Client Value Models Provide a Framework for Rational Library Planning (or, Phrasing the Answer in the Form of a Question)

Abstract

Libraries often do not know how clients value their product/service offerings. Yet at a time when the mounting costs for library support are increasingly difficult to justify to the parent institution, the library's ability to gauge the value of its offerings to clients has never been more critical. Client Value Models (CVMs) establish a common definition of value elements—or a “value vocabulary”—for libraries and their clients, thereby providing a basis upon which to make rational planning decisions regarding product/service acquisition and development. The CVM concept is borrowed from business and industry, but its application has a natural fit in libraries. This article offers a theoretical consideration and practical illustration of CVM application in libraries.

Key Words:

• Library marketing
• advertising
• library planning
• Client Value Models