Competency N
Evaluate programs and services on specified criteria
The library, like most information professions, is a service oriented profession. The success of a library depends a lot on the quality of its service. I've spoken with patrons who prefer to use the smaller branches because of the people working there, even though the collection at the main branch is many times larger. In addition to interactions between librarians and patrons at the reference and circulation desks, libraries provide services such as computer classes, tax assistance, and homework help, and programs such as children's storytime and summer reading games, all of which can contribute to the success of the library. In order to keep providing quality service targeted to their demographic, library programs and services need to be evaluated frequently.
Evaluation can take many forms. Statistics are kept daily to see how much foot traffic the library gets. Statistics are also kept on individual items, which can be used to determine demand and calculate orders. Statistics are also kept on all programs and services. A count is usually taken of how many people come to an event. If numbers are poor or if they start to decrease, the library can consider changing or discontinuing a certain event or program. Likewise, good numbers can indicate success. Statistics are also kept month to month or year to year for programs such as summer reading games or other contests. These can be used to judge the popularity of the program and, indirectly, its success. Usage statistics are also kept on services such as computers, tax assistance, and homework help.
Libraries can also ask for feedback from their patrons. Comment cards are always available, and periodically libraries will provide surveys and request that patrons fill them out and return them. These surveys can be general questionnaires about the library, or be specifically targeted to certain events or programs. Surveys can provide more detailed feedback than statistics alone. The main drawback is that patrons may not fill them out. The librarian might forget to ask, or the patron might forget to pick one up. Patrons are often busy and might not have time to fill one out.
The criteria for evaluation can vary depending on what is being evaluated, but the underlying measure of success is how well the patrons needs are being met. With reference interactions, success is measured not only whether or not the patron's information need was met, but by whether the patron was satisfied with the interaction. This can depend on how friendly the librarian was, how quickly and efficiently they searched, and how thorough they were. An interaction where the information need was not met may still be considered a success, if the patron feels the librarian put effort into the search. Likewise, an interaction where the information need was met can still be considered unsuccessful if the librarian was brusque or unfriendly. With services that provide some sort of assistance, such as homework help or tax assistance, in addition to usage statistics, employees can also use patron satisfaction to gauge success. If patrons leave frustrated or otherwise upset, then the service needs to be modified.
The first piece of evidence is the reference observation I did for my class on reference and information services. The assignment was to observe a reference desk and evaluate how well they served the patrons. During my observation, I found the librarians to be friendly and helpful. They seemed to be genuinely interested in the information needs of the patrons. Most reference interactions didn't last longer than five to ten minutes, but the librarians made sure the patron was satisfied with the information. Most of the faults I found were with the virtual reference services, provided through the Web site. At the time, it was not clear from the Web side that virtual reference interaction, through email and instant message, was available. Part of providing good service is making sure people know the service is available.
The second piece of evidence is the comparison I made between a virtual and a live reference interaction for the same class. What I found during this assignment, is that good service is the same whether it's face to face or over the computer. The librarian I interacted with virtually found ways to be friendly and welcoming through the text-only environment of instant messaging. On the other hand, the librarian I interacted with in person seemed reluctant to help me, and made no follow-up or any attempt to see if I was satisfied with the assistance. Based on the criteria of patron satisfaction, the virtual interaction went very well, and the live interaction went poorly.