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Librarians Speak Up: How is your library determining its value?
If value is our capacity to satisfy users’ needs, our library tries to measure it as follows. First: monitoring if the information resources provided are used because the most valuable library is one that’s used. Second: measuring users’ satisfaction with the systems and facilities we offer that deliver access to information resources.
Michael Stringer, Science, Technology & Medicine Reference Team Leader; The British Library, London, UK
We recently calculated that the British Library costs each UK taxpayer just £3.48 a year, roughly the same as a latte and blueberry muffin from the coffee shop nearby. Similarly, an estimate of our economic impact suggested that every £1 spent on the national library yields £4.40 of benefit for the economy.
Vladimir Pislyakov, Assistant Director for Electronic Resources Management, Higher School of Economics Library, Moscow, Russia
The value of our library consists of two components: potential and actual. Potential value is the resources we offer our patrons. Actual value is how often these resources are currently used. Ensuring that resources get into students’ hands and are used reflects our own value as librarians.
Shinya Kato, Head of General Affairs Division, Tohoku University Library, Sendai, Japan
Usage is a basic indicator of library performance. The more library usage increases, the more the value of the library increases. Especially for expensive electronic journals and databases, usage is one of the most important factors in determining their value. We frequently analyze usage statistics to assess the value of e-resources we provide.
Gayatri Divakaruni, Technical Officer for Information Management Area, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
We determine our value according to resources we provide. We offer access to full text electronic and print scholarly publications, and we offer assistance with bibliometric and citation analyses. When introducing new resources, we conduct end-user trainings because high usage is a huge factor in assessing the value of resources we provide.
No trecho do depoimento de Shinya Kato – Especially for expensive electronic journals and databases, usage is one of the most important factors in determining their value. – a palavra their refere-se a