beyond usage measuring library outcomes and value - carl.pdfVIP

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at /0143-5124.htm Beyond usage: measuring library Beyond usage outcomes and value Carol Tenopir School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 5 Tennessee, USA Received 20 September 2011 Accepted 15 October 2011 Abstract Purpose – This article aims to describe two methods – critical incident and return on investment – that can be used to measure and demonstrate explicit and derived value of academic libraries. Results from several studies that use these methods are described in the context of the Lib-Value project, funded by the US Institute of Museum and Library Services. Design/methodology/approach – A series of surveys using the critical incident of the last article reading by faculty are used to gather information on the purpose, outcomes, and the value of scholarly article readings and access to collections through the library. Both qualitative and quantitative data are collected through web-based surveys. Findings – Over half of scholarly article readings by faculty are for research purposes and readings for research purposes were more likely to be obtained from the library’s electronic collections and are valued more highly than readings for other purposes or from other sources. In a study of ROI to grants f