Library evaluation and performance measurement review of literature
LIBRARY EVALUATION AND PERFORCEMENT MEASUREMENT:
a review of literature
Fe Angela M. Verzosa
In this article we present a survey of methods, old and new, previously and currently in use, to
measure the quality of library service. Secondly, we present a survey of library standards on which
assessment criteria are generally based. And thirdly, we also review a host of literature on various case
studies of library evaluations.
Evaluation of library services should be regarded as a management tool, applied to determine
how effectively and efficiently the library is serving the needs of its users, to identify the limitations and
failures of service, and to recommend ways to improve such service. The extent to which the user’s
needs are satisfied depends on the size and collection of the library, the adequacy and accuracy of the
organization of its materials, the usefulness of its catalogs and finding tools in providing access to its
collection, and the ability and cooperation of the library staff in bringing these materials (or information
on these materials) to the attention of the users, and in maximizing the exposure of the users to these
resources and to other library services.
Some aspects of library service are more easily evaluated than others. Generally, the more
concrete or specific the user requirement is, the easier it is to measure user satisfaction in absolute terms.
The extent to which the library is used reflects the degree of user satisfaction, which may be measured by
subjective procedures such as questionnaires or interviews, or by more objective, quantitative measures,
such as percentage calculations and determination of capability indexes, etc.
The search for good ways of measuring the quality of service (measuring techniques) must,
however, start with defining the characteristics of a “good library,” what characteristics are important to
measure, and whether the statistics to be derived from the measurement will be useful and relevant to the
determination of the library’s effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
Characteristics of a Model Library
In accordance with the statement of PACU-COA, the primary characteristic of a good college or
university library is its identification with the institution. “The measure of excellence is the extent to
which its resources, services and facilities support the institution’s objectives.” Corollary to this, the
functions of the library are basically, to serve as a teaching arm of the institution, to stimulate
independent intellectual development, and to contribute to a well-rounded liberal education. Total
fulfillment of these functions is, however, an ideal goal to be continuously sought, and expectations as to
the degree of success in this process of attainment vary from institutions to institutions. And to PAASCU
and other accrediting bodies, it is precisely this diversity of expectations that prompts the library
profession to offer criteria for evaluation.
A study initiated in 1977 by S.S. Chweh and published in the Journal of Library Administration
under the title “User criteria for evaluation of library service” (Vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 35-46, 1981) reveals ten
most significant characteristics of a good library, namely:
• the availability of books
• availability of periodicals
• availability of non-book materials
• quality of reference service
• good reference collection
a quiet place conducive to reading and study
integrity of the catalog
• friendly service
• copying facilities
• helpful librarians
This part is not intended to survey all instruments of measuring the quality of library service,
but only a selection of useful methods applicable to an academic or school library. As more and better
measures of performance are devised and used, the task of library evaluation will become easier. The
citations for these techniques are enumerated in chronological order by date of publication:
Pizer, I.H. and Cain, A. M. “Objective tests of library performance, ” Special Libraries, 59: 704-711,
This article discusses a test designed to evaluate a library’s capability for providing document-
delivery service and interlibrary loan service. A random sample of 300 items from a large pool
consisting of documents frequently cited by researchers was made. In scoring the test, each of the 18
possible outcomes of a search is translated into an estimate of how long it would take for a user to obtain
this item (the “delivery time”). The test resulted in the determination of a Capability Index, which ranges
from a perfect score of 100 (i.e., if a user could obtain all the items in the search pool in 10 minutes or
less, to 0 if none could be obtained. This Index would seem to have greater validity for evaluating a
library’s collection than the traditional volume count in that it reflects the differential value of a material
most likely to be needed by the library’s user population.
Drott, M.C. “Random Sampling: a tool for library research,” College and Research Libraries, 30:
119-125, March 1969.
A random sampling study can be used to survey the accuracy of library records, the conditions
of the books in the collection, or the behavior or attitudes of library patrons, or similar questions or
issues in measuring library quality. Use of this technique does not require any special mathematical
ability or statistical background from the person conducting the study. This seven-page article discusses
the concept of accuracy and provides a table to simplify the determination of an appropriate sampling
size. It also shows a method of selecting a sample using random numbers. It also includes three
examples to illustrate the application of the technique to library problems.
Salverson, Carol A. “The relevance of statistics to library evaluations,” College and Research Libraries,
30: 352-361, 1969.
This article advocates evaluating a library system in terms of function related to use, that is, its
efficiency and effectiveness. It examines several methods used in evaluation, and indicates what types of
data should be collected.
Durham University. Project for evaluating the benefits from university libraries. Final Report. Durham,
England: The University, 1969. Various paging.
This project was aimed to develop a method for measuring benefits, and to provide criterion
functions for quantitative planning in university libraries. This method can be applied in assessing social
or “intangible” benefits in any situation for which a planning model can be built lacking only a benefit
criterion Extensive surveys of library use and users were carried out in the universities of Durham and
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, using in particular the “instant diary” method developed by the project team.
The data, which has been analyzed in various ways to serve the project’s objectives, results in one of the
most complete set of facts on library use. The “instant diary” method involves the users in recording
their library activities while they are still in the library on a survey card which is handed back to the
survey team upon exit from the library Other data collection includes a postal questionnaire survey,
which is cited in Measuring the Quality of Library Service (op. cit, pp. 32-37).
Rzasa, P.V. and J. H. Moriarty. “Types and needs of academic library users, “ College and Research
Libraries, 31: 403-409, November 1970.
The questionnaire used in this study include items on the various types of users of an academic
length of service in the institution, principal field of study, frequency of library visit,
purpose(s) in visiting the library (primary and secondary reasons), library materials used (principal and
secondary), rate of success in locating the materials needed, physical condition of the materials used,
the quality of service provided by the library staff, the physical condition and arrangement of the library,
and the overall assessment of the library in question. The user response can be used to determine the
areas requiring library improvement.
Myers, Rose. “Library Self-Evaluation,” In: Braden, Irene and Clark, Alice S. eds Quantitative
Methods in Librarianship. Proceedings and Papers…. New York: Greenwood, 1972.
This document points out that library standards and quantitative measurements which are used to
evaluate libraries do not measure library effectiveness, and have not really resulted in better service for
library users. The article describes the work of Orr, Pings, Pizer, and Olson as reported in the Bulletin of
the Medical Library Association in July 1968 (pp. 235-240), which is to develop a methodology that is
user-oriented. This method measures the quality and depth of services offered, using an inventory
checklist, that is applied through an interview with a member of the library’s staff. This is a continuous
process of self-evaluation.
Lancaster, F.W. The Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services. Wash., D.C.: Information
Resources Press, 1977.
This handbook is intended as a comprehensive review of literature on performance measurement
and library evaluation.
Cronin, Mary J. Performance Measurement for Public Services in Academic and Research Libraries.
Washington, D.C.: Office of Management Studies, Association of Research Libraries, 1985. 36 p.
This paper examines some of the realities involved in using performance measurement to
evaluate library services. Its analyzes performance measurement from three perspectives: one, from
theory to practice; two, application of a model; and three, future trends in performance measurement.
It also contains a selected bibliography of books and articles on the subject, including useful
methodologies or aprroaches.
Performance Evaluation: a Management Basic for Librarians, ed. by Jonathan A. Lindsey. Phoenix:
Oryx Press, 1986 222 p.
This is a basic handbook on library evaluation, containing twenty “core” articles on the topic
and an annotated bibliography that provides a comprehensive literature on this subject aimed “to provide
a stronger sense of balance for an important area of library administration.” It includes Schlessinger’s
“’Ten Commandments’ for Performance Appraisal Interviews,” Shelley Krantz’s “Five Steps to Making
Performance Appraisal Writing Easier,” Pfister and Towle’s “A Practical Model for a Developmental
Appraisal Program for School Library Media Specialists,” and Allan and Reynold’s “Performance
Problems: A Model for Analysis and Resolution.”
Lancaster, F.W. If you want to evaluate your library. London: Library Association, 1993. 352 p.
This updates and expands the 1988 edition to include new material, such as a chapter on the
evaluation of bibliographic instruction and several case studies, and a chapter on the feasibility of
continuous quality control as applied to library services. It discusses methods that can be used to
evaluate various facets of library service, dealing first with those areas that relate to “document
delivery” (including the collection of the library and its catalogs), to be followed by those areas relating
to reference services. Other topics covered relate to cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit aspects.
Abbott, Christine. Performance Measurement in Library and Information Services. London: Aslib, The
Association for Information Management, 1994. 57 p.
This is a guidebook intended for library professionals who would like to evaluate their libraries
and are uncertain as to how to make the transition from theory to practice. The guide demonstrates how
performance indicators can be integrated into the process of evaluation Its contents include:
prerequisites to performance measurement, the types of indicators, how to develop indicators, and data
collection and analysis.
Brophy, Peter and Kate Coulling. Quality Management for Information and Library Managers.
Hampshire, England: Aslib Gower, 1996. 196 p.
Standards are addressed to library managers, institutional administrators, and evaluating bodies
such as accreditation teams. Basic to the concept of standardization is the presumption that each library
system is unique and therefore should be encouraged to determine its own criteria for performance and
evaluation. The process of self-evaluation should be undertaken within the framework of the institution’s
mission and goals. While standards are necessary for the development and growth of libraries, these
standards cannot be stated as absolutes equally applicable to all colleges and universities and be useful.
They are not a series of expectations or prescriptions. They set forth the process by which expectations
may be established and enumerate the concerns that should be addressed in the evaluation of the library’s
For schools which desire to meet standards of quality over and above the minimum required for
government recognition, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) encourages the use of
mechanism of voluntary accreditation. Accredited schools are granted deregulated status and other
benefits. Among the accrediting agencies that provide local standards for libraries are the following:
1. PAASCU (Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities)
2. PACU-COA (Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation)
3. ACSCAA (Association of Christian Schools and Colleges Accrediting Agency)
DECS, as a regulatory body, issues regularly bulletins and memorandum orders to ensure the
quality and adequacy of Philippine libraries, the latest of which is DECS Order No. 6, series of 1998,
issued by Sec. Ricardo T. Gloria, which provides for policies and programs for school library
development in the elementary and secondary levels. This document supersedes DECS Bulletin No. 1,
series of 1988, issued by Sec. Lourdes R. Quisumbing, which provides the recommended minimum
library standards for elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has taken over the task of supervising tertiary
schools. So complementary to DECS Order No. 6, CHED issues its own standards for libraries in the
tertiary level. The CHED Standards are contained in the Manual of Regulations for Private Schools, the
latest edition (8th) of which is published in 1995. The criteria provided in the Manual are the minimum
required for government recognition. Thus tertiary schools are encouraged to adopt higher standards or
criteria consistent with laws, rules and regulations in the country. CHED continues to issue
memorandum orders updating these standards, such as the CMO NO. 60, Series of 1996, which provides
additional standards for libraries of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) offering Information Technology
For graduate education, DECS Order No. 12, series of 1994, issued by Sec. Armand V. Fabella,
supersedes MEC Order No. 7, series of 1982, which updates the minimum standards for graduate
education for both the master’s and doctoral levels. Suggestions to improve these standards came from
the Philippine Association of Graduate Education (PAGE).
In 1987 the Committee on Library Standards of the Philippine Association of Academic and
Research Libraries (PAARL) came up with its own guidelines for academic and research libraries. The
Committee was chaired by Ms. Marina G. Dayrit (CEU), with Mrs. Corazon M. Nera (FAPE) as
Secretary, and the following as members:
Juana L. Abello (UST) Perla T. Garcia (DLSU)
Sarah C. de Jesus (UE) Rogelio Mallillin (ADMU)
Fr. Paul de Vera, OSB (SBC) Esperanza A. Sta. Cruz (PWU)
At about the same year, the other library associations came up with their own standards for
their respective libraries: Public Libraries Association of the Philippines (PLAP) with Pilar R. Perez as
Chair, and Prudenciana C. Cruz and Atty. Conrado David as members; Philippine Association of School
as members; . Association of Special Libraries in the Philippines (ASLP), with Angelica A. Cabanero as
Librarians (PASL) with Lydia F. Coronel as Chair, and Victoria David, Helen P. Hamin, and Fides Abad,
Chair, and Rufo Q. Buenviaje, Susima L. Gonzales, Anicia G. Canseco, and Celia S. Samson, as
members, and Vidal E. Santos as secretary.
Minimum standards for Media Centers of Philippine Educational Institutions (A Proposal)
was prepared in 1985 by the Philippine Universities Audiovisual Center, Inc. (PUAVC) and the
Philippine Library Association, Inc. (PLAI) to set common standards for schools with educational media
programs. This manual is designed to be used by school administrators and media personnel as guide in
planning, organizing, maintaining, and evaluating media programs in schools, colleges and universities.
Among the foreign standards that Philippine libraries look up to as models are those formulated
by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Library Association of the United Kingdom. The
Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) under the ALA has issued the following
1. “Standards for College Libraries,” 1995 edition. (Printed in C & RL News, April 1995. 12 p.)
This edition is the final version approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries
Board and the American Library Association’s Standards Committee. It is also available via Internet
(“http://www.ala.org/acrl/guides/college.html”). These standards are intended to apply to libraries
supporting academic programs in the undergraduate and masteral levels. The 1995 edition has retained
the quantitative formulas of the earlier editions, particularly on the area of Collections, Librarians, and
2. “Standards for Community, Junior, and Technical College Learning Resources Program” (Printed in
C & RL News, May 1994)
These standards are useful for smaller colleges awarding associate degrees or certificates, or
institutions that support a strong media services component. The final version was approved by ACRL,
ALA and AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology) in 1994, and is
available via Internet under its URL address: “http://www.ala.org/acrl/guides/jrcoll.html.” The term
“learning resources program” is applied in these standards to an institution which provides a core of
library and media materials and a variety of multimedia and related services.
3. “Standards for University Libraries: Evaluation of Performance” (Printed in C & RL News,
This is a revision of the 1979 Standards. It also appears in the Internet
guides/univer.html”) The underlying principle behind the formulation of these standards lies in the fact
that the university administration is principally responsible for the evaluation of the library. Together,
the university and the library administration should establish a mechanism to measure the library’s
effective-ness. The goal is to arrive at a set of expectations, identifiable outcomes, using established
criteria and providing appropriate feedback. Under Section D (Evaluative Criteria) is a set of questions
to be used as guide in the proper assessment of the library.
In addition, the ACRL issues guidelines, such as the following:
1. “Guidelines for Audiovisual Services in Academic Libraries.” (Printed in C & RL News, October
1987, and appears in the Internet under the address “http://www.ala.org/acrl/guides/avsrvcs.html”)
This final version was developed by the ACRL Audiovisual Committee with Margaret Ann
Johnson as Chair, and approved by ALA Standards Committee in January 1988. It supersedes the 1968
Guidelines. The revised Guidelines refocuses on the role of audiovisual resources, not only on their
contributions to the instructional program of the institution, but also on its growing ability to support
academic research. Videotapes and computer diskettes supplement and even replace laboratory
notebooks. With technology, new ethical and legal problems have arisen. Any change in laws and legis-
lations affecting the use and application of multimedia will affect library services. This revision work
aims to provide a framework for the rapid development of this important component of library service.
“Guidelines for Media Resources in Academic Libraries: A Draft”
This latest version is prepared by the ACRL Media Resources Committee (formerly the Audio-
visual Committee) in 1998 for discussion and hearings at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington,
D.C. on June 28, 1998. The manuscript appears in the Internet under the URL address
“http://www.ala.org/acrl/guides/medresg.html.” The eleven years between 1987 and 1998 marked a
technological revolution in media services, necessitating the revision of the Guidelines. The introduction
of multimedia CD-ROMs and media in various digital formats, such as audio compact disc and digital
versatile disc (DVD), and interactive multimedia such as DVD-ROMs has widen the scope of collection
development activities. The goal of the 1998 Guidelines is to assist librarians and administrators in
improving their media resource collections and services.
3. “Guidelines for University Undergraduate Libraries” (Printed in C& RL News, May 1997)
In 1993 the ACRL Undergraduate Librarians Discussion Group began work to update the 1987
Model Mission Statement of a University Undergraduate Library . The draft was submitted to the
University Libraries Section Executive Committee for review, and subsequently was published in the C
& RL News, May 1995 issue, for comments and suggestions. The ACRL Board approved the new
Guide-lines at the ALA Annual Conference in New York in July 1996, and the ALA Standards
Committee approved the document at the 1997 ALA Midwinter Meeting. Just like the ACRL Standards
for University Libraries, it contains a set of key questions under the area “Evaluation” to serve as
criteria for evaluating undergraduate libraries.
4. “Guidelines for Academic Status for College and University Libraries”
These guidelines, first adopted in 1971 by ACRL, are intended for institutions which have yet to
achieve faculty rank, status, and tenure for their academic librarians. This final version was approved by
the ACRL Board at the 1990 Midwinter Meeting, and appears in the Internet under the URL address
5. “The Mission of a University Undergraduate Library: Model Statement.” (Printed in C & RL
October 1987. 3 p.)
This Model Statement was prepared by the Association of College and Research Libraries
(ACRL) Undergraduate Librarians Discussion Group and the ULS Steering Committee, and approved by
ACRL Board at its Annual Conference in San Francisco in 1987. It was submitted to the ALA Standards
Committee for final review in the same year. It applies to libraries intended to serve undergraduate
students in a large university environment.
The UK Library Association has come up with its own Guidelines to address,
specifically, the quality, resource and service issues of college library provisions. Entitled Guidelines for
College Libraries: Recommendations for performance and resourcing , and edited by Kathy Ennis
for the Colleges of Further and Higher Education Group of The Library Association (5th ed. London:
Library Association Publishing, 1995. 58p), this manual recommends desirable and necessary levels of
library requirements in colleges. The growth of computerized databases and online catalogs, the
introduction of Internet services, and the increasing use of CD-ROMs demonstrate the complexity of the
role of college libraries as information providers. This document highlights the paradigm shift resulting
from the dramatic technological revolution of this era, and makes provisions for today’s libraries to
respond to these changes.
Case Studies of Library Evaluations
In 1985 the American Council of Learned Societies conducted a survey of scholars in relation to
publishing and dissemination of scholarly writings, computer use, and academic library service. The
survey offers an unusual opportunity for librarians to see themselves as others see them. The survey
results indicate areas where academic libraries can make improvements and correct misconceptions about
their service. For an in-depth analysis of how academic scholars use their libraries based on this study,
we read Ronald H. Epp and JoAn S. Segal’s article on “The ACLS survey and academic library service”
(C& RL News, February 1987, pp. 64-69).
Melvon L. Ankeny, a Reference Librarian of Ohio State University, wrote an article that
appeared in the Journal of Academic Librarianship (January 1991) entitled “Evaluating End-user
Services: Success or Satisfaction,” wherein he compares two methods of assessing the success of end-
user searches. In this study, he finds that in many cases, high levels of reported end-user “satisfaction”
with computerized services may not reflect true success rates. The results indicate that some types of
evaluation instruments to measure the true success of those engaged in computerized searches may not be
At Duke University Library in Durham, North Carolina, a survey was undertaken by a firm
experienced in conducting valid studies respected in the business community. The study was intended to
determine and understand the user needs of the Library as it plans to redesign their information retrieval
environment. The first phase of the project was to conduct focus group sessions that would define the
issues to be addressed in the second phase. The second phase was a mailed survey sent to the academic
community which would provide the statistical data on user needs. The first part of questionnaire was
focused on users’ current needs, while the latter half centered on the perceptions of the future, or the
ideal structure for information retrieval. The result of the survey (as reported in the article entitled
“What does the User Really Want? The Library User Survey Project at Duke University” and written by
Kenneth W. Berger and Richard W. Hines, in Journal of Academic Librarianship, November 1994)
elicited few surprises. Respondents stated their desire for the future library and all its important features
- online access, more thorough research, 24-hour computer use, full-text retrieval. But they faced a
dilemma in choosing what traditional library services to give up. Among the top expendable features of
the present library were - the library as “a social gathering place”, card catalog, library orientations and
tours, study areas, print copies of magazines and newspapers, open stacks, and interlibrary loan service.
In 1993 the De La Salle University Library conducted an evaluative study of its resources based
on the four areas of Stufflebeam’s evaluation model, namely: context, input, process, and product.
Context evaluation was focused on the assessment of the needs of the library patrons and the extent to
which their needs were realized, while input evaluation was focused on the assessment of the library
staff’s skills and of the adequacy or efficiency of the services/resources in meeting these needs. Process
evaluation was focused on assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the program and the identification
of the areas needing improvement. Product evaluation was centered assessing the effectiveness of the
library services/resources. A survey questionnaire was devised and distributed to the target respondents
which included the students (graduate and undergraduate), faculty, non-academic staff, and library
personnel. The study revealed the top five ranking needs of the library users: (1) materials related to
their subject of research, (2) quiet and comfortable place to study, (3) up-to-date periodical collections,
(4) audio-visual materials and equipment for class reports and discussion, and (5) reproduction of library
In 1994 the DLSU Library again undertook a Needs Assessment Survey on the Computerization
of Library Procedures and Functions. It included the same target respondents. A Likert type instrument
was used, and data were analyzed through the use of means and standard deviations. The study revealed
that the areas of priority needing computerization are in the cataloging/indexing services, circulation of
books, and provision of online databases.
Both the 1993 and 1994 studies appear in the Journal of ITEO Studies published by the
Institutional Testing and Evaluation Office (DLSU Press, 1996) Just recently, another study was
undertaken, this time focused on a comprehensive evaluation of the collections of the DLSU System
Libraries, to include the libraries of DLSU-Manila and the College of St. Benilde, DLSU-Dasmarinas,
and DLSU-Health Sciences Campus, also in Dasmarinas, Cavite. A team of library experts, headed by
Mrs. Narcisa Munasque, began data collection in the summer of 1998 and completed its survey and data
analysis in January 1999. It is expected that by March of this year, the results will have been submitted
to the President of the DLSU System, Bro. Rolando Dizon, FSC.
(Unpublished article written in 1999 and submitted for research incentive by Fe Angela M. Verzosa)