How valuable is your local library? Use this handy library value calculator, created by the Massachusetts Library Association.
Librarians know intuitively that public libraries provide great value to their communities. It’s hard to express the benefits in terms that decision makers and residents understand, and harder still to quantify.
In recent years, efforts have been made toward that elusive goal. Glen Holt and Donald Elliot proposed one model in “Measuring Outcomes: Applying Cost-Benefit Analysis to Middle-sized and Smaller Public Libraries.” (Library Trends, Winter 2003). Also see the oline publication, "Placing a Value on Public Library Services" by Glen E. Holt, Donald Elliott, and Amonia Moore (http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/libsrc/restoc.htm). Another is offered in The Library's Contribution to Your Community: a Resource Manual for Libraries to Document Their Social and Economic Contribution to the Local Community (IER Planning, Research and Management Services in association with Cameron Consulting Services and C.N. Watson and Associates, Vaughan, Ontario, 1998.)
The Value of Public Library Service tool provides a concrete, practical, measure of the market worth of services provided by a public library. Typical library services were selected and included. Each value was tested against the question: “Will an average consumer understand and accept the value that’s been assigned?”
The spreadsheet can be downloaded into Excel by saving the file to your local computer. It can be used as is by opening the file in most browsers and filling in data for your library. Alternatively, each library can assign values that are more meaningful locally or add services that have not been included in the model.
Ways to use the results:
· To provide ammunition for advocacy by your Board of Trustees
· In budget presentations
· In conversation with community officials
Your suggestions for making the tool more effective are welcomed.
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