Explores current patterns of recency, structure, intent, scaling, and planning and measurement in state library standards. Ways that four states--Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, and Ohio--have adapted basic standards elements are considered, and issues in linking planning and measurement to standards are discussed. (MES)

Discusses "The New Planning for Results" manual published by the American Library Association that helps create local standards of public library service, and provides implementation examples based on experiences in Vermont. Highlights include evaluating community needs; service responses to those needs; developing library objectives;…

Provides the background and outline of a one-day workshop on reference evaluation which integrates the elements of goals, objectives, and mission statements with output measurements from the point of view of reference service. Practical exercises to accompany such a workshop are suggested. (five references) (MES)

Discusses the development of successful pricing algorithms for cooperative library automation projects. Highlights include desirable characteristics of pricing measures, including simplicity and the ability to allow for system growth; problems with transaction-based systems; and a review of the pricing strategies of seven library consortia.…

Discusses areas needing revision in the manual "Output Measures for Public Libraries," i.e., measurement objectives, research skills of output measures users, management versus research contexts, relating inputs to outputs, problems in data collection, user versus library performance, sample sizes, interpretation of output measure…

This description of the Vigo County Public Library's implementation of planning, programming, and budgeting focuses on its output measurement system, Complete Service Statistics. Measures of five service categories are developed--lending, facilities, information, production, and staff--to gather statistics for library management. (RAA)

Discusses the use of the "Output Measures for Public Libraries" measurement method to compare public library performance based on a variety of statistics involving circulation, staffing, and library services. The need to consider the value that library services add to the community rather than relying on statistics alone is stressed.…

Explains the relationship of two Public Library Association publications concerning measurement of public library service: "Performance Measures for Public Libraries" (1973) and "Output Measures for Public Libraries: A Manual for Standardized Procedures" (1982). The importance of data collection methods is noted in discussing…

Reports on programs for children and young adults in public libraries in Canada and the United States and discusses implications for Australian libraries. Highlights include budgets; volunteers; government funding; and summer reading programs, including registration, measurements of reading, and programming. (LRW)

Offers practical tips and suggestions on how to conduct user surveys to evaluate library services. Topics include how trends, such as online services impact library reference services; incorporating survey questions into reference interviews; segmenting academic and public library users; questionnaire design; measuring value; and tabulating…