Assessing the impact of libraries – the role of ISO 16439

Published date08 January 2018
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-05-2017-0037
Date08 January 2018
Pages87-93
AuthorClaire Creaser
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services
Assessing the impact of
libraries the role of ISO 16439
Claire Creaser
LISU, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
Abstract
Purpose Library impact and how to evaluate it has been debated for a number of years. While the activity
the busy-ness of the library is now routinely measured and described, the difference the library makes is less
tangible and harder to measure. Libraries in all sectors and worldwide are grappling with this issue, and the
purpose of this paper is to summarise international standardsavailable to support them.
Design/methodology/approach The rst international standard concerning library impact, ISO
16439 Information and documentationmethods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries, was
publishedin 2014 after several years in development.
Findings The standard describesa range of methods for assessinglibrary impact which have been used
across theworld in a variety of libraries in all sectors.
Originality/value This paper summarises the key methods described in the standard, and gives
referencesfor further reading.
Keywords Measurement, Standards, Methods, Impact, Library, ISO 16439
Paper type General review
Introduction
Library performance has been measured and assessed by means of the resources put into the
service and the use made of those resources for many years. Evaluation also routinely extends
to measures of customer satisfaction. Whilst valuable in terms of running an efcient and cost-
effective service, library statistics do not answer the fundamental question, increasingly asked
by both librarians and other stakeholders what difference does the library service make to an
individual or a community? As a result, librarians and information scientists have begun to
develop ways of measuring the impact of library services.
Library impact is not an exact science.It might be thought that something intangible and
difcult to measure is not a proper subject for ISO standards, which are generally very
precise in their specications. From about 2000, library impact has gained increasing
importance as publically funded organisations have come under ever-greater scrutiny to
demonstrate their value to stakeholders and justify their funding. Covey (2002,p.156)
described the state of academic library performance measurement at that time as often
ineffective and inefcient.She also noted increasing demands for accountabilityon the part
of both governments and institutions. Library assessment has moved on, and is now
embedded in practice, but the demands for accountability have grown, and there has been
an increasing appreciation that the more easily measured concepts of inputs and outputs
resources and activities while remaining necessary, are no longer deemed sufcient to
measure library performanceand value. ISO 16439 was developed in response to a perceived
demand for guidance on effective methodsof assessing impact in librariesof all types across
the world.
An international committeeof experts, including the author of this article, collaborated to
produce the standard, which describes a wide variety of methods and techniques, all of
Role of ISO
16439
87
Received8 May 2017
Revised16 October 2017
Accepted23 October 2017
Informationand Learning Science
Vol.119 No. 1/2, 2018
pp. 87-93
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-05-2017-0037
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-5348.htm

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