Hi Allen:
 
I'm ccing this to ARLIS-L as I think your conference session will be very important.
 
If you don't hear from Deirdre Lawrence [log in to unmask], you should e-mail her; I think she has used focus groups.  Aprille Nace [log in to unmask] at the Corning Museum of Glass would be able to tell you about an outreach program that her colleague Regan Brumagen coordinated there--and that is discussed in Regan's essay in the book.  Regan is on leave, but Aprille was very involved I believe. 
 
I want to commend you for organizing this session. Too late, I realized that [in the soon-to-be-released book, Art Museum Libraries and Librarianship] we should have had a whole chapter devoted to art museum library programming.  It is certainly a trend that is being developed in a variety of ways.  Most everyone realizes that they must do what they can to draw the attention of the museum staff and board to the value of the museum library.  There are essays throughout the book that touch on this subject--especially Deirdre's.  By the way, ask Aprille about the Corning Museum's professional development policy (chapter 15).  It is way beyond anything dreamt of at most art museums.  Hopefully this progressive type of approach will be part of the art museum library of the future--but so much depends on the attitude of the museum administration!  This puts the ball squarely in the court of the head of the library, who must find a way to be seen by the administration as part of the museum's movement forward (in competition with other research and leisure destinations) and the public face of the museum, not just a "back room" operation. You and Milan and Sharon Wasserman certainly make that point in your fundraising essays.  At the Indianapolis Museum of Art and at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts their new museum libraries are now physically up front near the museum's entrance. 
 
Since most of us have been taught that the art museum library's primary mission is to serve the museum staff, especially the curators (and because we have been so understaffed), this is a concept that has not been on our radar until lately.  We have to find a way to continue to serve the traditional curatorial purposes of the museum while also being seen as a part of the museum of the future.
 
Good luck!
 
Joan
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">AllenT
To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 10:23 AM
Subject: [ARLIS-L] Outcomes-based evaluation in museum libraries

Dear ARLIS/NA Museum Library Colleagues:

 

In preparation for the Atlanta session, Finding a New Way: Art Museum Libraries of the Future, I would appreciate hearing from any museum librarians who have begun to use outcomes-based evaluation and assessment methods (focus groups/individual interviews/visitors study surveys) to measure the effectiveness of museum library programs.  Many of our academic colleagues are already using these techniques through programs like LibQUAL+ (see:  http://libqual.org/), but I am unaware whether these assessment methods have yet found their way into art museum libraries.  Please contact me OFFLIST if you have experiences to share. 

 

Thanks (in advance) for your assistance!

 

Allen

Allen K. Townsend
Library Director
Amon Carter Museum
3501 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817 989 5073
817 989 5079 (Fax)

[log in to unmask]

All opinions are my own and not those of my employer

 

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__________________________________________________________________ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/join.html Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask]