Output Measures For Public Library Service To Children

This manual has been designed as a practical guide to quantifying and measuring the results, or outputs, of public library service to children. The basic output measures presented are tailored to reflect library services to children (defined as persons 14 years old and younger) and their care givers. Six categories of measures are presented: (1) library use (children's library visits per child, building use by children, and furniture/equipment use by children); (2) materials use (circulation of children's materials per child, in-library use of children's materials per child, and turnover rate of children's materials); (3) materials availability (children's fill rate, homework fill rate, and picture book fill rate); (4) information services (children's information transactions per child and chldren's information transaction completion rate); (5) programming (children's program attendance per child); and (6) community relations (class visit rate, child care center contact rate, and annual number of community contacts). The first of three parts of the manual provides an overview of measurement and evaluation, basic information about statistics and data collection and analysis, and suggestions for managing the measurement effort in a particular library. The second part presents each output measure in detail, including the data elements needed and instructions for calculating the measure. The third part presents some techniques for collecting more subjective data, such as focus groups and user surveys, that may help to understand and interpret the quantitative output measure data. Copies of all of the blank forms needed are appended. (4 references) (BBM)

A call to action for libraries serving children. Honouring the accomplishments of children's services pioneers of the past, Virginia Walter evaluates the current situation and envisions futures where children, technology and libraries intersect.

These standards provide measures for evaluating communities' needs for public library services, and summarize the essentials for quality service for youth and those who work with youth. New management tools, specifically guides for planning and role setting and manuals for defining output measures, the challenge of electronic access, as well as the State of New York mandate that public libraries provide Outreach Services necessitated a revision of standards. Forty-two standards are divided into the following chapters: "Philosophy of Service"; "Recommendations for Planning for Public Library Service for Youth"; "Recommendations for Staffing for Public Library Service for Youth"; "Recommendations for Service for Children"; and "Recommendations for Service for Youth Adults." Appendices include a list of the Standards; a discussion of the effect of the Americans with Disabilities Act on library services for youth; a summary of the planning process; a chart illustrating developmental characteristics of youth and their relationship to library services; the American Library Association competencies for librarians serving children and youth; recommendations on furniture and equipment for children; and minimum standards for public libraries in New York State. (Contains 31 references.) (AEF)

The output measures defined in this manual address aspects of service such as library use, materials use, materials availability, document delivery, reference services and programme attendance. Methods for obtaining accurate data are described in detail and blank worksheets and tally logs are given where appropriate to assist in collecting and manipulating data.

"This revised edition features policy statements, reports, and research studies not readily identified in any one source and serves to update coverage of the print materials listed in Library Service to Children: A Guide to the Research, Planning, and Policy Literature (1992). All electronic sources are new, and the coverage of biographical literature and materials about the history of children's services and children's librarianship has been expanded."--BOOK JACKET.