Performance measurement and quality assurance

They can include input/output-based metrics or numbers such as usage statistics or other operational measures.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPIs help: 

• measure the quality of services

• determine whether strategic objectives are being met 

• assess the impact and effectiveness of services

• performance measures can include input/output-based metrics or numbers such as usage statistics or other operational measures 

Irish hospital libraries  

An overview of performance indicators is provided by Michelle Dalton's 2012 paper on the set of KPIs developed for Irish hospital libraries.    

This comprises 5 indicators.

1. Influence on patient care or guiding clinical practice/policy. 

2. Length of hospital stay.

3. Referral to another department.

4. Staff time.

5. Risk/error reduction.

Academic libraries  

According to Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL), key performance indicators (KPI) are financial and non-financial metrics used to quantify objectives and reflect the strategic performance of an organisation.

SCONUL are collecting data on KPIs for UK academic libraries.

For academic libraries in the USA, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) provides a range of standards outlining the expectations for an excellent academic library service. They include standards for information literacy.  

Performance measures are essential management tools in organisations.

Further reading

• Michelle Dalton's Key performance indicators in Irish hospital libraries: developing outcome based metrics to support advocacy and service deliver (2012).
• ISO16439  - Information and documentation — Methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries.

Some of the definitions within the ISO16439 have been incorporated into the value and impact toolkit.