Measuring the Value of Public Libraries: Library Valuation Studies - provided by Christine Rooney-Browne

Excellent Overviews

• Imholz, S., & Arns, J. W. (2007). Worth Their Weight: An assessment of the evolving field of library valuation.  Americans for Libraries Council. [online].  Available: URL. http://www.ala.org/research/sites/ala.org.research/files/content/librarystats/worththeirweight.pdf. Last accessed 19th March 2013.
•  Poll, R. (2007b).   Bibliography: Impact and Outcomes of Libraries.  IFLA.  [ONLINE].  Available: URL. http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s22/Impact_and_outcome_of_libraries_07-12-01.pdf/. Last accessed 9^th June 2010.
•  Tuan, Melinda T. Measuring and/or Estimating Social Value Creation: Insights into Eight Integrated Cost Approaches, Final Paper 12.15.08. Publication. Seattle: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2008. [online].  Available: URL. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/learning/Documents/WWL-report-measuring-estimating-social-value-creation.pdf/. Last accessed 8^th June 2010.

Measuring economic value

• Barron, D.D. (2005).  The Economic Impact of Public Libraries in South Carolina.  University of South Carolina, School of Library and Information Science.  [online].  Available.  URL: www.libsci.sc.edu/SCEIS/impact_brochure.pdf/.  Last accessed 12^th June 2010.
• The British Library.  (2004).  Measuring our Value.  The British Library.  [online].  Available.  URL: http://www.bl.uk/pdf/measuring.pdf/.  Last accessed 12^th June 2010.
• Griffiths, J.M., King, D.W., Lynch, T. (2004).  Taxpayer Return on Investment.  [Report], p.5-6.  Prepared for State Library and Archives of Florida. [online].  Available: URL. http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/roi/pdfs/ROISummaryReport.pdf/. Last accessed 1^st June 2010.
• Holt, G. E., Elliott, D., & Moore, A. (1999). Placing a value on public library services. [online].  Available: URL. http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/restoc.htm/. Last accessed 23^rd May 2010.
•  Holt, Glen E. and Elliott, Donald. (2003).  “Measuring Outcomes: Applying Cost-Benefit Analysis to Middle-Sized and Small Public Libraries.” Library Trends 51, no.3, Winter 2003, pp. 424-440. [online].  Available: URL. http://jungjw.myweb.uga.edu/8350/9913453.pdf/. Last accessed 23^rd May 2010.
•  Jura Consultants (2005).  Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council and MLA North West : Bolton’s Museum, Library and Archive Services: An Economic Evaluation.  Metropolitan Borough Council, Bolton. [online]: Available. http://www.northwestcultureobservatory.co.uk/project.asp?f=0&action=view&id=402/.
•  Kamer, P. 2005. Placing an Economic Value on the Services of Public Libraries in Suffolk County, NY. http://scls.suffolk.lib.ny.us/pdf/librarystudy.pdf
• Kamer, Pearl. 2006a. Placing an Economic Value on the Services of the Middle Country Public Library in Suffolk County, NY. http://www.mcpl.lib.ny.us/pdf/economicvalueofMCPL.pdf.  Last accessed 17^th May 2013.

Measuring social value

• Bryson, J., Usherwood, B. and Streatfield, D. (2002).  Social Impact Audit for the South West Museums Libraries and Archives Council.  Centre for the Public Library in the Information Society.  Department of Information Studies, The University of Sheffield. [SWMLAC Report].  pp. 9-11, 56, 41-44. [online].  Available. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/content/1/c6/07/01/24/CPLIS%20-%20Social%20Impact%20Audit%20(Final%20Report).pdf/.
• Linley, R and Usherwood, B. (1998).  New Measures for the New Library: A Social Audit of Public Libraries.  Centre for the Public Library in the Information Society.  Department of Information Studies, The University of Sheffield.  [British Library Research and Innovation Centre Report 89].  pp. 6, 9, 10, 15, 21, 49, 84-86. [online]. Available: URL. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/is/research/centres/cplis/research/index.html/. Last accessed 11^th June 2010.

Measuring social AND economic value

• Reeves, M. (2002).  Measuring the Social and Economic Impact of the Arts: A Review.  Arts Council.  [online].  Available.  URL: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/documents/publications/340.pdf/.  Last accessed 12^th June 2010.
• Seattle Central Library (SCL). 2005.  The Seattle Public Library Central Library : Economic Benefits Assessment.  [online].  Available: URL. http://www.spl.org/pdfs/SPLCentral_Library_Economic_Impacts.pdf/. Last accessed 9^th June 2010.

Measuring Social Return on Investment

• New Economics Foundation (NEF). (2004). SROI Primer.  [online]. Available: URL. http://sroi.london.edu/index.html/. Last accessed 8^th June 2010.
• REMI. Regional Economic Models, Inc. [online]. Available: URL. http://www.remi.com/. Last accessed 27^th May 2010.
• RIMS II.  Regional Input-Output Modeling System II [ONLINE]. Available: URL. http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/rims/. Last accessed 27^th May 2010.
• Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF). (2000a).   SROI Excel Model.  [online].  Available: URL. http://www.redf.org/learn-from-redf/tools/110/. Last accessed 8^th June 2010.
  You will need to register with REDF to access their publications database.  It’s free and easy to register.
• Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF). (2000a).  REDF Tools: SROI Excel Model.  [online].  Available: URL. http://www.redf.org/learn-from-redf/tools/. Last accessed 12^th June 2010.
• Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF). (2000b).  Social Return on Investment (SROI) Collection.  [online].  Available: URL. http://www.redf.org/learn-from-redf/publications/119/. Last accessed 8^th June 2010.
• Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF). (2010).  REDF Publications.  [online].  Available: URL. http://www.redf.org/learn-from-redf/publications/. Last accessed 8^th June 2010.

Self-assessment Toolkits

• Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) (2010). Public Library Quality Improvement Matrix. [online].  Available: URL. http://www.slainte.org.uk/slic/plqim/plqmindex.htm/. Last accessed 2^nd June 2010.
• Urban Libraries Council (2006).  The Engaged Library:  Chicago Stories of Community Building.  Urban Libraries Council.  [online].  Available: URL. http://urbanlibraries.org/associations/9851/files/ULC_PFSC_Engaged_0206.pdf/. Last accessed 3^rd June 2010.

Tracker Surveys

• UK Online Centres (UKOC, 2007).  Digital Inclusion: a discussion of the evidence base.  [online].  Available: URL. http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/corporate-pages/research/centres-research.html/. Last accessed 7^th June 2010.
• UK Online Centres (UKOC). 2008.  Digital inclusion: social impact. [online].  Available: URL. http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/corporate-pages/research/centres-research.html/. Last accessed 3^rd June 2010.
• UK Online Centres (UKOC).  2009.  Does the internet improve lives?  [online].  Available: URL. http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/corporate-pages/research/centres-research.html/. Last accessed 7^th June 2010.

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Other Links

Taking Stock: the future of our public library service – Unison

Neighbourhood Statistics (deprivation, social environment etc.) – Office for National Statistics

Community Libraries Report – Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

Library Value Calculator – North Carolina Library Association

Arguments against libraries, arguments for libraries – Public Libraries News

Volunteer-Run Libraries – Public Libraries News

Privatised Libraries – Public Libraries News

Keeping Public Libraries Public: A Checklist for Communities Considering Privatization of Public Libraries.  American Library Association, June 2011 (opens as PDF)

Outsourcing the Public Library: A Critical Discourse Analysis (2009) – Heather Hill, University of Missouri, PhD Thesis

Trusts and Social Enterprises – Public Libraries News

Campaigning Tactics – Public Libraries News

Websites and Documents – Public Libraries News

Saving Money Without Closing Libraries – Public Libraries News

Writer in Residence, with a twist – Nilam Ashra-McGrath writing about the experience of using the library and what it means for its members in July 2011.