Library Evaluations: Community Involvement, On-going Improvement, Results!
Transcript of Library Evaluations: Community Involvement, On-going Improvement, Results!
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Library Evaluations:
Community Involvement, On-going Improvement, Results! Ga
il Sa
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Cent
ral K
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s Lib
rary
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tem
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Why?• Good management is based on good decision making.
Good decision making depends on good information and an action or strategic plan to move the library forward.
• Take a good look at your organization from all angles. You will be able to you determine what works and what could be different.
• A good evaluation is honest and brings a focus to the need for a healthy, vibrant library in your community.
• The evaluation can be the launching point for a planned change effort. It can motivate a sluggish board or staff, or help a funder make better funding decisions.
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Objectives and Goals• The Librarian and Board communicate the
goals for the evaluation with the Evaluation Team.
• What do you want for your library?
• What does the community need the library to be?
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Participatory evaluations
• Uncover potential issues by involving key players in evaluation- staff at all levels, patrons, community members, library volunteers, Friends, city personnel.
• Promote Evaluators learning about the library and its performance. Widen their point of view.
• Mobilize stakeholders, enhance teamwork, and build shared commitment to act on evaluation recommendations.
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Who to recruit • A good evaluation is inclusive, complete, and unbiased.
Differing viewpoints are welcomed and valued.
• Use sensitive, impartial, experienced, and skilled people to conduct the evaluation to get the best results.
• Evaluators should possess an understanding of the library as an organization, industry knowledge, and building skills. Ideally an assessment team will have at several members to allow for a broader range of expertise and to complete coverage.
• Involving your community in the evaluation improves credibility and increases awareness of the library’s strengths and challenges.
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Create a Culture of Evaluation
• A critical ingredient for developing and maintaining momentum within your library is the establishment of a positive, productive image of the evaluation and its use within your organization’s culture.
• Involve appropriate staff in the development of evaluation.
• Have staff regularly review, discuss, and act on evaluation findings.
• Board members and top leadership own and act on the evaluation findings.
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Accurate and complete information• Ensure that the Board and staff are
committed to the evaluation process and that they provide honest, thoughtful information when queried.
• Select Evaluators who inspire confidence in your community and assure impartiality throughout the process.
• Be transparent about what information will be shared, with whom it will be shared, and how the findings will be used to move the library forward.
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Exterior
• Parking and sidewalk• Landscaping, bike rack, flagpole• Outside walls and front door• Roof• Building: hvac, safety systems, exits,
structurally sound
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Interior• Attractive, clean, clear• Lighting• Signage• Seating and flooring• First impressions
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Organization• Cataloging• Shelf and materials organization and
location: Neat, clean, condition, logical flow, spine labels, signage for collections and end panels
• Collection age: Technology, law, medicine, local history/genealogy
• Display
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ADA• Outside and parking• Doors outside and inside• Clear handicapped route inside• Drinking fountains and restrooms• Stack aisles and furniture
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Policies • Do policies violate state law • Are policies outdated • Do policies have confusing wording• Are any policies difficult to implement • Do any policies seem overly restrictive
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Policies • Consider these policies:• Selection/Collection Management• Building/Meeting Room Use• Personnel• Confidentiality of Library Records• Gifts and Donations• Appropriate Use of Online Services• Continuing Education
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Policies • Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Recovery• Public Services• Intellectual Freedom• Budget and Finance• Equipment Use• Patron Behavior• Capital Improvements• Surplus Property
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Youth Services• Friendly and welcoming to youth• Adequate space for storage and
programming• Child-proof• Furnishings: chairs, tables, shelving,
seating• Collaborates with local entities to
provide programs for youth
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Computers• Software up-to-date• Working and clean peripherals• Hard drives locked down• Back up process and schedule for
updating• Furniture, printers, cables, networking
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Extras• Spreadsheets for librarians: • Shelf Shuffler• Collection Manager• Data Collector• Library Comparisonshttp://spreadsheetsforlibrarians.blogspot.com/
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Analyze the Findings• Work with the Library Board and stakeholders
to reach a common understanding on findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• The common understanding becomes the cornerstone for a group commitment to a plan of action.
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Prepare an action plan
• Work with the Library Board and other stakeholders to prepare an action plan to improve where desired and needed.
• This turns the evaluation and any possible weaknesses into positive action steps.
• Librarians and Library Boards become agents of change and apply their new knowledge into action steps to improve the library on many levels.
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References and Resources
• Building Condition Manual http://tinyurl.com/nejcxca
• Conducting a Participatory Evaluation http://tinyurl.com/mvfj5dh
• Create a Culture of Evaluation http://tinyurl.com/asx7obb
• Six Keys to Successful Organizational Assessment http://tinyurl.com/kd3ezou