How do you design and implement a library assessment plan and cycle?

1 Identify your purpose and scope

Before you start collecting data, you need to define why and what you want to assess. What are the main questions or issues you want to address? What are the goals and outcomes you want to achieve? What are the standards and benchmarks you want to use? How will you use the results to inform your decisions and actions? Your purpose and scope should be clear, relevant, and aligned with your library's mission, vision, and strategic plan.

2 Choose your methods and tools

Next, you need to decide how and what data you will collect. What are the best methods and tools to answer your questions or issues? How will you ensure the validity, reliability, and ethicality of your data? How will you manage and store your data? You can use a variety of methods and tools, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, tests, rubrics, statistics, analytics, etc. You should select the ones that suit your purpose, scope, and resources.

3 Implement your plan and collect data

Then, you need to execute your plan and collect data. How will you recruit and communicate with your participants? How will you administer and monitor your methods and tools? How will you handle any challenges or risks that may arise? You should follow your plan and adhere to the best practices and ethical standards of your methods and tools. You should also document your process and keep track of your data.

4 Analyze and interpret your data

After you collect data, you need to analyze and interpret it. How will you organize, clean, and prepare your data? What are the appropriate techniques and software to analyze your data? How will you identify and report the patterns, trends, gaps, and insights from your data? You should use the techniques and software that match your data type and purpose. You should also interpret your data in relation to your questions, issues, goals, outcomes, standards, and benchmarks.

5 Communicate and share your results

Finally, you need to communicate and share your results. Who are the intended audiences and stakeholders for your results? What are the best formats and channels to present and disseminate your results? How will you tailor your message and style to suit your audiences and stakeholders? You should use the formats and channels that are effective, accessible, and engaging for your audiences and stakeholders. You should also highlight the key findings, implications, recommendations, and actions from your results.

6 Review and revise your plan and cycle

Library assessment is not a one-time event, but a continuous cycle of improvement. How will you evaluate the success and impact of your assessment plan and cycle? How will you incorporate the feedback and suggestions from your audiences and stakeholders? How will you update and refine your plan and cycle based on your results and changes? You should review and revise your plan and cycle regularly, using the data and evidence to inform your practice and strategy.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?