Challenge Of Assessing Digital Library Services - HLA 2009
28
The Challenge of Assessing Digital Library Services Sarah Houghton- Jan Digital Futures Manager, San Jose Public
-
Upload
sarah-houghton -
Category
Business
-
view
3.937 -
download
2
description
Learn strategies for project planning, assessment, and strategic evaluation of digital library services. A presentation for the Hawaii Library Association's annual conference in November of 2009.
Transcript of Challenge Of Assessing Digital Library Services - HLA 2009
The Challenge of Assessing Digital Library Services
Sarah Houghton-JanDigital Futures Manager, San Jose Public LibraryAuthor of LibrarianInBlack.net
Us Them
?
What are we thinking to be doing this all at
once without planning?
Where do I start if I want to write a Technology Plan?
or see if a current service is worth continuing?
or see if we should start a new service?
“Understanding local patron culture is essential to
creating used and useful technology services.” -
Char Booth
What to Ask
- Use/ownership of different technologies
- Use of library tech services
- Awareness of library tech services
- Willingness to use a new library tech service
- Demographic questions
How to Ask
- Online survey
- Multiple choice, open answer
- Advertise through website, email, Twitter, partner organizations
- Use incentives
Taking the Ass out of
Assumption (Char Booth): slideshare.net/charbooth/local-user-research-taking-the-ass-
out-of-assumption
Taking the Ass out of Assumption (Char Booth): slideshare.net/charbooth/local-user-research-taking-the-ass-out-of-assumption
What to Do with Findings
- Three Steps to a Technology Plan
1) Create a mission statement
2) Create a Hierarchy of Needs
3) Write your 3 year Technology Plan
Plan should include goals, objectives, timelines, funding, & staffing.
Technology Hierarchy of
Needs
But how do I plan each project?
Sarah's Awesome 10 Step Project Plans
1. Background
2. Aims & Objectives
3. Overall Approach
4. Project Outputs
5. Technology Requirements & Impact
6. Training
7. Project Management
8. Marketing
9. Budget
10. Evaluation Plan
Evaluation PlanWhat is your evaluation factor?
How will you measure it?
What is your measure of success?
When will you measure?
How do you assess success?
What is your measure of a successful service?
- Use?
- Efficiencies?
- Satisfaction?
What numbers would make you happy?
Do you need numbers?
Evaluating New Services w/ Stories
Survey users and staff 6 months after launch
Would you recommend this service to a friend? Why or why not?
Evaluating New Services w/ #s
Evaluate statistics
How much staff time is being used?
How much is the service being accessed?
What is your cost/use or staff time/use?
What efficiencies have occurred with time or money?
Evaluation TipsDecide ahead of time what you will
measure and what = success
If success = change, measure baseline
Successful use = 20% increase in 6 months
Successful cost/use = standard$-20% / use
Successful efficiency = X replaced 80% of Y over Z timeframe
Successful recommendations = 80%
Self-Evaluation of New Services
Evaluate the library's follow-through
Has adequate marketing been done yet?
Are staff aware of the service?
Has adequate training been done yet for staff or customers?
Did it start on time?
Results of Evaluation
Continue service
Discontinue service
Extend pilot
Change aspects of the service
Do more promotion or training
Discontinuing a service is not failing.
Persisting in a failed effort is failing.
Rejoice in failures...for failing indicates that you
have encountered a boundary that needs testing.
Questions?
Sarah Houghton-Janweb: LibrarianInBlack.net
email: [email protected]
IM: LibrarianInBlack
Skype: LibrairanInBlack
Facebook: facebook.com/librarianinblack
Twitter: twitter.com/TheLiB
