Evaluation of library and information services in a modern technological world

Evaluation is the systematic assessment of the operation and or the outcomes of a program or policy, compared to a set of explicit or implicit standards, as a means of contributing to the improvement of the program or policy. In the context of academic libraries, says that “decisions are routinely not supported by the evidence of well-designed investigation” and that “research in the field is poorly communicated, understood and applied” (quoted by Peter Hernon, in the forward to Matthews, 2007). In addition, more and more libraries are either closing down or being forced to cut down on services due to recession). Thus, identification of different areas of library services for systematic evaluation becomes extremely imperative in the current economic scenario. The evaluation of library and information services is a complex task, because there are a number of rather general ways in which it may be approached. The value of libraries for the individual and for society has long been seen as self-evident. However, in times when users are becoming increasingly independent in their information seeking, when information seems to be free on the web (even where libraries have paid for access), and physical visits to libraries may decrease, the benefits gained from funding libraries are questioned not only by funding institutions but also by the public