Evaluation Projects

[LindaHofschire]

Hello!

Please share the following information about your evaluation project:

1 - a brief description of your project
2 - your question/problem statement (what is the question that needs to be answered OR the problem that needs to be solved?)
3 - your why statement (why does the library need this answer/solution? What will the library be able to do after it has this answer/solution?)

Thanks!
Linda

[khusser]

Tempe Public Library, (AZ) would like to evaluate the community's and partner's needs in the Library's strategic planning process;
to discover are the library's programs and services providing what the community needs/wants in Tempe?
This will benefit the library and allow us to align with the City's and Council's priorities already established, which in turn is tied to funding (budget asks) and the relevance of services.   

Great webinar today, thank you!

[llewis@showlowaz.gov]

Hello!

Please share the following information about your evaluation project:

1 - a brief description of your project
2 - your question/problem statement (what is the question that needs to be answered OR the problem that needs to be solved?)
3 - your why statement (why does the library need this answer/solution? What will the library be able to do after it has this answer/solution?)

Thanks!
Linda

Show Low Public Library would like to evaluate the benefits of going fine free.  The question that needs to be answered is will our community benefit from this, especially our low income families.  The problem that needs to be solved is convincing our city manager and city council that this would be an asset and not a loss of revenue.  Fines seem to impact low income families the most who have to choose between paying fines or buying bread for their families.  We are keeping books out of the hands of children when we enforce polices that "barr" access to services because of overdue fees.

[thamby@slcpl.org]

Hi! I would appreciate feedback on this evaluation project

DESCRIPTION: I would like to perform a community assessment to gain a better understanding of the people we serve and share the information with staff so they can align resources around meaningful services.

QUESTION: Who are the people that make up Salt Lake City?

WHY: We need to better understand who we serve so that we can meaningfully align resources to create positive outcomes for the people we serve.

[dmfarabaugh]

Project Description:  The Westmoreland County Federated Library System wants to increase its in-house training opportunities.  Currently, the system offers 10-12 training opportunities a year, but fewer people are signing up for the sessions.  Despite declining attendance, library directors have indicated that front-line staff require further training (especially ILS and technology training) to better assist patrons.  WCFLS wants to create an assessment tool to evaluate staff skills, identify training needs, and determine the best way to provide training to member libraries.

Question/Problem Statement: What are member libraries’ training needs?  What is the best way to deliver this training?

Statement of Why: The Westmoreland County Federated Library System will be able to better meet the needs of member libraries, front-line staff, and patrons by identifying areas where training is needed, and providing that training in the most effective way.

[Becky Schneider]

Description

Person County Public Library (Roxboro, NC) wants to evaluate the impact of its technology programming for adults. The library offers beginner and intermediate computer classes and one-on-one technology appointments. The library has low turnout for intermediate classes and intermittent usage of appointments. Beginner classes are generally popular but there has been demand for additional instruction beyond the 6-hour beginner series.

The library is considering adding a weekly technology drop-in as an alternative to intermediate classes and a supplement for beginner classes and appointments. However, it is not known if the drop-in will increase attendance or be a good learning experience.

Problem Statement

Which formats for technology instruction have the most impact? Impact could be measured in two ways – number of learners served and quality of learning outcomes.

Why Statement

Person County is rural, aging, and has limited access to high-speed Internet. Residents need access to digital literacy programming to achieve educational, career, and personal goals. However, the library has limited staffing. By evaluating technology programming, the library can design future programming that is high-impact despite limited resources.

[ChristaWerle]

Sno-Isle Libraries is looking at our strategic priority of increasing kindergarten readiness in language and literacy.

We want to make sure that our storytimes are serving the children that most urgently need help developing these skills:  children ages 0-5 who are from low-income households and are not in structured care.  This project will identify the number of these children we need to reach in order to have a positive effect in the community and assessing the extent to which we are currently reaching this audience.  If there is a gap, then this project will develop and implement a plan to deliver storytime services to a meaningful number of this audience.  

We don't know if who we're reaching with the majority of our early literacy programming is our target audience.

Ross Hunter, Director of the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) has set a statewide goal of 90% of Washington's children to be ready for kindergarten by the year 2020: 

• Of all kindergarten students in Island and Snohomish Counties (approximately 7500 children):
  
  • 11% demonstrated literacy skills expected of children three years old or younger
    
  • 15% demonstrated the language skills expected of children three years old or younger
    
• Of low-income students in Island and Snohomish Counties (approximately 2700 students eligible for free or reduced meals):
  • 20% demonstrated literacy skills expected of children three years old or younger
    
  • 24% demonstrated language skills expected of children three years old or younger
    

We know that the content of our early literacy storytimes aligned with current research and results in associated proved outcomes (VIEWS2, ECRR2).  If we can also show that library storytimes are reaching the kids that need skill development the most and their language and literacy skills improve as a result of exposure to library services, then we can say we are contributing to their long-term educational success.

[MelanieUMorgan]

Evaluation Project
Project Description:
Based on the report Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries by the Aspen Institute it is the goal of Madison County Public Libraries to develop a people centric strategic plan that will transform the library into the hub of the community.  

Question/Problem Statement:
What is the question that needs to be answered or the problem that needs be solved?
How does the library align library services, resources, and programs in support of community goals?

Statement of Why:
Why does the library need this answer/solution? What will the library be able to do after it has this answer/solution?
By aligning services, resources and programs with community goals the Madison County Public Libraries will be able to create long-term sustainability and become a fundamental entity in the community.

[cindyjewett]

Evaluation Project

Project Description:
I work in a rural library in New Hampshire with a population of 2,600 and our circulation is low. I have been in this position for about a year and I would like to perform a community assessment to evaluate the needs of the community.

Question:
How can I evaluate the community in a cost-effective manner to see what services and programs they would like to see at the library?

Statement of Why:
As a library, we will be able to assess the information and implement programs and services that match the community needs.

[pbromberg]

Project Description:

Data collection and analysis that would help us understand the information needs and behavior patterns of customers at our various service points to help us better align staffing at those points. The data collection could include recording and time-stamping every question at every service point in Main and/or other locations for a limited period of time (1-4 weeks?)  The analysis could include staff coding the questions to determine the type of question (directional, ready ref, in-depth ref, computer instruction, etc.) and the knowledge level required to answer the question.  

Question/Problem Statement:

What is the appropriate level (i.e. education and training) of staff and service model (desk? roving?) needed to provide excellent service to our customers?  By tracking the types of questions we get at our service points, and time/day-stamping when the questions are received, we will be better able to determine the level of staff needed (Assistant, Associate, or Librarian), and also determine whether certain service points are staffed appropriately (i.e. over or understaffed.)  We also be able to determine whether certain service points can be eliminated, and whether a roving or greeting model may better serve customer needs


Statement of Why: Why does the library need this answer/solution? What will the library be able to do after it has this answer/solution?

Addressing the problem statement will allow us to utilize our staff more efficiently, potentially saving $$, while also providing a better customer experience.