Research Library Special Issue on Proving Value in Libraries

Research Library Issues, a publication of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), recently published a Special Issue on Value in Libraries: Assessing Organizational Performance.

From the introductory article, "Library Value May Be Proven, If Not Self-Evident":

"The caretakers of libraries have gathered data on library performance for decades and have used this information to understand how to improve services and programs they provide to their users. The ability to measure the quality of library services is extremely important as libraries are faced with the need to make informed decisions about the best way to meet the needs of the users of those services. This ability has become even more important as libraries make transformative changes during times of fiscal constraint and increased competition."

"ARL has built a program of assessment over the past 20 years and continuously looks for ways to strengthen this capacity for member libraries. This issue of RLI highlights ways in which assessment tools have helped libraries improve their services and programs. These improvements are the result of library leadership and their staff using data to make decisions that would have the most impact. This issue also captures some of the newer initiatives focused on demonstrating the value of library services."

Table of contents:

• Library Value May Be Proven, If Not Self-Evident
• A Decade of Assessment at a Research-Extensive University Library Using LibQUAL+®
• LibQUAL+® and the “Library as Place” at the University of Glasgow
• Service Quality Assessment with LibQUAL+® in Challenging Times: LibQUAL+® at Cranfield University
• ARL Profiles: Qualitative Descriptions of Research Libraries in the Early 21st Century
• The ARL Library Scorecard Pilot: Using the Balanced Scorecard in Research Libraries
• Lib-Value: Measuring Value and Return on Investment of Academic Libraries
• The Value of Electronic Resources: Measuring the Impact of Networked Electronic Services (MINES for Libraries®) at the Ontario Council of University Libraries

LibQUAL+® is an online suite of survey and quantitative and qualitative data evaluation tools that libraries can use to track users' opinions of service quality. The Justice Canada and Supreme Court of Canada libraries have used LibQUAL+® in the past.