Quality measurement of Croatian public and academic libraries: methodology

Kornelija Petr, Osijek University, Croatiakpetr@ffos.hr

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Project

project Evaluation of library and information

services: academic and public libraries funded and approved by Croatian

Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (www.mzos.hr)

PI: Kornelija Petr builds on:

K. Petr’s doctoral thesis on Croatian academic library quality

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Project’s objectives

look into the views and ability of Croatian public and academic library staff;

single out dimensions of their effectiveness;

identify measures of quality for public and academic libraries

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Hypothesis

Croatian libraries do not give enough attention to processes of quality measurement;

librarians unprepared to conduct any sort of evaluation at their library;

insufficient awareness of library service quality affects all library processes.

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Project outcomes

collection of statistical data on state-of-the-art in libraries;

defined dimensions of effectiveness (academic vs public libraries);

demonstrate the evidence of differences in views between library management and staff;

encourage more positive attitude of library staff toward evaluation activities.

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Library scene in Croatia*

Public libraries (2004) 256 staff: 1062

Academic (+ national and university) libraries HE – 131, national – 1, university – 2 staff: HE – 239, national – 193,

university – 53 (TOTAL: 485)

*Statistical yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, 2006

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Geographic distribution of libraries

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Methodology

Questionnaire

Interviews

Analysis of library documentation

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Questionnaire 1/1

based on questionnaire created by McDonald-Micikas (1994)

two versions: public libraries academic libraries

subversions library staff library directors

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Questionnaire 1/2

Topics: general information on a library, elements important for library

environment, library in general, library vs faculty/University

management/founder, library and new managerialism, library vs users

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Questionnaire 1/3

additional topics for library directors: related to education, CPD, attitudes

toward work and quality issues of director’s co-workers

anonimous – no feed back mail

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Questionnaire 1/4

1547 questionnaires response rate:

50% - 774 question. (Van House, Weil, McClure)

(expected) 1100-1200 question. (between 70%-80%)

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Interviews 1/1

semi-structured 20-30 interviews

20 – public library directors 10 – academic, national and university

library directors 256 public, 131 academic, 1 national, 2

university libraries =390 libraries 66% - public libraries

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Interviews 1/2

tentative topics: satisfaction with library services, 'strong' and 'weak' sides of the library, the feeling of being privileged to work

in a particular library, familiarization with user perspective of

library and librarians, user expectations, competition,

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Interviews 1/3

… relationship with (faculty, University)

management or founder (local community),

satisfaction with a status (only academic libraries),

monitoring of user expectations and opinions, monitoring of performance quality,

dedication to continuous quality improvement, etc.

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Library documentation

collection of statistical and annual reports

analysis

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Time table 1/1

Months 1-7: literature review, defining the sample, designin and

testing of the questionnaire, designing the interview questions

Months 8-9: copying and mailing of the questionnaire, contacting

the interviewees and making arrangements for the interviews

Months 10-12: distribution of the questionnaire, collecting of filled-

in questionnaires, reminding letters to libraries that failed to return the questionnaires, collection of library documentation

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Time table 1/2

Months 13-18: interviews, collection of library

documentation Months 19-20:

input and data processing (data collected through questionnaires), interpretation of results

Months 21-24: transcribing of interviews

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Time table 1/3

Months 25-27: semantic analysis of the interviews,

intepretation of results Months 28-29:

analysis of library documentation, interpretation of results

Months 30-31: defining of dimensions of effectiveness

for academic and public libraries

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Time table 1/4

Months 32-34: benchmarking of the results with other

relevant similar research projects in the world

Months 35-37: taxonomy of views and opinions of

Croatian librarians