Measuring the public library’s societal value: A methodological research program

Abstract

Public libraries in the Netherlands face growing scepticism about their value to communities and society at large. The digitization of media, information and communication gives rise to questions about the library’s function, as it still is based mainly on physical service provision. Furthermore, the current economic recession causes local, regional and national governments to critically question every euro spent on cultural institutions. In this climate, there is a growing need for public libraries to show their worth – not only in an economical, but also in a more sociological sense. As standardized measurements for these values are still lacking, a research program was started to develop these outcome measurements. In this paper, we sketch the rationale behind this program and the steps the Netherlands Institute of Public Libraries is taking to develop a measurement instrument geared at validly and reliably demonstrating the societal value of public libraries. Results from the first stages of the research program will be presented: a theoretical framework of the (possible) impact of libraries on Dutch society, based on the findings of a literature study and qualitative research. The findings help us identify and conceptually enrich five domains of possible impact: cognitive, social, cultural, affective and economical. This outcome framework will guide the development of a measuring instrument.

Social Media in Archives and Libraries: A Snapshot of Planning, Evaluation, and Preservation Decisions

“…Moreover, substantiating the claim for social impact of cultural institutions is generally challenging. Social impacts are complicated to discern and it is hard to confirm if the cultural institution caused the impact (Huysmans and Oomes, 2013;Oakleaf, 2010) and if so, to what extent.…”

Space and the Social Worth of Public Libraries

“…What is considerably less well known and documented are the outcomes of the library, or, in other words, its real social worth to society. (Huysmans and Oomes 2013) [Page 4] So, while hard numbers about the use of public libraries may help in demonstrating their popular appeal, it is just as, if not more, important to document the social worth of libraries. This, however, poses a real challenge for the public library community.…”

Perceived outcomes of public libraries in Finland, Norway and the Netherlands

“…It seems that the outcomes registered most often are found in the fields of education or cognitive skills development; social connection and inclusion, social capital and civic involvement; economic and labor market support; health and welfare; the cultural climate and entertainment and enjoyment. From the literature on library outcomes Huysmans & Oomes (2013) derived 5 main domains of outcomes in which outcome areas can be grouped: educational, cultural, social, economical and affective domain. Vakkari & Serola (2012) clustered aspects of daily life into five major areas.…”

“…Scholars themselves have grown dissatisfied with the limited validity of library 'outputs' (e.g., number of registered members, visits, loans, special activities) as measures for 'value'. Increasingly they are looking for alternative measures of 'outcomes', trying to get a grip on what memberships, visits, loans and activities bring about in the lives of the library patrons and their communities (Hernon & Dugan 2002;Huysmans & Oomes 2013;Poll 2012;Rubin 2006). Different terms -outcome measurement, impact assessment, value assessment, (social) return of investment assessment -are used for what is roughly the same practice: trying to arrive at indicators for what good the library brings about for its patrons, their communities and society at large.…”

“…Empirical research on the perceived outcomes of public libraries beyond the evaluation of individual programs or libraries is scarce (Vakkari & Serola 2012;Huysmans & Oomes 2013). There is only a handful of studies surveying the benefits derived from the use of public libraries on a national scale.…”