This project seeks to produce a book and CD-ROM to provide librarians in hospital and other small health sciences libraries with tools to justify the library programs and services using a variety of methods of evaluation and assessment. Our proposed book, with the working title of Survival Strategies in the 21st Century for the Small Health Science Library, will describe five basic library evaluation tools: program evaluation, needs assessment, benchmarking, performance improvement, and standards and guidelines. The concept of an """"""""ideal"""""""" library that arrived at that point using the various evaluation techniques will be introduced as well as the concept of the """"""""ideal"""""""" librarian with a set of skills and competencies. The proposed book will report analyzed results from the landmark Medical Library Association (MLA) Benchmarking Network survey (2004), integrating the results into every part of the book. Our objectives for the book are: (1) Describe the use of evaluation and assessment tools; (2) Analyze the results of the MLA Benchmarking Network survey as applied to practical situations; (3) Demonstrate various evaluation methods for librarians using the MLA Benchmarking Network data; (4) Demonstrate useful evaluation tools for librarians to defend the total library program and to implement or improve library services. ? ? Hospital and other small health sciences libraries exist in an environment of constant change and cost cutting. The presence of a librarian and a library in a hospital or other health sciences setting, whose primary mission is to coordinate knowledge-based information and to educate health workers in its use, is considered an essential element in the care of the sick as well as the promotion of good health. The vision of these health sciences librarians is that their institution's decision-makers will have accurate and timely information, where and when they need it, and in the format they find most useful. ? ? The research plan is to review and synthesize the literature of evaluation and assessment in libraries and to gather real life questions and situations to use as examples. Working as a team of librarian and statistician, evaluation and assessment methods will be demonstrated. The MLA Benchmarking Network survey data will be obtained and analyzed in cooperation with the MLA. MLA is interested in publishing this book.
