The evaluation and improvement of book availability in an academic library

Abstract

This paper describes the practical evaluation of one aspect of an academic library service, book availability, based on the methodology first devised by Paul Kantor for the Association of Research Libraries in the U.S. The methodology assumes a particular view of the purpose of service evaluation, that it should be oriented toward a library's users and aimed at improving service provision, and hence the report includes a discussion of the concept of evaluation. The study consists of an initial questionnaire survey, followed by a period of reflection, interpretation and changes in library practice, concluded by a second survey. The evaluation is shown to be successful, in that changes made to library practice are followed by a significant improvement in the availability of books.