The Bottom Line: Determining and Communicating the Value of the Special Library

Facing budget and personnel cuts, special librarians increasingly need to justify the cost of library operations--often even the library's existence. Expert Joseph Matthews illustrates how to evaluate library services and successfully communicate the library's value to upper management. Describing how value is added and how it can best be measured, Matthews explains different types of evaluations (models, implications, and methods) and a variety of measures (input, process, and output). He shows how a cost-benefit analysis and a library balanced scorecard, along with effective communication, can position the library as a "value center" rather than a "cost center." A glossary, list of recommended reading, and an appendix (including a library benefits survey and a table of measures with respective definitions) make this the ultimate means of establishing the value of your library--an essential guide no special librarian should be without!

JOSEPH R. MATTHEWS is an internationally renowned expert on library automation and information systems and President of his consulting company, Matthews & Associates, Carlsbad, California.