Library Statistics and Standardisation: Performance Measurement

Statistics in Practice – Measuring & Managing 2002 179

Library Statistics and Standardisation: Performance Measurementand Possibilities for Applying New Methods on PerformanceMeasurement and Benchmarking in Estonia

Anu NuutHead, Library Science and Development Department, The National Library of Estonia

Abstract

The paper will focus on the following aspects:

• Effectiveness of a library’s development activities based on collaboration betweenEstonian libraries and other libraries with international co-operation

• Library performance measurement and librarianship standardisation

• Possibilities for applying performance measurement and benchmarking methods inEstonian libraries

• Library performance measurement and benchmarking: library statistics measures asa tool for library acquisition development

Collaboration with other libraries andinternational organisations

The changes in librarianship in theindependent Estonian state are characterisedby the shift from the indoctrinated librarysystem to the democratic library system –from the deeply centralised managementscheme to the decentralised responsibilitiesof each library relating to its service andacquisition profile, and performance. Thedistances between libraries, betweenlibraries and suppliers, between libraries andtheir users are vanishing.

The development of information andcommunication technologies, taking place inEstonian libraries, provides preconditionsfor the co-operation and joint action oflibraries in the areas of acquisition, resourcesharing, and generating and managingdatabases (Valm, 2000).

During the years in which the role of thelibrary in society changed, the principlemission of the library to be an international,educational and cultural centre was restoredin Estonia. The restoration of independencein Estonia ten years ago challenged librariesto make their contribution to the

development of statehood, economy, scienceand culture to secure the capacity to copewith international competitive pressure. Thetransition from a controlled economy to anopen market economy, the accession tointernational organisations and conventions,the renewal of legislation in respect ofinternational law, democracy, human rights,freedom of information and freecompetition, changes in sciencearrangements and higher education are themajor factors which have had their impacton the development on librarianship inEstonia during the last ten years.

The effectiveness of a library’s developmentactivities is closely related to the degree ofparticipation in international projects, and isassociated with awareness of European andinternational development trends in thelibrary field. It also depends on the library’sreadiness to participate in the work ofinternational library organisations, and on itsknowledge of the basic documents of theseorganisations which should form the basisfor state library policy and for planning thelibrary’s activities. The representation ofeach research library or library institution ininternational organisations depends on their

Library Statistics and Standardisation

180 Statistics in Practice – Measuring & Managing 2002

fields of activities, as well as their financialsituation regarding paying the member fees.

Every state needs national documents thatprovide guidance for developing theactivities of its libraries and the sphere ofculture in general, however, their basic startpoints have to mesh with European andworld library policy and developmenttrends. The EU member states had begun toshape librarianship within the framework ofEuropean Commission programmes in the1990s, aiming to enhance libraryco-operation and the initiation of nationalprojects. Participation in the work ofinternational organisations makes libraryco-operation and development activitiesmore efficient. A major part of Estonianresearch libraries participate in the work ofIFLA (International Federation of LibraryAssociation and Institutions), CERL(Consortium of European ResearchLibraries), LIBER (Ligue des BibliothèquesEuropéennes de Recherche), BibliothecaBaltica, IAML (International Association ofMusic Libraries, Archives andDocumentation Centres), EIA (EuropeanInformation Association), ISKO(International Society for KnowledgeOrganisation) and several other internationalorganisations.

Estonian research libraries also are membersof different international organisations thathave relevant profiles within their librarytype, such as:

• The National Library of Estonia is amember of CDNL (Conference ofDirectors of National Libraries) andCENL (Conference of EuropeanNational Libraries); as a parliamentarylibrary, a member of IALL (InternationalAssociation of Law Libraries), ECPRD(European Centre of ParliamentaryResearch and Documentation) andICA/SPP (International Council ofArchives, Section of Archives ofParliaments and Political Parties); IPC(The Institute of Paper Conservation)

• Tartu University Library and theMedical Library of Estonia are membersof EAHIL (European Association forHealth Information and Libraries)

• Tallinn Technical University Library is amember of IATUL (InternationalAssociation of Technological UniversityLibraries)

• The Estonian Patent Library participatesin the work of PATLIB (AnnualConference of Patent Libraries)

• The Department of Information Studiesof the Tallinn Pedagogical Universityparticipates in the work of EADTU(European Association of DistanceTeaching Universities), BOBCATSSSand EUCLID

The participation in the work ofinternational organisations, and internationalprojects has been an encouragement toEstonian libraries, and provided them withexpertise with which to initiate nationalco-operation projects contributing to thework organisation of libraries (Nuut, 2000).

Estonian libraries and library institutionshave an active role in several internationalco-operation projects whose aim is todevelop an international library network andperformance:

• to generate a centralised search engine toprovide access to the digitised periodicalsand online databases of Europe

• to analyse and develop acquisition needsof libraries

• to economise library work• to develop library standardisation• to analyse and evaluate library

performance and quality• to develop book and library history

research• to promote preservation of cultural

heritage• to encourage distant education and staff

training

(International projects 2002)



Library standardisation

Library statistics are a valuable source forlibrary performance measurement. Librarystatistics and performance measurementstudies as a part of management process anddecision-making support system have a longhistory in USA, UK, Canada, Germany,Australia, New Zealand and other countries.The gathering of Estonian library statisticswas started in 1973 (in the beginning, onlypublic libraries); in the1990s it underwentmajor changes (included collecting data ofall types of libraries). In the changingenvironment development andstandardisation are inevitable – the EUproject LibEcon2000 provided new goalsand guidelines, new direction for datacollection of library statistics, and for thedevelopment of performance measurementactivities on the national level. A variety ofstudies on library economics, carried outduring the project offered the possibility ofcomparing Estonian libraries withinEuropean context and of applyingperformance measurement andbenchmarking methods on the national level.

Libraries’ work organisation and the flexibleinteraction of the library network as anintegrated system depend on librarystandardisation. For years the validation ofEstonian national library standards havebeen talked about; however, the last tenyears of newly independent Estonian statehave only brought along theacknowledgement of normatives of ISOinternational standards by the Estonianlibraries. During the period of restoration ofindependent statehood the work of Estonianlibraries was reorganised according to theIFLA and ISO standards; drawing upEstonian standards was initiated only in2000.

The National Standards Board of Estonia(EVS) was established in newly independentEstonia in 1991 as a governmentalinstitution under the administration of theMinistry of Finance for the purpose of

directing and co-ordinating activities in thefield of standardisation, metrology andaccreditation in Estonia. Activities in thefield of standardisation in Estonia weredirected and co-ordinated by the EVS fromSeptember 1991 up to April 2000. TheNational Standards Board of Estonia was acorrespondent member of InternationalOrganisation for Standardisation (ISO) andan affiliated member of the EuropeanCommittee for Standardisation (CEN). In1999 the Government order on establishingthe Non-Profit Organisation Estonian Centrefor Standardisation was issued and on30 November, the founding documents aswell as the Statutes of the Centre wasapproved. In April 2000 the Government ofEstonia and the Estonian Centre forStandardisation concluded an agreement inwhich the rights and obligations inorganising standardisation activities inEstonia were laid down more precisely andon 1 April the Centre as the nationalstandards body started its operations asprovided by the Technical Regulations andStandards Act (01.04.2000).

The Estonian Centre for Standardisation(EVS) is a correspondent member of ISO,associated member of IEC and an affiliatedmember of CEN and CENELEC.Membership of international standardisationorganisations offers wider opportunities tothe Centre for co-operation in the field ofstandardisation on the international level andto initiate adoption of ISO standards.Estonian national standards issued by EVSare voluntary documents and drawn up byTechnical Committees or by working groupsof co-operation. EVS approves and registersEstonian Standards.

In May 2001 the Advisory Board wasestablished, which includes representativesfrom EVS, governmental institutions,associations, consumers and other interestedparties. The Advisory Board functions as avoluntary organisation, approving proposalsfor the review and drafting of Estonian



Standards, making proposals, concerning themembership of technical committees andconsulting Centre members. At present thereare 12 technical committees registered andoperating in the Estonian Centre forStandardisation, including TC 4 (EVS/TK4)Information Technology. TechnicalCommittees as well as co-operation partnershave been mostly engaged in preparing theoriginal Estonian standards and in thepreparation of adoptions in translationmethod. They give comments on drafts ofEstonian standards, and are informed byEVS on the current work of theircorresponding European or internationaltechnical committees.

The Working Group of Standardisation onlibrarianship was established in the NationalLibrary of Estonia (NLE) in 2001. The aimof the working group is the adoption ofinternational ISO standards and IFLAstandards on librarianship. The main areas ofstandardisation are library statistics, libraryterminology, library acquisition,cataloguing, description, preservation anddigitisation of library resources, andinformation technology.

NLE has good co-operation with EVS/TK 4in the field of standardisation of LibraryInformation Technology and was asked tobecome a full member of the Committee inautumn 2002.

The Estonian Centre for Standardisation isregistered for participation in the workISO/TC 46 and ISO/TC 171 as an observermember. NLE has good relations with theEstonian Centre for Standardisation. InJanuary 2002 the co-operation agreementwas concluded between NLE and theEstonian Centre for Standardisation with thepurpose of encouraging librarystandardisation, participating in seminarsand training courses held in the Centre andhaving information about ISO standards,standards drafting and approval, receivingEVS Bulletin, and so on.

For information about Estonian Standards inthe field of librarianship, adopted byEstonian Centre for Standardisation and theWork Programme of the standardisation WGof the NLE in 2002 see Annexes 1 and 2below.

The methodology used in the libraryeconomic surveys was based on ISOstandards ISO 2789 and ISO 11620. Somenew measures were included in the EUproject LibEcon survey, which providedsome piloting experience (Sumsion 2002).

The LibEcon2000 project made libraryperformance evaluation and measurement,and the studies of library economics, librarystandardisation, and the gathering andanalysis of library statistics more efficient.The typology of Estonian libraries, and thegathering and analysis methodologies ofEstonian library statistics were betterarranged in co-operation with the projectleaders of LibEcon2000, and thanks to thegood co-operation within the project, severalnational projects for library work evaluationand performance measurement wereinitiated and an ISO standard 11620 wasadopted as an Estonian Standard.

The principles, guidelines andrecommendation of the UNESCO, ISO,IFLA and EBLIDA have been followed infinalising the methods of quantitativeanalyses of library performance and inestablishing the basis for gathering andanalysing library statistics. In recent years,the questionnaire forms and instructions forcollecting library statistics have beenimproved according to internationalrecommendations for keeping statistics andstatistical definitions and the processing ofthe data has been altered according to therecommendations of the EC projectLibEcon2000.

The most valuable information is publishedin the survey of the EC project LibEcon2000Millennium Study, which makes it possible



for every included country to compare theircountry data with European LibraryEconomy survey results, and to recommendit to national policy makers and financingbodies (Sumsion et al, 2001)

Possibilities for applyingperformance measurement andbenchmarking methods in Estonianlibraries

Estonian libraries have started performancemeasurement analysis; however, this has notyet developed into a systematic and regularprocess to support the development oforganisational activities, provide a basis forplanning activities, development policies,state financial policy and the procurement ofstate resources. The need to draw up alibrary development policy and financialbasis, based on research, exists. Performancemeasurement and quality appraisal areimportant and useful for every library.However, as each library has specificobjectives, goals and responsibilities, thereis a need to develop specific performanceindicators for every library type adequatelyreflecting their performance, quality,quantity and effectiveness adequately. Theresults of the evaluation process should formthe basis for the library network and librarysystem development.

Library statistics are used as managementinformation in the study survey of Estonianresearch libraries Library PerformanceMeasurement and Assessment: Study surveyof research libraries 1995-2000 (based oncollections, acquisition, librarians’qualification, and expenditure, costanalysis). The financing of researchinstitutions, universities and researchlibraries is a difficult task for a smallcountry like Estonia. There is a need fortargeted financing from the state budget topurchase and acquire scientific information,and relevant financing policy. There is also aneed for elaborate acquisition policy anddevelopment and defining of Estonian

research library acquisition areas avoidingduplication (Nuut, 2001).

Based on funding from the Estonian ScienceFoundation Grant, a project concerned withperformance measurement and theevaluation of research libraries in Estonia(2000-2002) was carried out by the Chair ofLibrarianship at Tallinn PedagogicalUniversity (TPU), Estonia. This was a jointactivity of TPU, the National Library ofEstonia and Tartu University Library (Lepik,2001). During the project an optimalityanalysis of the performance of researchlibraries belonging to the state system ofinformation dissemination was carried outunder the present economic and financialconditions, and the econometric analysis andmodel work organisations of the librariesand benchmarking models were extended.

Tartu University Library (TUL) carried out astudy survey on the library expectation ofthe university faculty – the user survey,aimed at the faculty of the TU, includinglecturers, researchers, managers of teaching,development and research work, specialists,and graduate students in both Masters andDoctoral programmes. The library definitelyhas to continue submitting well-groundedapplications for acquisition sums andfinancing for the building of electroniclibrary. From the viewpoint of authoritativegroup of library users, these are the veryareas that need serious developmentactivities.

The National Library of Estonia analysedEstonian Public Library statistics1997–2001, using similar methods as thoseused by LISU (staff, public library use,lending issues per user, lending issues percapita, visits, collections, acquisitions,additions per user and expenditure: staffexpenditure, total expenditure per capita,distribution of current expenditure, capitalexpenditure etc (Saul, Jõgi, 2002).



Library performance measurementand benchmarking: Library statisticsmeasures – as a tool for libraryacquisition development

Financial resources remain an issue forlibraries in all areas. Insufficient resources,downsizing, funding cuts, increased costs,outsourcing, fees and co-operation betweenlibraries have been the main subjects fordiscussion in the recent years. Libraries inEastern Europe have faced specialchallenges because of changing politicalenvironments. The political and economicdisruption, along with the new models whichmanagers had to adopt in response to thedisappearance of financial guarantees, rules,regulations, and the government above themall bring the need to review the efficiency ofoperations. Thus needs arose to start themodernisation of library operations and tobalance their fiscal reality and budgeting.The hope that electronic access toinformation will reduce the cost of librarymaterials has not been realised in libraries.

There is an increasing interest in developingtheory and applying quality management

principles and techniques to the library andinformation sector. Quality, and theassociated concept of value are not newideas for librarians: they have always beenconcerned with them. It is a valuableconcern to define value not only in terms ofthe quality of service, but also of the impactinformation was on its users. It shows us thatcosting a service without identifying itsvalue to users can prove damaging, and itconcludes that the consequence of ourfocusing on the cost of providing serviceswithout being able to demonstrate theirvalue and quality is that we leave theinitiative to the people whose chief concernis the cost control or profit: the founders andvendors. This constitutes an importantreason for library managers to concentrateon developing a quality approach to everyaspect of their financing, and to acquisition(to develop an acquisition policy andincrease acquisition expenditure).Performance measurement, qualityevaluation and benchmarking all play animportant part.

References

EVS-ISO 11620:2000. Informatsioon ja dokumentatsioon. Raamatukogutöö tulemuslikkuseindikaatorid (2000) = Information and documentation. Library performance indicators.Tallinn: Eesti Standardiamet. (Eesti standard; EVS-ISO 11620:2000).

International organisations 2002. URL: http://www.nlib.ee/rkogud/rorg.html [accessed 19.3.03]

International projects 2002. URL: http://www.nlib.ee/rkogud/rproj.html [accessed 19.3.03]

Lepik, A Measuring Library’s Value in Qualitative Terms. In: Libraries in Knowledged-basedSociety. Proceedings of the 3rd Nordic-Baltic Library Meeting. October 25-26, 2001.Tallinn, Estonia. p 187-193.

Nuut A (2000). International co-operation of Estonian Libraries. In: Yearbook of EstonianLibrarian Association No 11: Eesti Raamatukoguhoidjate Ühingu Aastaraamat nr.11.Tallinn. p 28-43. ( in Estonian).

Nuut A (2001). Efficiency, Effectiveness and Economy of Library Performance: ResearchLibraries in Estonia. In: Libraries in Knowledged-based Society. Proceedings of the 3rdNordic-Baltic Library Meeting. October 25-26, 2001. Tallinn, Estonia. p 49-57.

Saul, M and Jõgi, M (2002) Estonian public library statistics in 1997-2001. Booklet.



Sumsion, J (2002) “ISO 2789: What’s new in and around the revision?” PerformanceMeasurement and Metrics, 3 (1) 10-19.

Sumsion, J, Ramsdale, P, Fuegi, D et al (2001) Library Economics in Europe. Millennium Study.Final Report. LibEcon2000. URL: http://www.libecon.org [23.07.2002]

Valm, T (2000) The development of Estonian Librarianship in the past decade. In: Yearbook ofEstonian Librarian Association No 11: Eesti Raamatukoguhoidjate Ühingu Aastaraamatnr.11. Tallinn. p 7-20. (in Estonian).

Annex 1

LIS Standards Issued By ISO and Adopted as Estonian Standards

• ISO 2789:1991 Information and Documentation. International Library Statistics (Adopted asEstonian Standard EVS-EN ISO 2789:1999)ISO/FDIS 2789:1999 involved into working plan 2002 of the WG of standardisation ofEstonia in the National Library. Will be translated into Estonian and draft given to the WGfor comments, application for adoption as Estonian Standard to the Centre forStandardisation.

ISO 2789:[2002] is included into State Standardisation Plan for 2002 and WorkProgramme of Estonian Centre for Standardisation (EVS) for adoption as EstonianStandard by translation method. The project leader is National Library of Estonia (NLE).

• ISO 3166-1-2000 Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries and their SubdivisionPart 1 (Adopted as Estonian standard EVS-EN ISO 3166-1:2000)

• ISO 9707:1991 Information and Documentation. Statistics on the Production andDistribution of Books, Newspapers, Periodicals and Electronic Publications (Adopted asEstonian Standard EVS-EN ISO 9707:1999)

• ISO 11620:1998 Information and Documentation. Library Performance Indicators. (Adoptedas Estonian Standard EVS-ISO 11620:2000)Translated into Estonian.

The adoption of ISO standard ISO 11620 as Estonian national standard was initiated by theLibrary Science and Development Department of the NLE. The aim of adaption of the ISO11620 was to promote activities of library performance measurement and quality assessmentin Estonia. The ISO 11620 was published as an Estonian standard in April 2000 and was inthe TOP 10 of Estonian standards sold by the ECS in 2000.

• ISO 9706:1994 Information and Documentation. Paper for Documents. Requirements forPermanence. (Adopted as Estonian Standard EVS-EN-ISO 9706 2001).



Annex 2 WORK Programme 2002

Standardisation Working Group of the National Library of Estonia

1 Drafting of Estonian standards

1.1 State Programme

ICS Group anddesignation ofthe draft

Name of the standard Reference documentProjectleader

Stage Next stage

ICS 01.140.20prEVS-EN ISO2789

Information and Documentation.International Library Statistics.

EN ISO 2789:[2002] NLE 20 30 (dependson availability

of FDIS)

ICS 01.140.20prEVS-ISO11620 muud 1

Information and Documentation.Library Performance Indicators.

ISO 11620: 1998/Amd 1Additional indicators

NLE 20 30 (dependson availability

of FDIS)

ICS 01.140.20prEVS-ISO 3297

Information and Documentation.International Standard Number ofSerials. (ISSN)

ISO 3297:1998 NLE 20 30(05.2002)


Information and Documentation.International Standard Number ofBook (ISBN)

ISO 2108:1992 NLE 20 30(05.2002)

1.2 Work Programme EVS

ICS Group anddesignation ofthe draft


Stage Next stage


Information and Documentation.Terminology

ISO 5127:2001 RR 20 30(12.2002)

2. Drafting of NLE standards

Designation ofthe draft


Stage Next stage

RRS Eesti kirjereeglid. Monograafiatebibliograafiline kirjeldamine [IFLA]

ISBD (M): InternationalBibliographic StandardDescription forMonographies [IFLA]

NLE 20 30(03.2002)

Other tasks:

1 Participation in the work of ISO/TC 46 and ISO/TC 171 and its subcommittees

2 Participation in the work of the EVS technical committee EVS/TK 4 Infotechnology