Maximizing Patron OutcomesGather and Use Community Data to Deliver High

Value Technology Services

Mike Crandall, Samantha Becker, Stacey Wedlake

University of Washington Information School

Agenda Introduction & orientation What do you need to know? Gathering data Analysis & reflection Putting results to use

Why do needs assessment? Align library resources and

services to community needs. Give voice to community members

who you might not hear from at the library.

Show your commitment to being responsive to emerging needs.

Discover strengths and areas for improvement.

Basic steps for needs assessment1. Assemble your working team2. Figure out what you need to know3. Gather existing data4. Define data collection methods5. Collect data6. Analyze data7. Reflection8. Reporting

Words of encouragement

Our Case StudyAltamont Public Library

Altamont, Catawba

Let’s get started!

1. Assemble your working team Library managers Library board/friends Local government staff Peer agency staff Patrons

People who can help you:– Understand the needs of your community– Understand expectations in your political

environment– Roll up their sleeves and do the work

2. What do you need to know?

Big picture: What are the most important issues facing

your community? What do your community members need

to have, know, or do in order to be successful?

What kind of community do you aspire to be?

2. What do you need to know?

Close up: What kinds of programs can meet

community needs? How well do our programs meet

community needs? Who aren’t we serving as well as we could?

What does Altamont Public Library need to know?

Gathering existing data

Existing data

What existing data can tell you: Who lives in your

service area What kinds of lives

they lead What they might

need How patrons are

using the library

Data sources: Census/ACS Broadband USA Community

indicators City/county

surveys Education agency Employment

agency Library records Other research

Compile into a community profile What are the important demographics in

your community that may drive library needs?

1 2 3 4 5 60%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

National vs. Community

Compare to other research/surveysMy community is: Older than

average More low-income More single-

parent households

Research says: Older/low-income

people are less likely to use technology or have technology at home.Could mean: Higher use of library technology

More need for one-on-one helpMore need for early literacy programs

Let’s do it!

A good start for thinking about library services

But how do I know they’re the right ones?

Needing, doing, being Frame it together as a speculative theory

of change (you’ll do data collection to verify)

The end point reflects the mission of your library, the priorities of the community, and the needs of patrons (through which community priorities are achieved).

Theory of change

Need

Books

Reference

Public technology

Programs

What do you do here…

to help your patrons get here?

And why do you think it helps?

Now you can test your theory Are the needs identified the most pressing

in your community? Are there other needs and wants in your

community that you aren’t addressing? Do the resources and services you offer

meet those needs and contribute to the change?

Are there better ways to meet those needs?

Data collection methodsCommunity forums

Focus GroupsInterviews

Surveys

The voices approach

The goal is to hear from a variety of voices who can: Confirm/refute your theory of change Provide a more nuanced understanding of

how your services affect change in your patrons and community

Create a shared vision and solutions to community problems

(and while you’re there, get some good stories)

Focus groups and interviews

Creating the atmosphere for sharing1. Fear not!2. Practice 3. Engage4. Warm up5. Ask for

outcomes

6. Give space7. Follow along8. Drill down9. Wrap up10. Reconnect

Focus groups

Best for: Interactions with young people or special

populations Understanding values and opinions Getting reactions about proposed

resources or services Generating dialogue and new ideas Understanding how different people

interact with the library

Focus groups

Pros: Opportunity to

drill down Space for idea

generation Less time

consuming than one-on-one interviews

Cons: Need to manage

group dynamics Need to hold

more than one Usually need an

outside facilitator for open feedback

Focus groups Plan ahead with specific questions and

learning goals Invite 5-7 people for each focus group Choose a comfortable location Have a facilitator and a note taker Start with a structured activity Keep conversation moving along,

encourage quiet participants Transcribe notes immediately

Let’s do it!

Interviews

Good for: In-depth understanding/deep diving Exhausting potential opinions Asking sensitive questions

*Can be structured or open-ended

Interviews

Pros: Very rich

information Ability to follow-

up/probe Can get at

outcomes and collect stories for advocacy

Cons: Usually need

outside interviewers

Time consuming More difficult to

analyze results

Interviews Create interview guide based on what you

need to know Record interviews if at all possible & take

notes Give space for responses, then give more

space Follow-up with increasingly detailed

questions Transition between topics Continue to interview new subjects until

new views are exhausted

What to do with the data?

Qualitative analysis Impressions of results from forums, focus

groups, and interviews can be misleading Approach analysis systematically

Write up brief case summaries Categorize beliefs, opinions, outcomes Look for prevailing themes Look for exceptions and alternate views

Connect stories to your evaluation questions

Validate findings with other methods

Which brings us to surveys

Surveys (aren’t just for satisfaction)Best for: Validating findings from qualitative data Understanding the extent of the

phenomena Learning about outcomes

Surveys

Pros: Low-cost on the

front end for web survey

Able to reach/hear from more people

Can be “piggy-backed” on other community surveys

Cons: Phone surveys

very expensive Good survey

questions require some expertise

Analysis can be difficult and time consuming

You have to work for responses Try a combo of web and paper survey Send out links to email list Mail paper survey with return envelope

Include link to web survey Make community aware of survey

Newspaper/radio announcement Social media Enlist partner organizations

Survey questions Focus on factual information

Open-ended questions can be treated like interviews

Avoid compound questions Multiple-choice questions should have

complete, mutually-exclusive response choices

Be aware of “social desirability bias” in designing questions

Always pre-test your surveys

Survey questions

Get the most you can out of the fewest number of questions: Instead of “Have you visited the library in

the past year?” Ask “How frequently have you visited the library in the past year?”

Ask multi-check questions (top priorities) Use other organizations’ survey questions

that have already been tested

Two new tools to help

Where People Connect, Communities Achieve

http://www.libraryedge.org/ http://impactsurvey.org/

ImpactSurvey.org

What is the Impact Survey?

A survey tool that helps libraries: Gather information about how patrons use

their technology services Analyze collected data to inform internal

planning and benchmarking Present findings to key stakeholders to

advocate for technology services

ImpactSurvey.org

Why use Impact Survey? No need to develop survey questions on

your own. Impact Survey was developed by library researchers and has been repeatedly validated.

No need to program or pay for Survey Monkey. Impact Survey is ready for your use as soon as you sign up.

No staff time spent on analyzing results and formatting them into reports. Impact Survey provides all of your results in easy to read reports that can be immediately put to use internally and externally.

ImpactSurvey.org

The survey asks about use and activities in core outcome areas

Civic engagement eGovernment eBusiness Employment

eCommerce Health & wellness Education Social inclusion

ImpactSurvey.org

Simple setup to professional-looking reports in just a few steps

1. Create an account

2. Install the survey link on your website3. Run the survey and invite the community to respond

4. Get results in customized reports the next day

What is Edge for Libraries? Assess current public access technology

and how it’s used Identify ways to strengthen or enhance

public access technology Engage with key leaders about the role for

the public library in improving communities

Where People Connect, Communities Achieve

BENCHMARKS ASSESSMENT TOOLS

RESOURCE GUIDE & CASE STUDIES

TRAININGREPORTING &

PRESENTATION TOOLS

What’s included in the Edge toolkit?

Where People Connect, Communities Achieve

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT

TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH

LIBRARY LEADERSHIP

Training opportunities

Where People Connect, Communities Achieve

How do Impact Survey and Edge work together?

libraryedge.org impactsurvey.org

Advancing communities through high quality and sustainable digital

inclusion resources

Advocacy Support

Planning and

resource allocation

Community Needs

Assessment

-Create an action plan to deliver the right services -Measure the change in patron outcomes as a result

-Find out how patrons are using technology resources and what they get out of them.-Gather information from the community about policy areas of strategic importance

-Use advocacy tools to communicate the value of public access to the community and gain support.-Use executive tools to show city managers that the library is accountable for results

Putting the results to work

Analysis and reflection Connect your results with the community

profile Answer your questions Think through proposed initiatives

Create value Operationally feasible Attracts support

Share your results

Make the ask Frame in terms of your community needs Connect with expressed priorities of

leaders Show your evidence of need Make the case for your solution Tell a story of how it will make a difference Put a price tag on it

Let’s do it!

ImpactSurvey.org

Thank you!

libraryedge.org

impactsurvey.org

More information:

impact.ischool.uw.edu