Library Assessment Conference:
Thessaloniki, Greece
June 13-15, 2005
[Note: The Thessaloniki conference is not a part of the Effective, Sustainable, Practical Assessment conference series. Information on the event is included on this Web site because of its unique contribution to the assessment community.]
In June 2005, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Alexander Technological Educational Institution of Thessaloniki Library co-sponsored a Library Assessment Conference in Thessaloniki, Greece. The event was partially funded by the European Community Social Fund.
The conference focused on the need for library assessment and discussed international developments and implications as they have evolved primarily in the Anglo-American tradition. It also examined more closely two methodologies that have widespread appeal and applicability: LibQUAL+® and MINES for Libraries™ (Measuring the Impact of Networked Electronic Services).
The papers in this volume were presented as part of the conference and include:
- Colleen Cook, “The Importance of the LibQUAL+® Survey for the Association of Research Libraries and the Texas A&M University,” focuses on the development of the LibQUAL+® survey and its valuable contributions to the field of library assessment;
- Brinley Franklin, “Measuring the Impact of Networked Electronic Services (MINES): The North American Experience,” provides an overview of the MINES for Libraries™ survey methodology and results from US and Canadian institutional participants;
- Martha Kyrillidou, “Library Assessment: Why Today and Not Tomorrow?” which outlines the role and projects of the Association of Research Libraries and its Statistics and Measurement program in assessment activities;
- Terry Plum, “Evaluating the Usage of Library Networked Electronic Resources,” focuses on data-collection techniques for e-resources, ARL’s e-metrics initiatives, and lists relevant standards for vendor-supplied data;
- Bruce Thompson, “Research and Practice: Key Elements of Success for LibQUAL+®,” reviews the ways that trustworthiness of assessment measures such as LibQUAL+® can be established, specifically by evaluating the integrity of aggregate and individual scores; and
- Stephen Town, “Academic Library Performance, Quality, and Evaluation in the UK and Europe,” is derived from the work of the UK and Irish Society of College, National, and University Libraries (SCONUL) Advisory Committee on Performance Improvement (ACPI) and discusses the changing emphases in performance measurement.
Thank you to all participants for their efforts in furthering effective, sustainable, and practical library assessment.
A print copy of the 2005 Library Assessment Conference Proceedings is available for purchase from ARL Publications for $45. Or download a PDF of the published 2005 proceedings.