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Standardization of library performance measures started in 1994, when several handbooks describing performance indicators had already appeared. The 1st edition of the International Standard ISO 11620 was published in 1998, followed by an amendment 5 years later, both dealing with the traditional library. As indicators for the digital library services were still developing, a pre-standard technical report for such indicators was published separately in 2003. The second edition was published in 2008 and combined 45 indicators for traditional and digital services, if possible, as “hybrid” indicators. The 3rd edition appeared in 2013 with 52 indicators, presenting new topics such as preservation and digitization. For this edition, seven indicators had been eliminated as outdated. The 4th edition was edited in 2023, presenting 61 indicators, of which 14 new indicators and many revisions. The paper follows the subject areas and corresponding indicators over time and tries to define the present and possible future trends.

The paper describes the development of library performance measurement as standardized in ISO 11620. It follows the changes, additions and deletions of indicators since the first edition in 1998 and compares them to the changes in libraries’ tasks and activities.

The analysis shows that indicators for changing tasks and technologies or for new fields of interest follow a few years after the changes, as the methods have to be developed and tested. New topics are often introduced from outside, following political trends and themes, such as cost-efficiency or support for special user groups. An important input came from other standards with quality indicators, especially ISO 21246 for museums and ISO 21248 for national libraries. An interesting issue is the changing role of indicators for the digital library in ISO 11620. Until the forthcoming edition, a simple increase in digital collections and services was often regarded as quality. The new concept is to regard the existence of digital services and collections in libraries as normal and to look for additional aspects, e.g. the use of a digitized collection.

For the first time, the forthcoming edition will contain a clause about impact assessment. Measuring the quality of library services should not stop with effectiveness and efficiency but should also include assessing the impact on individuals and society. Methods for assessing library impact are described in a separate standard, ISO 16439. However, there is evidently a borderland between evaluating the quality of library services and identifying their effect on users. The new edition of ISO 11620 tries to clarify this and includes some “border” indicators, such as measures for the awareness of libraries their services.

The overview of developments in the standardized performance measures will help to understand the relation of the indicators to the current goals and tasks of libraries and may further the use of the standard. As libraries’ tasks and activities will continue to develop and change, new topics will come up in the next few years, some of which can already be identified today.

The paper presents performance indicators for the library’s electronic services. Traditional performance indicators were meant for libraries with print collections and lending services. In several projects and international cooperation indicators have been developed for library networked resources and services. The paper describes the problems of data collection and gives definitions for the electronic collection and the different steps of using electronic services.

The purpose of this paper is to define quality criteria for museum work and try to identify indicators for assessing such quality, using the well-known quality indicators for libraries as basis of comparison.

In 2016, the first international standard for museum statistics was published (ISO 18461). At the same time, the museum community realized the need to proceed from statistics to quality assessment in order to prove the effectiveness and efficiency of museum performance and finally also the influence of museums on society. The paper analyses the existing literature on museum quality and museum evaluation and compares the findings to the established methods in the library sector.

Comparison of quality criteria and quality evaluation in museums and libraries shows not only many similarities in what is regarded as quality, but also considerable differences in the options for assessment.

The paper shows a tentative selection of potential quality indicators and quality assessment methods for museums. Further work and practical expertise will be needed for developing and testing a reliable set of methods. The new ISO project 21246 key indicators for museums will further this development.

There is an evident similarity in the mission and goals of cultural institutions such as archives, libraries and museums. Methods already in use in libraries for assessing performance quality and library impact can therefore also be useful in the museum sector. But the immense variety of museums requires an adaptation of existing methods and a number of new indicators especially devised for museum tasks.

The paper describes possible solutions for evaluating the quality of museums. As quality criteria are similar in museums and libraries, new quality indicators for museums may in turn become useful in the library sector.

The paper examines ways of assessing an economic value of library services, the social value imputed by users and non‐users of libraries, and the outcome on information literacy, information retrieval, and academic and professional success.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the changes in the information world that libraries are confronted with, and how new services are measured to ensure their usefulness.

The paper examines the standardised measures for the changing information environment.

Standardizing definitions and methods for the assessment of input, output and impact of library services will assist libraries in demonstrating value for money in the ongoing changes.

The paper examines the extent of international consensus on data to be collected and indicators to be used.

Since the 1970s the number of journal use studies has been increasing, especially in the Anglo‐American countries, and nearly every article starts the same: It is price inflation that forces us to check our subscriptions. The same applies today. For a long time libraries have tried to cling to their journal collection because it was thought wrong to produce gaps in the series that might not be repairable. But in the meantime yearly cancellations are the rule.

The purpose of this paper is to present the new edition of the IFLA handbook Measuring Quality that since its publication in 1996 has influenced performance measurement in many countries.

The approach used is to acquaint librarians and information professionals with the present state of performance measurement and the different ways of assessing quality in specified library services.

Based on the research for the handbook, the paper presents an overview of today's performance measuring worldwide, as well in individual libraries as in joint library projects. Examples show typical varieties in measuring processes and results and possible methods for the evaluation of specified library services and products. The new edition widens the perspective to public libraries and adds indicators for electronic services and cost‐effectiveness. The 40 performance indicators in the handbook follow the structure of the Balanced Scorecard. Each indicator shows examples of results obtained in libraries and information about other possible methods.

A comprehensive overview and state‐of‐the‐art analysis of the core publications concerning performance measurement in libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the new Technical Report ISO 28118 “Performance measures for national libraries”.

The paper reports on the mission and main tasks of national libraries as defined by the technical report, and describes some 30 performance indicators including indicators that are specifically relevant to national libraries. The paper also explains the process by which indicators were selected and tested.

The rationale for the establishment of a new standard is examined and perspectives offered on its envisaged application and further development.

This paper gives an informative preview of the Technical Report which, at the time of writing, is in the process of being published. It serves as a useful introduction to the report for those who may wish to adopt the standard in future, and whilst primarily aimed at national libraries it is potentially relevant for regional libraries with similar tasks and missions.