This essay served as the basis for the opening keynote speech during the Library Assessment Conference in Baltimore in 2010. It set the stage by tracing the demands for accountability in the beginning of the century and outlining progress made. It provided important background and context for the following four keynote papers delivered by Megan…

The recent demand for more accountability from public libraries has made it essential that true cost-benefit analysis be applied to their operations. The authors developed a cost-benefit analysis methodology and applied it to five large public library systems. This article describes ongoing research to modify their methodologies to make them…

Three articles consider methods of demonstrating the value of library services. The first discusses showing the relevancy of public library services at New England town meetings; the second describes ways in which the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library evaluates user satisfaction; and the third discusses justifying the value of a special library.…

Developed as part of a three-year project funded by the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), this manual is designed to present librarians in the State of California with an alternative, "sense-making" approach to assessing the information needs of patrons and potential patrons and to assessing accountability, i.e., whether…

Discusses evaluation procedures for public libraries. Topics addressed include accountability; cooperation among libraries; economic factors; evaluation options, including the use of staff and/or consultants; problems uncovered; and factors to consider when deciding to keep or discard materials, including community needs, circulation statistics,…

Includes 89 references to materials relating to accountability and evaluation of library reference services. Highlights include research; statistics; planning; user studies; decision making; school libraries; public libraries; academic libraries; and standards. (LRW)