101eighteenreference evaluation
In general evaluation of reference and information
services relates to the quality of the service, even
when librarians or users cannot easily measure
quality in quantitative or monetary terms.
Improving the quality of service... is the objective
of the evaluation of reference services.
—Bryce Allen, “Evaluation of Reference Services”i
n order to “improve the quality of service,” the first step is finding out
what works—and what doesn’t. Evaluation is a way to gather the informa-
tion needed to improve existing services as well as initiate new ones. Regular
appraisals help keep reference services viable and relevant. This chapter pro-
vides an overview of reference evaluation and discusses some of the methods
that may be used.
“Measuring and Assessing Reference Services and Resources: A Guide”
is a comprehensive document that “offers an expansive definition of refer-
ence service, assessment planning advice, and measurement tools to assist
managers evaluating reference services and resources” (http://connect.ala
.org/node/97245/). Prepared by the RUSA/RSS Evaluation of Reference and
User Services Committee, it includes a list of four key books on reference
service assessment and is divided into four main parts: “Definition of Refer-
ence,” “Planning Reference Assessment,” “Measuring and Assessing Reference
Transactions, Services,” and “Measuring and Assessing Reference Resources—
Use, Usability, and Collection Assessment.”