The Bottom Line: Determining and Communicating the Value of the Special Library

Citation

Tan, D. (2004), "The Bottom Line: Determining and Communicating the Value of the Special Library", Library Management, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 152-153. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120410522389

It was difficult to contain my wry smile when presented with this book to review. As a special librarian of almost 14 years I knew then that this was the “Rosetta Stone” of special librarianship for which I had been waiting. A dramatic opening comment, well I know, but no less dramatic than the crisis that faces many special libraries the world over, be they corporate, law, government, health, or some other specialised information service. For every library review containing the acronym ROI, there are battalions of special librarians racing for the trenches and wondering how it will all end.

The military analogy is not so far from reality when one considers the relentless pace at which special libraries are being called upon to justify their existence, measure their return on investment, develop metrics by which to measure performance and, ultimately, explain what difference they are making to the success of the organisation they serve. It is a battleground out there! While we at times feel exposed and vulnerable, it is books such as these that provide the library equivalent of a “squad automatic weapon”. All military references will now cease!

As the title alludes, this book seeks both to reveal how to measure and value library services and then, more importantly, to communicate this to management in a way that can be understood and appreciated. Joseph R. Matthews also provides us with clear evidence that this is not a new phenomenon. Much has been written on the topic and his work not only augments the good work that has already been conducted by the ALA, SLA and others, but also adds to this already valuable body of knowledge. In effect, Matthews helps crystallise some of the thinking that has preceded us and builds a framework that can be utilised in a pragmatic and direct way.

For many librarians, the terms “activity‐based costing”, “cost‐benefit analysis”, “benchmarking” and “balanced scorecard”, to name but a few, would ordinarily result in a certain amount of terror, present company no exception. What Matthews has admirably achieved is the de‐mystification of these very common business tools and concepts. In addition, he places them within the context of libraries and the paradigm that we know and understand.

If you do not like tables, numbers, simple formulae, frameworks, models and measurement, get over it! This book is full of them. Running a library or information service is the same as running any other organisational cost centre. You are provided with an apportioned amount of resources and budget. With this, you must squeeze every bit of value out from them and still satisfy your mission statement. There is no escaping the need to manage and control costs, measure value and demonstrate the impact this is making on the enterprise. I would be the last to advocate that we become management accountants, but the fact of the matter is that we are required, more than ever, to justify our expenditure and demonstrate value. It is not easy and we struggle sometimes to fully convince management of our worth. Matthews describes this divide as “a seemingly insurmountable chasm separating professional librarians from their managers” (p. xiv).

For such a compact text, this book is a surprising resource package. It condenses a large amount of material, concepts, tools and knowledge that would ordinarily need to be individually sourced from many locations. There is a helpful glossary, recommended reading list, and an extensive appendix containing all manner of input measures, process measures and output measures, each with a definition and explanation. If that is not enough, further appendices provide a sample PAPE (priority and performance evaluation) survey, library benefits survey and a more detailed breakdown of calculating return on investment (ROI).

As for the main body of the text, the first quarter deals with how libraries add value, followed by sections on evaluating libraries and the associated techniques and methods involved. The second examines, in depth, ways of measuring inputs, processes and outputs. The rest of the book explores outcomes and impacts, the balanced scorecard concept and tool and, finally, communicating the value of libraries. In all this, Matthews still finds space to provide some examples of library success stories, where they have been successful in promoting themselves and utilising these evaluation tools.

The structure of Matthews’ timely publication is one that is clear and easy to digest. Each chapter ends with a summary and detailed notes section. This aids in reinforcing the key take‐outs of each chapter as well as providing a resource for further reading and research. In addition to being a solid piece of work in its own right, Matthews has also produced a classic reference text, one to which library and information professionals will be able to refer in times of need. Rather than have to re‐read the book, one would zero‐in on the exact evaluation or measurement tool best suited for the situation.

I suspect that The Bottom Line: Determining and Communicating the Value of the Special Library will have broad appeal to the profession, and not just to the special library sector. With all spheres facing a variety of pressures and challenges, the generic evaluation, measurement and communication tools contained within offer something for all.