Criteria for the evaluation of public library services

The views expressed are the personal views of the author and are not necessarily the views of his Department. Evaluation must be based on a clear conception of objectives. A list of objectives is suggested, and questions to be answered about each. The provision of resources can most easily be quantified and evaluated statistically. A basic technique, to be used with discretion, is comparison with standards and norms. These are tabulated for a number of aspects of the public library service, as a basis for comparison