Core Competency N

Evaluate programs and services using measurable criteria.

Statement of Competence
An important part of work as an information professional is the ability to evaluate programs and services in addition to designing and implementing them. Identifying goals and objectives is the first step in evaluation. Without first identifying the goal, adequate evaluation is nearly impossible. While a lot of library programs and services are difficult to pin down in terms of statistics, determining measurable criteria by which to judge them is imperative to the success of a library. I would like to use a program I single handedly developed and implemented, the Tween Book Club, as an example of determining measurable criteria and using it to evaluate a program.

The Tween Book Club held its first monthly meeting in the last week of December 2016. I spent the majority of November and December advertising the event and planning activities. Understanding that a book club for nine- to twelve-year-olds would need to include more than a two hour discussion of literature, I researched literary themed games and planned crafts based on the first book we would be reading as a group. Because it was a new program and the first of its kind at my branch, the pressure was on to gain participants and report in depth on how the event was received. One form of measurable criteria that I included was the number of attendees: four, all within the correct age range. While this piece of data is certainly quantifiable, it does not come close to telling the whole story. I had set the goal of four attendees and met it, but I had other ambitions for the club as well. My other objectives were that the kids enjoy the activities I had planned, that they have an interest in reading, and that they have the desire to return to the next monthly meeting by the time the first one was over. These objectives are less able to be quantified than a desired number of participants, but because I set them ahead of time and ran the program myself, I was able to judge the participants’ reactions and figure out whether they had a good time with each new activity I presented. This helped me determine whether I should keep the structure and type of activities for the next meeting, or alter them to keep the kids more engaged. It was apparent from the first game that each child had an interest in reading and was enthusiastic to be a part of a book club. After the meeting was over I invited them all back and they said they would be there. At the January meeting, all four attended plus two new members, meeting my second meeting goal of six attendees. This is an example of setting goals and objectives for a library program, and then evaluating the program during and after the event to see whether that measurable criteria was reached.

Adequate evaluation of programs and services can improve the design of library programs in several ways if the evaluation is presented in an accessible way. The act of setting objectives for a program and then comparing results to those objectives shows that the program manager had a concrete idea of what they wanted for the event from the beginning. This is an example to future program managers that articulating a goal helps in the planning of the program itself, and subsequent similar events. Over time, this example can become the rubric against which to judge all new library programming. By modeling new programs after the evaluations of past ones that have been proven successful, the library’s programs and services will improve. Using the example of past programs to influence future ones works equally well when the past program was unsuccessful. Referring to the evaluation of a program with low attendance or low interest in those who did attend can alert future program managers to how they should not run their event. After the first meeting of the book club I typed a brief report that included my goal of attendees versus how many showed up, my perception of how the program was received, and a brief overview of what I planned for the following month based on the results of the first one. My fellow programmers took note of the results, and I believe my report will help influence others who are starting a program from scratch to solidify their objectives and do everything possible to ensure a successful program. In general, if a program manager sets concrete goals before running their event, records the results based on their goals, and then shares these results with the rest of their team in an organized and legible manner, the services provided by their library will improve based on their comprehensive evaluation.

Evidence
Organizational Analysis: Part Two
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Description
The Organizational Analysis was a two-part assignment completed during LIBR 204: Information Professions in the Spring semester of 2015. It was a group project that spanned the whole semester, and Part Two was the culminating activity of the class. I worked with a group of five other people, myself being the sixth. The aim of this project was for teams to focus on one existing library and report on ways it could be improved. In Part Two my group focused on creating a list of strategic goals “to improve the patron experience at SPL,” Seattle Public Library. We implemented these goals based on the SMARTER theory. This theory is an acronym standing for specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic, time-framed, extending, and rewarding. Each goal my group set for SPL adhered to one or more of these points. Following each goal our group presented a reasoning for the goal, ways it could be applied to the library, and how the program could be assessed for effectiveness. In the conclusion, the report acknowledges how our group has proposed changing SPL for the better over both parts of the report, recalling that we rewrote the library’s mission and vision statements in Part One and created new SMARTER programming objectives in Part Two. The report ends with an annotated bibliography of sources used in both parts of our Organizational Analysis.

Argument
I would like to draw specific attention to Strategic Goals 3 and 5. Strategic Goal No. 3 states that SPL wishes to “increase the number of English as a Second Language (ESL) programs offered to adults in underserved communities by 30% over the next year.” Strategic Goal No. 5 expresses interest in increasing “the amount of offered beginning and advanced classes concerning the navigation of social media network platforms...by 30% over the next year.” Both of these goals articulate a specific number by which our group would like to see the programs expand. In the “Reasoning” section for Goals 3 and 5, we explain that there is a market for both types of classes in the community surrounding SPL. In “Applications,” we speculate as to how many people would come to each class as a way of determining how many classes would be prudent, using exact numbers. Finally, in the “Assessment” sections, we lay out a specific plan by which to measure the success of both types of classes.

This project as a whole, but specifically Strategic Goals No. 3 and 5, demonstrate my mastery of Competency N by demonstrating my understanding of evaluating library programs and services using measurable criteria. The focus on planning monthly benchmarks to measure the success of the programs and ensuring the classes are conducted in branches where the surrounding community will benefit the most show my awareness that measurable criteria is a central consideration when planning programming. Additionally, the report mentions surveying patrons who attend the class and accepting their suggestions about class content in addition to simply counting attendees. Making sure students are content with the classes and learning what they want to learn is a way to ensure successful programming. By planning assessments for the ESL and social media programs in advance, my understanding of how evaluation can improve information services and programs is demonstrated.

The Monastery Group Project
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Evaluation of Group Presentations
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Description
“The Monastery Young Adult Library” is a group project and presentation that I completed with four other people during INFO 266: Collection Management in the Spring 2016 semester. I was unable to redact the names and pictures of my fellow group members from the presentation recording, but have received their consent to include the recording in my portfolio as it is. For the project, groups were asked to conceive a fictional library and then develop and manage that library’s collection of materials from scratch. Aspects we had to consider included what type of materials would be included in the collection, how we would manage them (electronic systems, etc.), our desired patron base, and the atmosphere of the community to which our library belonged. My group chose a secret library catering to young adults from age 12-18, in the heart of a post-apocalyptic San Jose run by a government that disbanded the American Library Association and the concept of intellectual freedom. Our library is staffed by volunteer librarians and includes a patron base of lonely, scared teens trying to navigate the scary world modeled from literature such as 1984 and The Hunger Games. As well as details about the project, the presentation details how our group worked as a team to produce the final report. I present the section from 6:40 to 9:32.

The second assignment listed here is entitled “Evaluation of Group Presentations.” It is from the same semester and class, and details my opinions and evaluations of the other groups’ fictional libraries. Group 1 presented a Hogwarts library based off the world of Harry Potter, Group 3 set theirs in the world of “The Walking Dead” TV show, and Group 5 presented an homage to Sherlock Holmes. In the evaluations I judge each presenter’s speaking voice and tone, assess the group’s approach to teamwork, and analyze what I perceive to be pros and cons of each project.

Argument
These two assignments combined demonstrate my proficiency in Competency N. “The Monastery Young Adult Library” shows by ability to work as a team to produce a professional service separate from the library’s collection. Producing the fictional service of a secret youth library came about from reading dystopian novels and wondering how the world would change if all information seeking were censored, sources which could arguably be considered evaluative. In this case, the report produced by my group in which we conceptualized a service for young adults that they could not find anywhere else is proof of my awareness that evaluation of existing services can positively impact future services.

Producing evaluation of three other groups’ fictional library presentations in “Evaluation of Group Presentations” is even more relevant to the concepts of Competency N. In completing this assignment, I assigned measurable criteria to the judgement of each group’s projects and then evaluated them based on that criteria. These evaluations focused on professional activities and services, specifically how each library fit into their community and what they offered their patrons, rather than the content of their collections. Finally, the assignment implies my recognition that evaluation can improve the design of library services over time by not only judging what the groups presented, but offering suggestions of how their libraries could be further improved. Combining these assignments as one example, my understanding of Competency N is thoroughly demonstrated.

Repertoire Emphasis Project: Overnight Library Lock-In for the Kids of One-N-Ten
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Description
My last piece of evidence for Competency N was completed in Fall 2015 for INFO 261A: Foundations in Young Adult Services. It is a Repertoire Emphasis Project (REP) in which I planned a hypothetical library program for young adults. My plan takes place in Phoenix, Arizona where the LGBTQ+ youth shelter One-N-Ten is located. The main part of the assignment is a table divided into two columns; the left column is questions about my event, and the right column contains my answers. I specify the age group for the Lock-In as any young adults age 14-24 who are a member of One-N-Ten. The Lock-In consists of games, activities, and some library materials set out for the kids to explore. There is also mention of a live spoken word reading and the opportunity to produce visual art. I plan the required budget in terms of food cost and number of employees needed, and other practicalities such as the specific overnight hours when the event would take place. At the end of the table I specify the program outcomes, emphasizing that the young adults would come out of the event feeling more connected and comfortable in the library. Following the table I produced a short literature review, citing several scholarly articles that support the main idea of my programming plan.

Argument
I chose the YA program REP for my final piece of evidence for Competency N because it effectively demonstrates my ability to evaluate programs and services using measurable criteria. Within the table under the heading “Program Outcomes,” I identify specific ways that mt proposed program will enrich the lives of the teen participants. For example, I mention community values, positive peer influence, sharing book recommendations with peers, socialization, and forging new relationships with library staff. Each of these are measurable by asking the teens to fill out a simple survey expressing their opinions of each experience using a grading scale. In this section of the table I also note evaluation techniques that should be implemented after the event concludes. These steps include quantitatively expressing how many teens attended, and qualitatively judging whether the participants had a good time. They also include noting how the staff handled the event and any changes that might need to be made if the library hosted a similar event again.

It is also noted that “the data (number of attendees and their opinions) will be written up to be used as an example for future event proposals.” The evaluation steps and the plan to share the results with future programmers at the library demonstrate my understanding that setting goals and judging outcomes based on measurable criteria is imperative to the success of library programming. They also demonstrate my recognition that proper program and event evaluation can improve the design of future services provided by the library. Because of the program plan, goal setting, and subsequent recognition of specific evaluation, I believe “Repertoire Emphasis Project: Overnight Library Lock-In for the Kids of One-N-Ten” demonstrates my mastery of Competency N.


Conclusion
Understanding the importance of effectively evaluating library events and programming is as important as possessing the skill to do so. In my current position at a public library I utilize this skill infrequently, and I recognize that it will become more important the further I promote. As a supervisor or branch manager, adeptly evaluating the programming presented at your library is important to every department. Based on the above assignments my mastery of Competency N has been well-documented, and I look forward to utilizing that knowledge in my future public library career.