How libraries and librarians help : a guide to identifying user-centered outcomes

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Where to find it

Information & Library Science Library

Call Number
Z685.85 .D87 2005
Status
Available

Summary

Being able to "tell your library's story," illustrating how library services provide value and help the community and users, is the key to your library's future. The practice of measuring outcomes is becoming crucial to the library's ongoing mission: libraries are being called upon to address the value of library programs by assessing their effects on library patrons and the community as a whole.

With funding under a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Durrance and Fisher have developed the "How Libraries and Librarians Help (HLLH) Outcome Model," field testing it in six libraries over two years. In this practical reference, they share their findings, cutting-edge, step-by-step HLLH methods, and library success stories that bring the process to life with outcomes like, "Empowering Youth" and "Strengthening Community."

Use this straightforward model to:

Strategize the big picture, collect, and interpret data with seven easy exercises Apply the four-step process to assess and present outcomes Measure and report your library's contributions Draw together all the pieces to communicate a compelling case for library services

To stay in the game, library directors, administrators, managers, and community leaders must prove the value of the library and its services using outcome measures. Here's how to quantify the contribution of your library's programs to individuals and communities to gain recognition and funding.

Contents

The urgent need to tell the library story more effectively -- Outcomes : an approach that shows the value of libraries -- The "How Libraries and Librarians Help" outcome model : applying contextual approaches to outcome evaluation -- Step one, getting started : preparing to conduct an outcomes study -- Step two, collecting data for outcomes : approaches and tools -- Step three, analyzing outcomes data -- Step four, maximizing the results of your outcomes study -- Predicting outcomes : outcome measures as a planning tool / Rhea Joyce Rubin -- Ripples of impact : Washtenaw Literacy Program outcomes / Maria Serapiglia and Sarah Wooden -- Empowering youth : outcomes of public libraries' youth technology -- Strengthening community : outcomes of community information services -- Putting the pieces together : an outcome study of the Ypsilanti District Library's Senior Deposit Collection Program / Dana Walker and Jeanie Fisher.

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