Technical Services Assessment

Abstract

Academic libraries regularly conduct assessment of library services through the use of rubrics or assessment tools such as LibQUAL (www.libqual.org/home). Technical services activities are frequently assessed; however, the assessment is typically limited to the evaluation of specific processes. This study was designed to explore assessment activities in Pennsylvania’s academic libraries. The author designed a survey to investigate whether technical services activities are assessed, how they are assessed, who is responsible for assessment, how the results of assessment activities are shared with others, and how those results are used to improve services or for other purposes. Sixty-three libraries responded to the survey (a 53 percent response rate). Survey results show that 90 percent of academic libraries in Pennsylvania have conducted some form of assessment of technical services activities but that most of that assessment is quantitative in nature.