does present a brief, but useful, consideration of the importance of communicating the value of the public library. Appendix A is a long list of input, process, output, and satisfaction-based output measures. While useful and mostly accurate, one could quibble that a few measures appear to be mislabeled or miscategorized. For example, ‘‘number of clients served per librarian’’ sounds more like a performance measure than an input measure; ‘‘budget expenditures per capita’’ and ‘‘cost per capita’’ sound like the same thing but are in two different categories. And in spite of the title for this appendix, there is no list of actual outcome measures. Appendices B, C, and D are the ‘‘Toolbox of Performance Measures and Indicators,’’ ‘‘Quality-Oriented Performance Indicators,’’ and ‘‘Key Performance Indicators,’’ respectively. The rest of the work provides a variety of other useful tables, figures, and lists such as the one of social benefits or impacts. It would have been helpful, however, if the author had made a greater effort to reach more of a consensus for some of these lists rather than providing so many different options. Measuring for Results is not intended to be a how-to manual, so it gives little attention to the actual techniques that would have to be employed to assess the effectiveness of a public library. In addition, it gives only modest attention to electronic resources, networked services, and information technology. The book does provide a useful, succinct, at times insightful, overview of the approaches that have been taken to assess the value of public libraries; and while doing so emphasizes the importance of establishing a culture of assessment. It is recommended reading for public librarians, and I will be adding it to the readings for my course on the measurement and evaluation of library resources and services.
Ronald R. Powell Library and Information Science Program, Wayne State University, 106 Kresge Library, Detroit, MI 48202, USA E-mail address: [email protected] doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2004.02.003
Libraries Designed for Learning$ by Scott Bennett. Washington, DC: Council on Library and Information Resources, November 2003. 89 pp. $20.00 (paper) ISBN 1932326057. Print users may access the omitted tables and transcripts via the Council on Library and Information Resources Web site. Available: http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub122abst.html (accessed January 16, 2004).