An Exploratory Quantitative Analysis of Academic Library Services: Approaches to Compare Performance Based Metrics

This exploratory study addresses performance measurement in academic libraries by using selected measures provided by academic libraries to national surveys. For comparative purposes, the authors suggest the use of a total service index and various cost measurements as determined by enrollment and by library use. The statistical analyses of academic library data presented in this study may be helpful in initiating a discussion regarding the costs of using an academic library and how this information could be used for various purposes such as benchmarking or requesting additional funds to support library services