Public libraries have embraced the popularity of maker education and makerspaces by integrating maker education in their program offerings, and by developing makerspaces that enable patrons to tinker and create products. But less attention has been paid to supporting librarians and maker educators in assessing the impact of these spaces. To expand…

The adequacy of the Village Library Project, headquartered in Nome, Alaska, to meet the library service needs and desires of the people in 18 villages on Seward Peninsula, St. Lawrence Island, and Diomede is evaluated in this report. Sections are devoted to the goals of the evaluation, evaluation procedure, goals and objectives of the project,…

The Regional Seminar on Educational Evaluation held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 7 April to 2 May 1975, was organized as a follow-up activity to a study carried out by the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP, Paris) in 1973-1974. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development had in 1973 requested the IIEP to…

This research and demonstration project was undertaken to study styles and techniques of evaluation which are applicable to early childhood programming in school and public libraries, and to identify during a working conference some methods of measuring outcomes in order to improve and justify library programs for young children. The study report…

This study investigated the construct of effectiveness as it applies to public libraries and developed a methodology that can be transferred to other types of libraries and organizations. The research team began by compiling a list of indicators that are commonly used to gauge library effectiveness within the areas of: (1) services access; (2)…

This report represents a summary of the results of the evaluation of the Connecting Libraries and Schools Project (CLASP) conducted from February 1993 through October 1994. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the degree to which CLASP was successful in reaching its three project goals: (1) to establish library use among students at the…

Examines results of a three-year survey by the St. Louis Public Library to measure benefits users derive from its services relative to costs of providing them; the ultimate goal was to develop and test a practical, conservative cost-benefit methodology. Cardholders surveyed were general users, business users, and teachers/caregivers. (AEF)

The Illinois project entitled Measurement and Evaluation of Public Library Services is being conducted by the Library Research Center (LRC) at the University of Illinois. The long range goal of the project is to make available meaningful information for the evaluation and improvement of local public libraries. Two immediate objectives are to test…

In order to study library public relations practices in Idaho, a survey was mailed to all Idaho public library directors and branch librarians in 1992. The state received 88 responses to the 141 surveys mailed. Seventy-five percent of respondents reported a lack of public relations budget, and in 76 percent of the libraries, one staff member was…

Part of the Striving for Excellence program of the Utah State Library requires participating public libraries to conduct community needs assessments. This is a way for library directors and trustees to find out if the mission they have chosen and the policies they have written are still appropriate as they identify the strengths and weaknesses of…

The goals of Project Outreach were: to place library materials in agencies throughout the county; to offer film programs, filmstrip presentations, and talks; to continue cooperative ventures in the use of braille and talking books; to continue to utilize tape cassettes; to provide materials to handicapped persons; to make available large print…

The Vermont General Assembly mandated an evaluation of the regional library program of the Vermont State Department of Libraries. To carry out this charge, the department initiated a 14-month review of the program with three components: an internal review of library service, use, and costs; public library input derived from a detailed survey and…

Preparatory and follow-up activities as well as proceedings are described in this report of a conference that brought representatives of 103 tribes together to discuss and lay the groundwork for comprehensive improvement of library and information services for Indian communities served by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Chapters I, II, and III…

During the last decade, research has become increasingly important to the profession of librarianship. Seven library schools now have doctoral programs, foundation grants have stimulated and supported scores of major projects, and the research method has been recognized as an accepted technique for solving library problems. The increasing volume…