Proceedings of Library Assessment Conference Held in Thessaloniki, Greece, Now Available
The proceedings of the June 2005 Library Assessment Conference, co-sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Alexander Technological Educational Institution of Thessaloniki Library, and partially funded by the European Community Social Fund, are now available freely on the Web (120 pages; PDF) and for purchase in print.
The conference focused on the need for library assessment and discussed international developments and implications as they have evolved primarily in the Anglo-American tradition. It also examined more closely two methodologies that have widespread appeal and applicability: LibQUAL+® and MINES for Libraries™ (Measuring the Impact of Networked Electronic Services).
The papers in this volume were presented as part of the conference and include:
Colleen Cook, “The Importance of the LibQUAL+® Survey for the Association of Research Libraries and the Texas A&M University,” focuses on the development of the LibQUAL+® survey and its valuable contributions to the field of library assessment;
Brinley Franklin, “Measuring the Impact of Networked Electronic Services (MINES): The North American Experience,” provides an overview of the MINES for Libraries™ survey methodology and results from US and Canadian institutional participants;
Martha Kyrillidou, “Library Assessment: Why Today and Not Tomorrow?” outlines the role and projects of the Association of Research Libraries and its Statistics and Measurement program in assessment activities;
Terry Plum, “Evaluating the Usage of Library Networked Electronic Resources,” focuses on data-collection techniques for e-resources, ARL’s e-metrics initiatives, and relevant standards for vendor-supplied data;
Bruce Thompson, “Research and Practice: Key Elements of Success for LibQUAL+®,” reviews the ways that trustworthiness of assessment measures such as LibQUAL+® can be established, specifically by evaluating the integrity of aggregate and individual scores; and
Stephen Town, “Academic Library Performance, Quality, and Evaluation in the UK and Europe,” is derived from the work of the UK and Irish Society of College, National, and University Libraries (SCONUL) Advisory Committee on Performance Improvement (ACPI) and discusses the changing emphases in performance measurement.
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