Information Outlook, Vol. 6, No. 7, July 2002
Learning the Skills Needed to Assess and Benchmark
Written in collaboration with ARL, FLICC and SLA
In today's economic conditions, garnering and brokering information has become a valuable skill. The true value of information is undeniable. Understanding and implementing measurement and communication strategies will continue to be critical to the success of information professionals in all organizations. You must be capable of managing information and understanding how to measure its value within your organization.
To help shorten the learning curve, we are pleased to introduce the Library Assessment and Benchmarking Institute (LAB 2002) in Monterey, California, USA, from September 13-17, 2002. The institute, presented in partnership with SLA (Special Libraries Association), Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) and ARL (Association for Research Libraries), will provide you with practical strategies for measuring and communicating the value of information.
A. Parasuraman, professor and holder of the James W. McLamore Chair in Marketing at the University of Miami, will discuss the application of user-centered models for assessing service quality, such as SERVQUAL, TRI (Technology Readiness Index), and e-SQ (Electronic Service Quality). Grounded in the Gap Theory of Service Quality, the SERVQUAL survey instrument was developed for the for-profit sector in the 1980's by the marketing research group of Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry. The TRI is an instrument developed to help companies gain an in-depth understanding of the readiness of their customers to embrace and interact with technology.
The conversation on day two will focus on the ARL LibQUAL+TM project, a large-scale, online user-based assessment of multiple methods of listening to clients. It is the only total market survey tool developed for libraries. Colleen Cook, executive associate dean, Texas A&M University Libraries, and Bruce Thompson, professor & distinguished research scholar, Texas A&M University will provide an overview of the LibQUAL+TM project.
In addition, the institute will also present guidelines for designing and administering complementary or alternative surveys that may be used with samples or selected subsets of clients. For those who want to gather direct input on individual clients' needs, the principles of structuring and conducting focus groups will also be covered.
The institute will cover means and methods for measuring what is being done on your intranet Web siteboth the use of public domain Internet resources and the use of the licensed commercial databases that the information center has made available. In the case of "free" Web site activity, it will explain what information you can glean by using monitoring software and how to understand the reports they produce. When it comes to commercial online databases, knowing what data to request from your vendor in order to understand your clients' usage is vital.
Other techniques to be presented by the institute are "the Balanced Scorecard" and benchmarking. The institute will help you develop a culture of assessment that can lead to better-focused information resource management for your company, agency or department.
In summary, ask yourself if you have the skills needed to assess and benchmark the information that you provide your organization. The simple fact that you're reading this column makes that point mute. You've demonstrated an interest and taken an active role in making learning happen. We hope that you'll consider joining your colleagues for LAB 2002. Remember, SLA's Strategic Learning Team supports you as you work to garner these skills.
| Upcoming Events: |
| · Don't miss your chance to participate in the Library Assessment and Benchmarking Institute (LAB 2002) at the Monterey Hyatt Regency in Monterey, California, USA. For more details or pricing information, visit www.sla.org. Of course, you can also contact SLA's Strategic Learning Team at 202-939-3679 or learning@sla.org for details. |
| · Participate in "New Ways of Listening to Library Users: Tools for Measuring Service Quality" an ARL/SLA workshop with A. Parasuraman and the LibQUAL+TM Team. The session will be conducted on September 27-28, 2002, at the Association of Research Libraries in Washington, D.C. For details, visit http://www.arl.org/libqual/events/listen/index2.html. |
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