Association of Research Libraries (ARL®)

ARL's articulated goal for the Statistics and Measurement Program is to describe and measure the performance of research libraries and their contribution to teaching, research, scholarship, and community service.

The Statistics and Measurement Program has been tracking the major trends in scholarship and applications of technology as well as the economic forces that affect research libraries. Decreasing purchasing power and double digit inflation for printed serials and monographs has dramatically affected the acquisition of on-site materials and has highlighted the importance of resource sharing. The demand for library resources by the academe is an indicator of the value libraries bring into teaching, research, scholarship and community service. Research libraries are becoming increasingly more service- and demand-driven, placing more emphasis on meeting patrons' requests. At the same time, technological changes are changing fundamentally traditional library roles and are advancing emerging models of library operations. The Statistics and Measurement Program is committed to collecting data on traditional measures of resources, but also to promoting newer methods and tools to assist research libraries in better describing their roles in a changing environment for scholarship and higher education in general.

The following is a framework developed by the Statistics and Measurement Committee outlining the specific objectives and strategies for the program. These strategies rely heavily on attracting Visiting Program Officers, developing grant proposals, and engaging in cost recovery activities.

OBJECTIVE I

To monitor the impact of new technology, changing services and types of resources on the various measures by which research libraries track growth and evaluate performance, and develop new statistical approaches in this area.

Strategies

(1) develop a strategic approach toward measuring the quality of library services and user satisfaction (the Program is devoting part of its resources towards this direction but additional funding will be needed in the future). Current activities:

1a. Kendon Stubbs working as VPO (Aug. 1995-Aug. 1996)

1b. Jinnie Davis and David Ferriero provided specific perspectives (July 1995)

1c. Discussions with Danuta Nitecki for applying the SERVQUAL survey (October1995)

1d. Create a working group of survey coordinators and directors to monitor further steps

1e. Identify how directors collect patron feedback and how systematic different libraries are in their approaches

(2) identify cost centers for library services/functions and measure the relation between costs and quality of services (funding required).

(3) explore the applicability of international quality standards (ISO 9000) to research libraries (funding required).

(4) develop and administer a survey of "access" indicators to identify innovative services that facilitate the transition from a traditional print resource-based library model to a digital service- based library model (in progress).

OBJECTIVE II

To identify operational issues that would benefit from the application of statistical techniques and to recommend to the ARL Board the initiation of new statistical projects or changes in policy related to the collection, interpretation, or application of ARL statistical data.

Strategies

(1) publish the analysis of the demographic trends of professionals at work in ARL libraries conducted by Stanley Wilder, Visiting Program Officer, from Louisiana State University (in progress).

(2) administer a survey on endowed positions in ARL libraries (in progress).

(3) analyze the salaries of professionals with and without an MLS (in progress).

(4) develop a survey on library facilities and equipment to be administered periodically (funding required).

(5) provide support for the "Measuring Interlibrary Loan Performance" study to be conducted by Mary Jackson and supported by The Andrew W. Mellon foundation (in progress).

(6) in cooperation with the ARL Research Collections Committee prepare benchmarks/guidelines for ongoing analysis of the state of foreign acquisitions and the cataloging of foreign materials in specific disciplines (in progress).

OBJECTIVE III

To improve and refine the ARL Statistics (both the printed and machine-readable versions); the ARL Annual Salary Survey; the ARL historical statistics; the ARL Preservation Statistics; and the ARL membership criteria index and other statistical analyses of traditional and developing data from members of ARL.

Strategies

(1) provide custom-made reports and peer review comparisons as needed (cost recovery).

(2) improve the data gathering and analytical processes for the annual surveys by constantly evaluating and automating the data gathering activities and by disseminating results in a timely fashion electronically (in progress).

(3) secure additional funding for the electronic publication of the ARL Statistics on the Web for further development of the data analysis interface and for developing a front end for data collection and verification (funding required).

(4) analyze existing data and publish performance indicators, both in printed and electronic formats (in progress).

(5) continue developing and refining new variables for the ARL Supplementary Survey with a special emphasis on measuring expenditures for electronic resources (in progress).

(6) revise the professional job titles categories in the salary survey (in progress).

(7) organize meetings and training sessions for the ARL Survey Coordinators to encourage data collection and application of statistical techniques locally and among groups of libraries (in progress).

OBJECTIVE IV

To collaborate with statistical projects beyond ARL that are endorsed by library, higher education and technology organizations and seek further consistency and coordination in the definitions and reporting of data related to library and information services.

Strategies

(1) participation in the ALA/IPEDS Advisory Committee (in progress).

(2) consulting and coordinating the 1995 AALL Salary Survey (in progress).

(3) presenting papers at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and other conferences (in progress).

OBJECTIVE V

To review and analyze data submitted in support of membership applications and in conjunction with the ARL Membership Committees, prepare reports on applicant libraries for Board review and action.

Strategies

(1) work with membership review committees as needed.