Are you wondering how to assess the impact of your public library? Do you have a brilliant idea for evaluating a library program or service but don’t know how to get started? Did you participate in the Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL) and need ongoing support to realize your big ideas? Do you supervise a public library evaluation coordinator or data librarian and find it challenging to position them for success? Embedding Evaluation in Libraries: Developing Internal Evaluators could be the opportunity you need. Through this 9-month, team-based training, public library staff will build their evaluation knowledge and skills, embed evaluation in their libraries, and develop a network of like-minded peers in their state.
Participants in each Embedding Evaluation cohort will learn how to:
- Develop sustainable and realistic evaluation activities in public libraries;
- Use new social science research methods to complement current methods used to evaluate library programs and services;
- Identify the most relevant questions to ask about the impact, quality, and relevance of library services;
- Collect, analyze, and interpret data to answer their evaluation questions; and
- Use evaluation findings to make decisions, increase impact, and demonstrate library value.
Supervisors of evaluation coordinators or evaluation teams will learn how to develop evaluation priorities and plans, structure and support evaluation coordinator positions and teams, and cultivate buy-in for evaluation among library administration and staff.
During the 9-month Embedding Evaluation experience, participating library teams will complete an evaluation project and engage in professional development activities tailored to their needs, including:
- In-person training;
- Library-specific coaching;
- Technical assistance;
- Access to a library of coaching videos and related resources;
- Peer learning with like-minded public library staff; and
- Membership in an ongoing community of practice.
Embedding Evaluation has been awarded funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support three regional cohorts of public libraries:
- 2019-2020 California
- 2021-2022 Colorado
- 2022-2023 North and South Carolina
Please contact info@libraryeval.org for information about future Embedding Evaluation cohorts in your state or region.