Summary

Measuring the performance of a library's services is one of the most crucial parts of providing a good service. This important book is the first to provide an accessible account of current thinking on the evaluation of library services, both traditional and - importantly - electronic library services. Illustrated throughout with a range of international examples across different types of libraries, this book will become the standard work on performance measurement.
The book is structured to focus first of all on the intended user of the services (outcome and impact perspectives), then to look at the management of the service (output and process issues), then at evaluating the building blocks of services (input issues) and finally to draw together these strands by examining some of the broader frameworks for evaluation which have emerged. The book ends with an extensive Appendix with a description of key methodologies and suitable references. Each chapter includes suggestions for further reading as well as key references.
The key areas addressed include:

Readership : The emphasis on principles and techniques in the book means that it is perfect reading for busy practitioners but it is also eminently suitable for students and researchers trying to get to grips with this tricky area.

Library Journal Review

Assessment of a library is not a new concept, but library accountability becomes more critical as budgets tighten and competition increases for prioritizing allocation of public funds. This overview of user-satisfaction-centered assessment considers how library services and resources impact targeted users. Brophy, a prolific author on information management and the director of the Centre for Research in Library and Information Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, presents assessment as a strategic planning tool for supporting the library's mission, focusing on measurement of economy, effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of access to information resources. His appendixes review data collection methods, analysis, and presentation. Edward Evans's Performance Management and Appraisal only addresses staff evaluations but offers more hands-on guidance, while Revisiting Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education, edited by Peter Hernon and others, provides an in-depth theoretical update. Although Brophy's guide is written for American and British academic and public librarians, a more affordable title is Joan Durrance's How Libraries and Librarians Help: A Guide to Identifying User-Centered Outcomes.-Betty Glass, Univ. of Nevada at Reno Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.