This article serves as a primer for assessment and evaluation design by describing the range of methods commonly employed in library settings. Quantitative methods, such as counting and benchmarking measures, are useful for investigating the internal operations of an access services department in order to identify workflow inefficiencies or…

In autumn 2012, the University of Birmingham launched FindIt@Bham, a Primo-based Resource Discovery Service, after a series of focus groups with students and staff to help determine its initial configuration and customization. This article presents the results from a large-scale online survey and focus groups that were conducted to poll users'…

This article describes the process and role frontline access and public service staff play in needs assessment and evaluation of user services, specifically in understanding the voice of the customer. Information includes how the University of Arizona Libraries have incorporated daily data collection into the strategic planning process, resources…

As federal government information is increasingly migrating to online formats, libraries are providing links to this content via URLs or persistent URLs (PURLs) in their online public access catalogs (OPACs). Clickthrough statistics that accumulated as users visited links to online content in the University of Denver's library OPAC were gathered…

Tufts University Hirsh Health Sciences Library created a Facebook page and a corresponding managing committee in March 2010. Facebook Page Insights data collected from the library's Facebook page were statistically analyzed to investigate patterns of user engagement. The committee hoped to improve posting practices and increase user engagement…

The literature of bibliometrics suggests that the results of bibliometric studies can be of practical use in libraries by providing a scientific basis for collection management decisions. Reports on the application of these studies are virtually nonexistent and a number of reasons for this are suggested. (EM)

A preservation census was conducted of selected Dewey ranges of the volumes located in the mezzanine area of the Social Science Department of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library main branch. This collection is housed in a non-circulating, semi-supervised stack area and includes approximately 500 volumes in the fields of bibliography and rare…

Reports on output measures that can give children's librarians additional information to better control collections and make better selection and weeding decisions. Statistical comparisons utilizing circulation data (comparing circulation year to year, circulation to patrons served, circulation to number of materials owned) and availability of…

Argues that a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures is most efficacious in library collection analysis. Cases drawn from the literature in which a combination of these measures was profitably applied are considered, and the types of software packages for purposes of data manipulation are discussed. (Contains 15 references.) (KRN)

This packet is designed to guide users through the steps that ultimately lead to the assignment of collection responsibilities for individual member libraries of the North Bay Cooperative Library System, Santa Rosa, California. An initial profile of the member libraries examined the subject distribution of books owned, availability of books owned,…

Introduction to the second part of a two-part series on collection development invites the reader to evaluate current collection development practice while considering changes, in light of recent innovations in library automation, resource availability, and format. Three major themes discussed in as many articles are briefly reviewed. (SD)

The following papers were presented at a joint conference of the Mountain Plains Library Association, the North Dakota Library Association, and the South Dakota Library Association in September 1987: (1) "Catalog Backlog Project" (Kay Juricek, Tedine Roos, and Carol White); (2) "How Are We Doing? Using a Materials Availability…

Discusses the use of quantitative collection development and use studies as research tools to evaluate the quality of children's library collections. Four studies, conducted in school and public libraries, that involve analyzing data with statistical tests are reviewed to show how data already being collected can be developed into research…

Presents results of a survey of collection development librarians and collection development educators regarding the importance of specific aspects of education for collection development; where the locus of education should be; and which journals respondents read to keep up with collection development issues. (10 references) (KRN)