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Last revised: 03/12/2008


Putting the Plan in Motion

Evaluating Your Progress

The purpose of evaluation...is to allow us to make better decisions about the library -- to identify aspects that might be improved...

[The question, "Compared to what?"] sees evaluation as a process of checking on a regular basis to determine how much progress has been made toward a stated goal.

(Emphasis added.)

Jane Robbins and Douglas Zweizig. (1988). Are We There Yet? Evaluating Library Collections, Reference Services, Programs, and Personnel. School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison. p. 1



Robbins and Zweizig (1988) offer some practical advice about evaluating your library's plan. When you evaluate your progress, you want to determine your effectiveness (did you accomplish your objective) and efficiency (how well did you accomplish your objective). Here are some things to think about as you create an evaluation strategy:
  • Analyze your objective and identify what you want to accomplish.

  • How you will measure your success?

    • Example 1: Your objective - the children's department of Blank Public Library will offer 3 parent/child story hours during 2001. To measure your success, you will count the number of story hours your library offered during this time period.

    • Example 2: Your objective - in 2001, the Blank Public Library Director will join with the Blank Arts Council to distribute materials about upcoming events in the community. The measure of your success will be two-fold. First, did the director join the Arts Council? Second, did the director distribute materials about events in the community?

  • How will you know if you met your objective?

    • Continuing example 1 - you will know your library met its objective if your library offered 3 story hours in the designated time period. If not, how many story hours were offered?

    • Continuing example 2 - you will know your library met its objective if you have answered yes to both questions. If not, why?

  • Now that you know if you met your objective and how well you met your objective, think about what how this objective has or has not moved you toward your goal. Did this objective move you toward your vision?

  • Take time to rethink your goals and objectives. Then retool your objectives, create new objectives or move on to the next objective. Continue this process until you meet your goal!




Bibliography


McNamara, Carter. Basic Guide to Program Evaluation. (1999). The Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits.

Robbins, Jane and Zweizig, Douglas. (1988). Are We There Yet? Evaluating Library Collections, Reference Services, Programs, and Personnel. School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison.



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