Outcomes and Beyond: A 3-Step Approach to Evaluating Program Success
This webinar occurred on April 16, 2024
You put a lot of effort into developing public-facing programs for your community, but how do you know whether these programs are successful?
In this session, you will learn a 3-step process for evaluating public-facing programs. First, you will learn to specify what “success” looks like for a sample library program. This often reflects the desired outcomes of the program (outcomes are changes in participants’ knowledge, skills, attitude, behavior, condition, or life status). You will also learn how to consider additional dimensions of success, such as equity, relevance, sustainability, and more, so that you can capture a more complete picture of the program’s success.
Second, you will learn to develop a logic model that depicts the relationship between the resources invested in the sample program, program attendance and other outputs, and the desired outcomes. The logic model will help you determine whether all of the necessary components are in place to achieve success.
Third, you will learn how to create a plan to measure the multiple dimensions of success that are relevant for the sample program and the types of data you need to collect to measure success.
You will leave the webinar with the knowledge needed to apply these concepts to your own public-facing programs and services.
Webinar Slides, Handouts, and Resources
- Slides Outcomes and Beyond
- Outcomes and Beyond Webinar Handout
- Padlet Board: How do you determine if a library program/service is successful?
- Padlet Board: Borrow a Buddy Logic Model
- Library Evaluation 101 videos
- Webinar Recording – Observations: Data Hiding in Plain Sight
- Observation Deck
This session is part of the 12 Months to Better Library Data Webinar Series, made possible by funding from the Mellon Foundation.
Instructors:
Rebecca Teasdale
Principal, Rebecca Teasdale & Associates
Rebecca Teasdale is principal of Rebecca Teasdale & Associates and an assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. As a librarian, Rebecca held leadership positions in urban and suburban public libraries. She now helps libraries build their capacity to evaluate their offerings and make evidence-based decisions regarding programs, services, collections, and staffing. Rebecca has evaluated projects in libraries, museums, afterschool programs, and universities, as well as professional development initiatives in the US and internationally. She was a founding member of the Project Outcome Task Force and currently directs Embedding Evaluation in Libraries, a team-based training and coaching program for public library staff. She holds an MA in library and information science and a PhD in educational psychology with specialization in evaluation methodology.
Linda Hofschire
Consultant
Linda Hofschire has more than 25 years of experience conducting social science research and evaluation and providing training in-person and online. She directs the Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL), an initiative to provide data and evaluation training for library staff. She also works as a library evaluation and training consultant. Linda was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2017. She has an MA and PhD in Mass Media from Michigan State University, and an MLIS from the University of Illinois. She is passionate about making data accessible and meaningful to users.
