How Well Is Your Library Doing What It Claims To Be Doing?

Fuente: ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
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Main Author: Pearson, Richard C.
Format: Recurso educativo Open Access
Language:en
Published: 1991
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author Pearson, Richard C.
author_facet Pearson, Richard C.
Pearson, Richard C.
collection Education Resources Information Center
contents How Well Is Your Library Doing What It Claims To Be Doing? Pearson, Richard C. Elementary Secondary Education Institutional Evaluation Library Services Program Evaluation Rural Schools School Libraries Self Evaluation (Groups) User Satisfaction (Information) As new technologies expand the availability of information and services, previously isolated rural and small school libraries must begin to use formal evaluations to find out how best to serve their clientele. Although some forms of self-evaluation are ongoing, a library should ask for formal evaluations by its users, administration, and staff at least every 5 years. Evaluation must be based on stated objectives, thus forcing planning and goal setting. Barriers to evaluation include staff attitudes (discomfort with evaluation as a grading process), the complexity of overall evaluation, and the mistake of comparing program divisions that have very different goals. These barriers can be overcome by focusing on the impact of library programs and services on students or other patrons, and by breaking down the evaluation process into manageable tasks. A simple effective approach involves comparing measurable target goals or standards for each aspect of the library program with observations or input from staff and patrons about the current reality. Perhaps the greatest benefit of evaluation is the exchange of ideas and sharing of experiences between the library staff and its patrons. If the library holds no evaluations of its mission and programs, it will quickly lose touch with patron needs and become simply a depository. Sample questions are suggested for evaluation surveys of patrons, principals, faculty, and students. (SV)
format Recurso educativo Open Access
id eric_ED390590
institution ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
language en
publishDate 1991
record_format eric
spellingShingle How Well Is Your Library Doing What It Claims To Be Doing?
Pearson, Richard C.
Elementary Secondary Education
Institutional Evaluation
Library Services
Program Evaluation
Rural Schools
School Libraries
Self Evaluation (Groups)
User Satisfaction (Information)
How Well Is Your Library Doing What It Claims To Be Doing? Pearson, Richard C. Elementary Secondary Education Institutional Evaluation Library Services Program Evaluation Rural Schools School Libraries Self Evaluation (Groups) User Satisfaction (Information) As new technologies expand the availability of information and services, previously isolated rural and small school libraries must begin to use formal evaluations to find out how best to serve their clientele. Although some forms of self-evaluation are ongoing, a library should ask for formal evaluations by its users, administration, and staff at least every 5 years. Evaluation must be based on stated objectives, thus forcing planning and goal setting. Barriers to evaluation include staff attitudes (discomfort with evaluation as a grading process), the complexity of overall evaluation, and the mistake of comparing program divisions that have very different goals. These barriers can be overcome by focusing on the impact of library programs and services on students or other patrons, and by breaking down the evaluation process into manageable tasks. A simple effective approach involves comparing measurable target goals or standards for each aspect of the library program with observations or input from staff and patrons about the current reality. Perhaps the greatest benefit of evaluation is the exchange of ideas and sharing of experiences between the library staff and its patrons. If the library holds no evaluations of its mission and programs, it will quickly lose touch with patron needs and become simply a depository. Sample questions are suggested for evaluation surveys of patrons, principals, faculty, and students. (SV)
title How Well Is Your Library Doing What It Claims To Be Doing?
topic Elementary Secondary Education
Institutional Evaluation
Library Services
Program Evaluation
Rural Schools
School Libraries
Self Evaluation (Groups)
User Satisfaction (Information)
url https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED390590