In the June 2013 issue of Computers in Libraries, Moe Hosseini-Ara and Rebecca Jones have an article, “Overcoming Our Habits and Learning to Measure Impact.” They highlight 5 issues that libraries struggle with when measuring impact:
1. Libraries do not set targets for their measures.
2. There’s not enough understanding of stakeholders’ value measures.
3. Measures are not viewed as an integral element of services or programs.
4. Value measures are not differentiated from operating measures; outcomes are confused with outputs, which confuses everyone.
5. There’s no clear responsibility for managing measures.
Are you struggling with any of these issues when trying to measure the impact of your library? Check out the article for practical advice on how to tackle these issues and implement measures that effectively convey your library’s impact.