Ulla Wimmer, Kompetenznetzwerk für Bibliotheken (KNB) Managing (Quality) by Numbers

Ulla Wimmer, Kompetenznetzwerk für Bibliotheken (KNB)

Managing (Quality) by Numbers

BIX – The Library Index

Ulla Wimmer | German Library Association | [email protected]

BIX – the Library Index

• BIX is a benchmarking system for public and academic libraries

• 255 libraries take part in BIX 2008 on a voluntary basis

• 169 Public Libraries (of ca. 2.200)

• 86 Academic Libraies (of ca. 350)• Austria: 11. Slovenia: 1, Italy: 1, Switzerland: 1


Goals of BIX

• to make ressources and performance of libraries visible to decision makers and users

• to provide evidental basis for negotiations with funding bodies

• to provide evidental basis for quality improvement


BIX-Magazine – the Face of BIX


Best Practice and Library Portraits

• (illustrated pages taken from BIX-Magazine)


Tables and Rankings

Library and users

total rank and score

(descending order: 1 to ...)

rank and score per dimension

indicator values


BIX-database online...

www.bix-bibliotheksindex.de

...allows detailed comparisons and analysis of data


Strong BIX-Focus on External Audiences

(funding bodies, users, press, general public,

politicians, administration)• few indicators, (apparently) easy-to-read results• high level of data standardization• high level of data aggregation (ranking)• focus on presentation (press releases, certificates

etc.)

BIX attracts a high level of public attention


BIX-Contribution to Quality Improvement?

Quality improvement requires:

• highly differenciated data and indicators• individual results and presentations


Methodology

2 sets of indicators for public and academic libraries

Libraries are split into categories:• PL are grouped by size of community 5 categories• AL are grouped by type 3 categories

8 categories (comprising 20 – 45 libraries)

8 top positions, 8 2nd positions, 8 3rd positions etc.


Indicators are split into dimensions („Balanced Scorecard“)

Public Libraries (17) Academic Libraries (16)

Ressources (6 indicators) Offers (6)

Customer Focus (4) Usage (4)

Efficiency (4) Efficiency (3)

Development (3) Development (3)


Indicators for Public Libraries

capita = inhabitants

Resources (Task Fulfillment)

•Collection units per capita•User area in sqm per 1,000 capita•Employees per 1,000 capita•Computer services in hours p.c.•Internet services•Events per 1,000 capita

Customer Focus

•Number of visits per capita•Loans per capita •Turnover rate•Opening hours per Week

Efficiency

•Acquisitions budget per loan•Employee hours per opening hour•Visits per opening hour•Running costs per visit

Development

•Investment budget per capita•Renewal rate (additions/stock)•continuing education hours per employee


Resources/Infrastructure

•User area in sqm per 1,000 capita•Employees per 1,000 capita• Acquisitions budget per 1,000 capita•Percentage of acquisitions budget spent on electronic collection•Opening hours per week (central library)

Usage

•physical Library visits per capita •virtual Library visits per capita•User trainings per 1,000 capita•Immediate media availability (immediate loans as a percentage of total loans, incl. reservations/loans)•(user satisfaction rate –not used 2008)

Efficiency

•Library expenditure per capita •Ratio of acquisition expenditures to staff costs•Employee productivity (sample: media processing)

(capita = students and faculty members)

Development

•continuing education hrs per employee•Percentage of university means allocated to the library•Percentage of library means from third- party funds and special funds•Percentage of library staff for electronic services

Indicators for Academic Libraries


BIX-Contribution to Quality Improvement?

Does BIX show the quality of library services?

Concepts of Quality?


Concepts of Quality (1)

Professional View:

„Creating benefits, doing good work“

Link


library visits / virtual libray visits per capita


renewal rate / additions to stock / acquisitions budget per capita


continuing education hours per employee



(Some) Treasurer‘s View:

„Any data not concerning staff efficiency and finance.“


Indicators for Public Libraries

capita = inhabitants

Resources (Task Fulfillment)

•Collection units per capita•User area in sqm per 1,000 capita•Employees per 1,000 capita•Computer services in hours p.c.•Internet services•Events per 1,000 capita

Customer Focus

•Number of visits per capita•Loans per capita •Turnover rate•Opening hours per Week

Efficiency

•Acquisitions budget per loan•Employee hours per opening hour•Visits per opening hour•Running costs per visit

Development

•Investment budget per capita•Renewal rate (additions/stock)•continuing education per employee


Resources/Infrastructure

•User area in sqm per 1,000 capita•Employees per 1,000 capita• Acquisitions budget per 1,000 capita•Percentage of acquisitions budget spent on electronic collection•Opening hours per week (central library)

Usage

•physical Library visits per capita •virtual Library visits per capita•User trainings per 1,000 capita•Immediate media availability (immediate loans as a percentage of total loans, incl. reservations/loans)•(use satisfaction rate –not used 2008)

Efficiency

•Library expenditure per capita •Ratio of acquisition expenditures to staff costs•Employee productivity (sample: media processing)

(capita = students and faculty members)

Development

•continuing education per employee•Percentage of university means allocated to the library•Percentage of library means from third- party funds and special funds•Percentage of library staff for electronic services

Indicators for Academic Libraries


„Balanced Scorecard“-Approach



Quality Management View:

„Defining standards, procedures and goals,

monitoring and improving performance“

„Saying what you do,

doing what you say“


Quality Management – Step 1

• integration of customers‘ view

• definition of service standards

• documentation of processes

• not part of BIX!


Monitoring Performance

• indicator values compared to standards

• indicator values compared to averages

• time series for indicator values (not for ranks!)


Integrating Data into Quality Management

Libraries certified according to ISO 9000

use interlibrary comparisons as part of their quality management strategy:

„By means of interlibrary comparisons, libraries raise the quality level in their institutions and in the cooperative as a whole.“

Qualitätsmangement-Verbund Öffentlicher Bibliotheken der Regierungsbezirke Düsseldorf und Köln: Die Qualitätspolitik des QM-Verbundes, Stand: Januar 2007



Time Series for Indicator Values• time series Itzehoe Public Library


Monitoring Performance

BIX data indicates where to „dig deeper“

• gather additional data• make management decisions

improvement of services, (not improvement of BIX-results!)


Open Issues concerning Quality Management in BIX

• integration of user satisfaction measures into BIX

• limited data on internal processes

• measurement of innovative / emerging services


Keep Chasing the Invisible Man!


Thank you for your attention!

[email protected]


Data Processing and Data Quality

Data input Online (MySQL-database / Excel): mathematical quality control intellectual quality control

(corrections for 98 – 100 % of libraries!) index calculation – first run quality control by BIX-management and libraries

(corrections for 30 – 40 % of libraries!) index calculation – second (final) run final control by libraries

Publication via BIX-Magazine


Libraries input 26/24 items of raw data

number of stock number of people served

indicators are calculated 1,7 items/capita

indicator values are transformed into „scores“ by comparing them to the average of all values

1,7 items/capita = 325 points

for each dimension a score and a rank are calculated

416 points for „ressources“ means 8th position

the overall rank consists of the sum of all 4 scores

1016 points in total means 5th position in the index

From raw data to index


Organization

BIX is a cooperative network of six partners:

• dbv: project management and BIX-Magazine (coop. with journal B.I.T.-Online)

• Online utility and library service center hbz and infas: database and statistics

• virtual visits: Stuttgart Media University (HdM)

• Bertelsmann Stiftung: project development and consulting

Funding: 170 €+VAT per library

Documents

Ulla Wimmer, Kompetenznetzwerk für Bibliotheken (KNB) Managing (Quality) by Numbers