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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the authors
- Reviews
Planning and assessment are both crucial elements of a public library that functions efficiently and flexibly. So why are they often treated as separate processes? This concise book combines planning and evaluation in a holistic approach, helping public library managers and staff put library resources to work for the community. Based on a series of successful workshops, the workflow presented by the authors is made up of manageable steps for integrating outcome-based planning and evaluation (OBPE) into the routine functions of the public library. Offering step by step guidance that's transparent and easy to follow, this book
- introduces the concept of OBPE and explains how it can be a streamlined, effective method of getting library users' feedback;
- defines "outcomes" and shows why public libraries should use them to plan and evaluate services;
- shares methodologies for assessing community needs and interests, including key informant interviews, surveys, focus groups, and environmental scans;
- demonstrates how to use community assessment data to create outcome statements that not only guide the creation of new library services, but also provide targets for measuring the effectiveness of those services;
- offers techniques for designing services that directly serve the community while also achieving the outcomes the library has targeted; and
- provides tips for sharing the results with stakeholders and maximizing successful outcome-based programs to leverage the library's role in the community.
Featuring plentiful examples of how to proceed through each phase of the OBPE model, this book boils down planning and evaluation into an approachable, easy to understand process for public librarians, library managers, and grant writers.
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 Outcomes, Services and Programs, and OBPE
Chapter 2 Gathering Information
Chapter 3 Determining Outcomes
Chapter 4 Designing Programs and Services
Chapter 5 Evaluating Programs and Services
Chapter 6 Sharing Results
Appendix A Community Assessment Environmental Scan: Internal (Library) Factors
Appendix B Community Assessment Environmental Scan: External (Community) Factors
Appendix C Community Assessment: Field Questions to Ask Yourself
Appendix D Community Assessment: Sample Interview and Focus Group Questions
Bibliography
About the Authors
Index
"Offers librarians a solid approach to begin conducting such assessment and to deliver valuable programming."
— Catholic Library Association
"This book allows readers to move from goal-based thinking and planning to outcome-based planning and evaluation. Following the lessons of this book, public libraries will find it easier to move from traditional input and output measures to outcome statements. Following this process will enable libraries to use valid results to drive the development of future programs and services. As a library director, I found this book to be thought-provoking and inspiring. It was an easy read filled with a powerful plan of action."
— Technical Services Quarterly
"The authors focus on practicality ... the approachable presentation makes it worthwhile for anyone involved in planning, providing, or assessing programs and services."
— Public Libraries