Assessment, Evaluation & Planning
With patron and community needs always evolving and expanding, how do we know we're providing the right services? When funders ask questions we can't answer, how do we gather evidence of the library's importance? And how do we evaluate our services so that we plan for changing needs? Explore various resources for needs assessment, planning, and evaluation to inform decisions about facilities and services to serve community needs.
Self-paced courses and webinar recordings on this topic are freely available in the WebJunction Course Catalog.
Photo: Kennisland, CC BY-SA 2.0
Most Recently Added
OCLC Virtual Town Hall: Libraries and the COVID-19 Crisis
Publish Date: Webinar / 13 April 2020
A 90-minute virtual town hall exploring how libraries of all types are managing the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
Small and Rural Libraries in Tourism Economies: Part 2
Publish Date: News / 25 March 2020
In part 2 of the series, Audrey Dingler, from Cape May County Library, and Noah Lenstra, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, explore how libraries assess community needs in relation to outdoor tourism and recreation economies, and ex...
Small and Rural Libraries in Tourism Economies: Part 1
Publish Date: News / 11 March 2020
Audrey Dingler, from Cape May County Library, and Noah Lenstra, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, reflect on preliminary research into how rural counties with outdoor tourism and recreation economies benefit from population sta...
Public Libraries and the 2020 Census
Publish Date: News / 2 January 2020
Federal funding for public libraries will be determined by the 2020 U.S. Census results, with ALA reporting that "more than $1 billion in federal funding for libraries will be allocated to states based on the 2020 Census." In addition to fe...
Quick Wins Through Community Discovery
Publish Date: News / 5 September 2019
When libraries look to expand or revitalize the programs and services that they offer, they often turn to their community for inspiration and ideas. And the best way to learn what the community wants, is to ask, listen and observe! Using a design thi...
Prioritizing Accessibility and Disability Inclusion at Your Library
Publish Date: News / 18 July 2019
Putting a focus on accessibility helps create a library that can be enjoyed by more people and can connect more people to the information and resources they need. Opportunities to make libraries more accessible can include decisions about your collec...
Always Be Listening: How Public Libraries are Approaching Community Engagement as a Mindset
Publish Date: News / 27 June 2019
ALA Annual is always overflowing with sessions to help library staff take a step back and think about their libraries, services, and approach to their communities. This year was no exception, and there were many stand-out sessions dedicated to rethin...
Getting to the Heart of the Community Through Discovery
Publish Date: Webinar / 11 June 2019
This webinar presents tools, methodologies and strategies that can be used to gather input and uncover the heart and aspirations of your community.
The Library as Social Connector: Forging Community Connection
Publish Date: Webinar / 25 April 2019
This webinar will explore how libraries play a role creating social connection and identify ways to more intentionally facilitate stronger community bonds.
New Tools for Getting Beyond the Survey to Discover Your Community Needs
Publish Date: News / 11 April 2019
For the cohort of small/rural libraries that participated in WebJunction's Small Libraries Create Smart Spaces project in 2017-18, the most transformational aspect of the process was realizing new ways to meet and collaborate with their communities. ...
