Library Statistics & Performance Measures

Return to Library Statistics Table of Contents.
Return to the State Libraries menu.
Return to the Factbooks and Statistics menu.
Return to the main menu.

Guides

Association of Research Libraries. Statistics and Measurement Program. Performance measures.

Bannister, Marion & Rochester, Maxine. (1997, December). Performance measures for NSW TAFE libraries: What can we learn from the literature? Australia Academic & Research Libraries, 28 (4), 281-296.

Review of user-oriented performance measures literature, a byproduct of effort to develop performance measures for New South Wales Technical and Further Education libraries.

Bertot, John Carlo, McClure, Charles R. and Ryan, Joe. (2000, October 15). Statistics and performance measures for public library network services. Chicago: ALA. ISBN 0-8389-0796-2. ALA Order #: 0796-2-2115 $38.00 for non-ALA members, $34.20 for members. To order use the ALA bookstore or phone: (800) 545-2433, press 7. For a sample of the work take a look at Chapter 2.

Blixrud, Julia. Organizational performance: Readings and sites .

Burkholder, Sue A. (Ed.). (1987). Statistical applications in library technical services : an annotated bibliography. Chicago : Library Administration and Management Association, American Library Association.

Census tools and resources from around the world.

Friedman, Mark. (1997, May). A guide to developing and using performance measures in results-based budgeting. Prepared for The Finance Project.

Goodall, Deborah L. (1988, April). Performance measurement: A historical perspective. Journal of librarianship, 20 (2), 128-144

A comprehensive historical review and assessment of performance measurement literature since the 1960s.

Gorman, G. E. (1999). Collecting data sensibly in information settings. Available: ERIC: ED441441.

Harris, Rodger S. (Ed.). (1993). Statistics checklist (2nd ed.). Chicago: Library Administration and Management Association, Statistics Section, Data Collection for Library Managers Committee, American Library Association.

Hernon, Peter. (1989, Fall). Research and the use of statistics for library decision making. Library Administration & Management, 3(4), 176-180.

Hernon, Peter & Altman, Ellen. (1996). Service quality in academic libraries. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Kania, Antoinette M. (1988). Performance measures for academic libraries: A twenty year retrospective. Available: ERIC: ED293540.

Guide to methodologies developed over the past 20 years for assessing a library's effectiveness, organized into: (1) measures of access, use, and users; (2) measures of collection evaluation; (3) measures of reference services.

IFLANET. Internet & networking: Surveys and statistics.

Library Research Service. Available data for library managers: A bibliography of regularly updated statistical sources.

Library Research Service. Technology statistics.

Library Research Service. Community analysis resources on the WWW .

This is geared to Colorado settings. For a version focused on South Carolina see: State Library of South Carolina. Community analysis resources on the WWW .

Library Web Manager's Reference Center. Internet statistics.

Loughborough University, UK. Department of Information and Library Studies. Library and Information Statistics Unit. Library and Information Statistics Tables (LIST). 1998 and 1997

Lynch, Mary Jo. (1983). Sources of library statistics, 1972-1982. Chicago: American Library Association.

McClure, Charles R. and Lopato, Cynthia L. (1996). Assessing the academic networked environment: Strategies and options. Washington, DC: Coalition for Networked Information. For an earlier 1995 report see ERIC: ED405867.

Performance measurement & management portal.

Powell, Ronald R. (1988). The relationship of library user studies to performance measures: A review of the literature (University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science Occasional Paper, no. 181). Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois, GSLIS. Available: ERIC: ED290498.

Review of the user studies and performance measures literature.

Robinson, Douglas R. (2000, May). Performance measurement and performance indicators: A selective bibliography (Bibliography series #8).

St. Clair, Guy. (1994). Power and influence: Enhancing information services within the organization. New Providence, NJ: Bowker-Saur.

Techniques for implementing a program that promotes information services and dispels negative perceptions about the value of these services.

Smith, Kerry. The Researching Librarian: Statistics section.

Smith, Mark. (1996). Collecting and using public library statistics: A how-to-do-it manual for librarians. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Titus, Elizabeth McKenney. Libstats.

Designed to share local, state, and national library statistical reports electronically, provide examples of the types of library statistics being reported, promote the use of library statistics, and provide information on other web sites dealing with library statistics data gathering and reporting.

Return to Library Statistics Table of Contents.

General Interest

Abbott, Christine. (1994). Performance measurement in library and information services. London: Aslib. 57 p. ISBN 0851423299.

American Library Association. Library Administration and Management Association. Library Research Roundtable. Reference and Adult Services Division. (1980). Library effectiveness: A state of the art: Papers from a 1980 ALA Preconference. Chicago: American Library Association.

American Library Association. Library & Research Center (LARC). Fact sheets.

American Accounting Association. (1989). Measuring the performance of nonprofit organizations: the state of the art. Sarasota, FL: American Accounting Association, Government and Nonprofit Section's Committee on Nonprofit Entities' Performance Measures.

Austin, R.D. (1996). Measuring and managing performance in organization. NY: Dorset House.

Aversa, Elizabeth. (1981). Organizational effectiveness in libraries: A review and some suggestions. Drexel Library Quarterly, 17 (2), 27-45.

Berinstein, Paula. (1998, March). The numbers game: The top 10 sources for st atistics. Online, 22 (2).

Blagden, John & Harrington, John. (1990). How good is your library? A review of approaches to the evaluation of library and information services. London: Aslib. 59 p. - ISBN 0851422683.

(1998). An evaluation model for electronic resources utilizing cost analysis. The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances, 11 (1), 18-23.

Braunstein, Yale M. (1988). Library funding and economics. In: Rethinking the library in the information age, V. II. Washington: U.S. Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Office of Library Programs, 201-215.

Cram, Jennifer. (1999, August). Six impossible things before breakfast: A multidimensional approach to measuring the value of libraries or PDF version. Proceedings of the 3rd Northumbria International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries and Information Services: Newcastle upon Tyne, Information North. 19-29.

Cram, Jennifer. (1997). Not an inexhaustible resource: Valuation and depreciation of library collections. Australian Library Journal, 46(4), 376-385.

Cram, Jennifer. (1996). Benefiting the bottom line. Australian Library Journal, 45(4), 300-307.

Cram, Jennifer. (1996). Performance management, measurement and reporting in a time of information-centred change. Australian Library Journal, 45 (3), 225-238.

Cram, Jennifer. (1995). Demonstrating value for money: Issues for libraries and librarians. Singapore Libraries, 24, 38- 57.

Cullen, Rowena. (1999, August). Does performance measurement improve organisational effectiveness? A postmodern analysis. Performance Measurement and Metrics, 1 (1), 9-30.

Cullen, Rowena. (1998). Measure for measure: A post modern critique of performance measurement in libraries and information services. Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand, School of Communications and Information Management. Available: ERIC: ED434664.

Discusses: (1) past and present approaches to performance measurement; (2) a conceptual framework for evaluation, including a typology of the performance effectiveness literature (i.e., goal attainment, systems resource/external systems, internal processes/internal systems, and multiple constituency/constituency satisfaction models), and a new model of organizational effectiveness (focus/value/purpose matrix); and (3) factors affecting the use of systems of evaluation, including library use of past research. Concludes identifying three critical factors influencing performance measurement: measurement is a political activity; the multidimensional nature of performance measurement; and rewards and incentives.

Downes, Stephen. Stephen's guide to the logical fallacies.

Edwards, James B. (1986). The use of performance measures. Montvale, NJ: National Association of Accountants.

Foundation for Performance Measurement.

Goldberg, Jeff. Why web usage statistics are (worse than) meaningless. Cranfield Computer Centre, UK.

Hernon, Peter. (1987). Utility measures, not performance measures for library reference service?" RQ 27 (4), 449-459.

Kaplan, Robert S. & Norton, David P. (1992, January/February). The balanced scorecard: Measures that drive performance. Harvard Business Review, 70 (1), 71-79.

Kelley, Patricia M. (1991, Spring). Performance measures: A tool for planning resource allocations. Journal of Library Administration, 14 (12), 21-36.

Lancaster, F. W. (1977). The measurement and evaluation of library services. Washington: Information Resources Press.

Library Journal. (Annual, January). Budget report.

Library Journal. (Annual, June 15). Public library referenda.

Library Research Service. Available data for library managers: A bibliography of regularly updated statistical sources.

LITA's top technology trends.

Lynch, Mary Jo. (1999, September). Compared to what? Or, where to find the stats. American Libraries, 30 (8), 48, 50.

McClure, Charles R. (1994, Spring). User-based data collection techniques and strategies for evaluating networked information services. Library Trends, 42 (4), 591-607. National Academy of Public Administration. (1996). Information management performance measures: Developing performance measures and management controls for migration systems, data standards, and process improvement. Washington, DC: National academy of Public administration.

Roderick Elizabeth; Taylor, Jean Marie; Byrd, Sam; and Courson, Glen. (1997). The library of Virginia's digital library project. Library Hi Tech 15 (3-4), 56-62, 89.

St. Lifer, E. (1996). Net.Work. New roles, same mission. Library Journal 121, 26­30.

Senkevitch, Judith Jamison. (1991, Fall). Analyzing productivity in the era of accountability. Bottom Line, 5, 25-28.

STATS: Statistical Assessment Service.

"The Statistical Assessment Service examines the way that scientific, quantitative, and social research are presented by the media, and works with journalists to help them convey this material more accurately and effectively."

United States Advisory Council on the National Information Infrastructure. (1996). KickStart initiative. Connecting Americašs communities to the information superhighway. Washington, DC: Benton Foundation. (202) 638-5770. In particular see, Identifying costs and sources of funding.

Westward Connections Inc. Research surveys, statistics and trends.

Young, Peter R. (1998). Measurement of electronic services in libraries: Statistics for the digital age. IFLA Journal, 24 (3), 157-160.

Return to Library Statistics Table of Contents.

General Internet Statistics

Connectivity tables.

E-land.

Forrester Research.

Hoffman, Donna &Novak, Thomas. E-lab: Measuring the net.

IFLANET. Internet & networking: Surveys and statistics.

Internet economy indicators.

Internet Software Consortium and Network Wizards. Internet domain survey.

Attempts to discover every host on the Internet by doing a complete search of the Domain Name System.

Jupiter Media Metrix. CyberAtlas.

Lawrence, S. & Giles, L. (1999). Accessibility and distribution of information on the web.

Library of Congress. Internet statistics and demographics.

Library Web Manager's Reference Center. Internet statistics.

Matrix.net. Internet research.

National Cancer Institute. Usability.gov. Statistics & market research.

Nua Internet Surveys.

OCLC. Office of Research. Web characterization project. Dublin, OH: OCLC.

Orenstein, Robert. Irresponsible Internet statistics generator.

Given date, estimates number of web sites and number of Internet users.

Quarterman, John. Matrix Information and Directory Services (MIDS).

General Internet performance measurements.

YAHOO. Computers and Internet:Internet: Statistics and demographics.

Return to Library Statistics Table of Contents.

General Statistics Texts

Creswell, J.W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Egghe, Leo & Rousseau, Ronald. (1990). Introduction to informetrics: Quantitative methods in library, documentation, and information science. New York: Elsevier.

Hafner, Arthur W. (1998). Descriptive statistical techniques for librarians. Chicago: American Library Association.

Includes: (1) "Introduction to Statistics;" (2) "Basic Methods for Data Analysis;" (3) "Data Comparisons in the Library Environment;" (4) "Presenting Numerical Data in Tables and Charts;" (5) "Measures of Central Tendency;" (6) "Measures of Variability;" (7) "Linear Regression and Correlation Analysis;" and (8) "Sampling Strategies and Tallying a Survey."

Hoffman, Howard S. Internet glossary of statistical terms.

Katzer, Jeffrey; Cook, Kenneth H. & Crouch, Wayne W. (1998). Evaluating information: A guide for users of social science research (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Lane, David. HyperStat Online. Rice University.

An introductory-level hypertext statistics book.

Niles, Robert. Statistics every writer should know.

Patton, Michael Q. (1997). Utilization-focused evaluation: The new century text. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage.

Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics.

StatSoft Inc. Electronic statistics textbook.

Stockburger, David W. Introductory Statistics: Concepts, Models and Applications

University of Newcastle, Australia. SurfStat

Return to Library Statistics Table of Contents.

Journals Releated to Electronic Measures

Association of Research Libraries. ARL: A bimonthly newsletter of research library issues and actions: Articles on: Measurements of Research Libraries.

Return to Library Statistics Table of Contents.

Lists

Best Practices Forum To subscribe: send a blank e-mail to Best.Practices-subscribe@listbot.com

Return to Library Statistics Table of Contents.

Library Statistics Texts

Hafner, Arthur W. (1998). Descriptive statistical techniques for librarians. Chicago: American Library Association.

Includes: (1) "Introduction to Statistics;" (2) "Basic Methods for Data Analysis;" (3) "Data Comparisons in the Library Environment;" (4) "Presenting Numerical Data in Tables and Charts;" (5) "Measures of Central Tendency;" (6) "Measures of Variability;" (7) "Linear Regression and Correlation Analysis;" and (8) "Sampling Strategies and Tallying a Survey."

Hernon, Peter. (1994). Statistics: A component of the research process (Rev. ed.). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Katzer, Jeffrey; Cook, Kenneth H. & Crouch, Wayne W. (1998). Evaluating information: A guide for users of social science research (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Losee, Robert M. & Worley, Karen A. (1993). Research and evaluation for information professionals. San Diego: Academic Press.

Stephen, Peter & Hornby, Susan. (1997). Simple statistics for library and information professionals (2nd ed.). London: Library Association Pub.

Return to Library Statistics Table of Contents.
Return to the State Libraries menu.
Return to the Factbooks and Statistics menu.