Measuring outcomes: applying cost-benefit analysis to middle-sized and smaller public libraries - Public Libraries

Library Trends, Wntr, 2003 by Glen E. Holt, Donald Elliott

5) Complete 4,500 telephone surveys, 500 for each test-site library. This process has several steps. First, computer services staff at each of the nine sites will draw a random sample of 2,500 cardholders who have used their cards within the last twelve months. Second, the director of each library will send a personal letter to each of these cardholders inviting their participation in the survey. Third, university telephone interviewers, trained by the project staff to use the project's survey instrument, will call those who have not declined the invitation to participate. A sample of 500 completed interviews will allow the extrapolation of sample statistical results to estimate the benefits to all cardholders from the tax investment of each public library.

6) The principal researcher, Dr. Holt, and the project's principal consultant, Professor Elliott, will write the project report. Prior to any public announcement, the results of the survey will be shared with the directors and participating staff of each library.

7) Develop executive summaries and visual aids for each library that convey clearly, but simply, the conclusions of the study.

8) The researchers will ask the director of each of the participating libraries to complete an assessment form that evaluates the project and its products, They will be asked to make this assessment based on the project's value as a managerial tool for understanding and communicating the mission of their library, informing budget decisions and strategic planning, and assisting communications with constituencies and the general public. Directors and test-site library staffs also will assess the project and products for cost, practicality, and transportability.

9) St. Louis Public Library project staff will host a post-project workshop to disseminate the methodology developed in this study to the staff of test-site libraries. Funds from the grant will support the instruction and materials for the workshop.

Participants in the post-project workshop will evaluate the applicability of the methodology to their own libraries and how the materials might be modified to make it easier for other libraries to use them. Several months after the conference, participants will respond to surveys asking whether they have plans to implement the methodology and, if so, when, how, and the expected use of the results.

The principal researcher and the project's principal consultant will prepare articles for electronic and paper publication and solicit appearances at national conferences.

ANTICIPATED FINDINGS FROM CBA II

The methodology of the second (current) study is very similar to that of CBA I. (3) In this section of the paper, the authors report the findings from the first study and suggest differences and similarities in findings they expect in CBA II.

1) CBA I clarified the usefulness of recognized CBA methods of contingent valuation as a basis for calculating a dollar estimate for all five cities. The contingent-valuation methodology is clearly applicable in a large public library setting. The study demonstrated that cost-benefit methodology is a tool well adapted to measuring the direct benefits of library services. The successful application of CBA methodology in the first project will allow the researchers in CBA II to make applications of the methodologies to nine libraries with a greater income range and greater variation in services than was accomplished in CBA I. The researchers expect the methodology to hold up but the range of benefits to vary considerably.