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An Evaluation of the Benefits and Value of Libraries provides guidance on how to evaluate libraries and contains many useful examples of methods that can be used throughout this process. There is substantial focus on the importance of goals and objectives, along with advice on strategies that can be used in the case of libraries that may not be well resourced for conducting surveys. The text will be useful as a handbook, and does not assume prior knowledge of finance or economics. A guide on how to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on library services and a discussion on how to use scenario analysis and the persona method is provided, as are examples of customer surveys, for users and non-users alike. Provides guidance on library evaluation, monitoring and methodsProvides practical examples and customer surveysApplies economic methods to library management.

Cover; An Evaluation of the Benefits and Value of Libraries; Copyright; Contents; List of figures, tables and boxes; Foreword; Acknowledgements; About the authors; Introduction; 1What is benefit assessment?; Performance analysis; Efficiency; Are we doing the right things?; Measuring; 2Libraries and the surrounding world; Developing a stakeholder model; Scenario planning; The present situation; The future; 3Goals, mission statements and methods; Goals; Mission statements; Choice of method; Benefit shown in a matrix and diagram; The goals are not financial; 4Financial benefit assessment.

Financial valueProcess mapping; Cost analysis; Benefit analysis; 5Cost-benefit analysis of one-time investments; Business case; Background and purpose; Description of the solution; Financial analysis; Calculation of the time for the investment to be paid back using payback period and ROI; Risk analysis; Schedule/project plan; 6Customer surveys; Legitimacy; The library's image; Identity and profile; Users; Narrative method and storytelling; Storytelling and libraries; Customer survey 1; Customer survey 2; Results; 7The persona method; The persona; How to create personas; Using personas.

8The balanced scorecardConcept and background; Working method; Examples of metrics; Pitfalls; Appendix 1: Cost-benefit analysis; Business case; Non-monetary parameters, pros and cons; Risk analysis; Schedule/Project plan; Appendix 2: Gothenburg City Library users' survey; What does the Gothenburg City Library mean to you?; Appendix 3: 2008 Attitudes and Knowledge Survey of Gothenburg City Library; Contents; Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: Method; Chapter 3: Background information on respondents; Chapter 4: Visit the library; Chapter 5: Do not visit the library.

Chapter 6: Awareness of what it is possible to do at Gothenburg City LibraryChapter 7: Geographical location of Gothenburg City Library; Chapter 8: Improvements to Gothenburg City Library; Bibliography; Index.

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