Five Steps of Outcome-Based Planning and Evaluation for Public Libraries by Melissa Gross & Cindy Mediavilla & Virginia A. Walter

Author:Melissa Gross & Cindy Mediavilla & Virginia A. Walter [Gross, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LAN025010 Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science / Administration & Management
ISBN: 978-0-8389-1416-8
Publisher: American Library Association
Published: 2016-02-05T05:00:00+00:00

OTHER SCENARIOS

The previous example of an outcome that led to an initiative to help middle school students do better in math is only one scenario, of course. The service initiative described above is a fairly intensive response to an issue raised by members of the community. However, it is a response that fits expectations of typical library services. Other outcomes may require more or less effort to meet expectations by designing relevant library services and programs, or they may call for services that fall outside the library’s usual areas of expertise.

In the OBPE workshops we conducted in California, during the summer of 2015, some participants voiced their concerns after developing outcomes for a hypothetical community case study. They protested that they’re not psychologists or social workers or any number of specialized professionals that might be needed to fully realize a community’s aspirations. This is when the library needs to look back to its initial community assessment and identify potential partners. For example, another outcome that has been voiced in some community assessments is: “Small business operators acquire useful information about marketing.” In addressing this concern, the library might enlist help from the local merchants’ association and the local office of the Small Business Administration (SBA). The service response could be as simple and basic as developing and publicizing a special collection of books and databases to meet the need. A series of workshops on low-cost marketing strategies led by SBA staff or local college instructors would be an additional way to add value to the collection and give the participants an opportunity to voice their concerns. As the small business operators, SBA staff, local politicians, and librarians continue to meet and develop mutual trust and respect, they might decide to collaborate on an annual street fair to highlight their unique offerings. Each of these programs escalates the investment of resources and potential payoff in positive outcomes.

In another hypothetical scenario, perhaps your community assessment revealed concerns about the lack of healthy produce available to local residents. Possible partners might be concerned individuals, public health workers, and representatives from agencies of the Department of Agriculture as well as elected officials. These advisors might work with library staff to identify a location for a community garden and an appropriate agency to supervise it. Library staff could develop a special collection of gardening books, offer workshops on urban gardening, and perhaps even create a seed library (Weak 2014).

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