Library‐information service evaluation: a case‐history from pharmaceutical R and D

Abstract

This paper describes a 19‐week project which sought to examine and evaluate the library‐information service at Syntex Research Centre, Riccarton, Edinburgh, a pharmaceutical R and D centre. The project was unusual in attempting to evaluate the full range of the Library's stock, activities, and services, rather than dealing with only a single aspect. The remits of the Library and of the evaluation project are noted. The evaluation design is described in detail, and summary results are provided. Activities so treated include: library stock‐use records, inter‐library loan requests, use of library staff time, current awareness bulletin. 36 library users, research scientists, were interviewed, and their demand for library‐information services is described, using as a framework the categorisation of library service devised by Orr. Finally, there is some discussion of the validity of individual library‐information service evaluation tests, and of the problems and attractions of evaluating a complete library‐information service ‘in the round’.