The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of measuring the impact of new innovations in Finnish libraries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of measuring the impact of new innovations in Finnish libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
Along with the change of paradigm of libraries’ ways of action toward more networked and with the developing of new innovative services, new evaluation methods and indicators will be needed to show the value and impact of the operation of these services.
Findings
To measure the impact of services produced by the networking of several organizations and the added value perceived by the patrons, new methods of impact assessment are needed, as well as change in the way of thinking.
Originality/value
In the libraries, there is only a little if at all discussion about the need and means of showing the results, impact and value of the library services to their clientele, their frame organizations or the society. This is the first article to examine aspects of measuring the impact of new innovations in Finnish libraries.
Details
Keywords
Timo Laine and Markku Antero Laitinen
In the transformed information environment, the impact and value of the services are not adequately shown using the traditional library metrics. It needs to be supplemented with…
Abstract
Purpose
In the transformed information environment, the impact and value of the services are not adequately shown using the traditional library metrics. It needs to be supplemented with user-centered ways of measurement. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a case study of the new Finna service and the measurement challenges it presents.
Findings
The standards guiding the measurement and evaluation of libraries cannot offer a “cook-book” for the organizations to follow. The paper suggests that as a one possible response to this, the Net Promoter Score can be used as one indicator in measuring the impact of new services.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of the paper are preliminary, because so far there is not a wide experience of the use of NPS in libraries. This calls for further study. The results are encouraging, but more testing is needed with different services.
Originality/value
NPS has not been widely used in libraries before.
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Keywords
Jarmo Saarti, Markku Antero Laitinen and Pentti Vattulainen
The recent changes in the knowledge economy and scientific knowledge dissemination have put academic libraries in a new situation. The demand for open access of scientific…
Abstract
Purpose
The recent changes in the knowledge economy and scientific knowledge dissemination have put academic libraries in a new situation. The demand for open access of scientific publications and the increasing amount of documents published need a new paradigm in the collection policies and collection building strategies of the academic libraries. At the same time the resources allocated to the academic institutions have been decreasing which has caused the need to reallocate the resources in the collection building and management as effectively as possible. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the use of data compiled from different sources, such as statistics and assessing user experience, as a tool for analysing the effectiveness of the library’s economic resources and how this has effected on the use of the libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
Statistical and trend analysis based on Finnish academic library collections database.
Findings
The Finnish academic libraries have made a rapid transition to the digital dissemination of documents. At the same time the national services have enabled the long-time preservation of less used printed materials and have enabled the libraries to save premise costs.
Research limitations/implications
Modeling the findings to other countries maybe difficult because of the specific characteristics of the Finnish academic environment.
Practical implications
Gives examples on managing the shift from a printed to a digital library.
Originality/value
Evidence based tools for collection cost management.