Evaluation is a vital tool for providing effective, high quality library programs. Evaluating your programs can provide the data to help you understand what works and what doesn't for particular programs, patron groups or communities. In doing so, evaluation data can help you manage staff and resources and communicate your library's impact in the community. You can accomplish this whether you are a director, a department head, or programming staff. Below are links and materials to help you get started or to help you improve on the road to evaluation. Please contact Karren Reish at reishk@michigan.gov or 517-241-0021 if you have any questions.
There are a range of quality evaluation techniques, but the materials here focus on Outcome Based Evaluation (OBE). OBE is a systematic way to plan user-centered programs and to measure the program's impact on the user. Instead of measuring what you did (number of classes), you measure what difference you made in your patron's life (got a job after the taking the resume class).
OBE evaluation can take you from counting widgets to understanding how you are improving your community. The Library of Michigan supports OBE both for the effect it can have and because it is the evaluation technique that the Institute of Museum and Library Services encourages for use with LSTA funded projects. It is becoming the evaluation technique of choice among non-profits as well, including United Way organizations.