Benchmarking information skills training courses FOLIOz InfoSkills Course

What is benchmarking? Some basic definitions: Benchmark: a reference standard against which other things can be compared. Benchmarking: the continuous process of identifying, understanding and adapting practices from other organisations to improve the performance of your own organisation. The process involves continuously assessing the quality of goods or services against standards of best-practice

The SCONUL benchmarking process (1) SCONUL (Society of College, National and University Libraries – UK & Ireland) has identified 7 benchmarking processes for library and information services (1): 1. Defining: (for e.g.) Which staff will be involved in the benchmarking process? How are measures defined? 2. Partnering: Identifying partners (for e.g.) libraries in institutions that are similar in size, subjects, league table positions, geography etc 3. Agreeing: (for e.g.) agree ethics for the confidentiality of results and timetable

The SCONUL benchmarking process (2) 4. Measuring: Identify critical success factors and define a set of measures for comparing. Critical success factors help to define what is important about library services. Consider whether existing data collection methods are useful and applicable to measure these or whether new measures are needed 5. Collecting: Obtain contextual information using a questionnaire. Partners should then visit each other to collect data and to learn more about the partner. The data should then be recorded and shared 6. Analysing: Normalise and compare the data to identify performance gaps. Consider the approaches taken by partner institutions to see whether these can be transferred elsewhere 7. Acting: Embed what has been learnt and set new targets to help to achieve better performance. Devise an action plan to reach the new targets and implement improvements. The results of these actions should be monitored and the whole process reviewed and repeated

Benchmarking processes For the purposes of this course, we have grouped SCONUL’s benchmarking processes to four main areas:

Benchmarking processes 1. Planning for benchmarking 2. Setting targets of the quality of information skills training 3. Measuring: audit or benchmark the quality of information skills training using a check-list (this may include an cost-benefit analysis) 4. Action plan: compare the benchmarks with the targets and produce an action plan to bridge deficits.

Process 1: Planning for benchmarking You may choose to have a panel rather than an individual, to introduce an element of objectivity. The panel should have sufficient gravity to command respect, but not so many members that it becomes unwieldy. You should consult with all the main parties involved, including those who will undergo benchmarking and the customers of the service. You should define the outputs of information skills training courses that you wish to benchmark. This process may involve clarifying who your students are.

Process 2: Set targets of the quality of information skills training courses You can set targets to assess quality across many areas of information skills training: Design and quality of facilities Staffing (levels, expertise) Health and safety (probably more an organisation-wide rather than a departmental issue, but may include issues like cleanliness) Accessibility (training times, disabled access etc) Use of information skills training services User satisfaction with training services Marketing and promotion Targets may be derived from comparisons with other organisations or accepted standards for “best practice” from the wider literature.

Process 3: Measuring This involves data collection and analysis, culminating in comparison with external standards or “best- practice.” Some data can be gleaned from routine statistics already gathered as part of daily activity (e.g. number of participants requesting one-to-one training, or the number of training courses that are run each year). Some data may need specific prospective collection (e.g. a survey of student satisfaction with training courses). In some cases, especially if there is a research component to your information skills training programme, it may involve a site visit or interviews with stakeholders.

Process 4: Action Plan This involves addressing gaps between “best practice” (how information skills training should be run) and current practice (how information skills training is run). An early (and crucial step) may be dissemination of the conclusions to all who will be involved in the action plan. It may lead to an iterative process of repeated review to see if the action plan is working at closing that gap.

Mini-exercise (for your portfolio) Select ONE information skills training course that your library and information service provides Devise a simple set of benchmarks which you could use to measure the quality of this service. Examples of benchmarks include…

Examples of benchmarks to measure the quality of training courses 1. Measurement of the demand for the training course 2. Measurement of the number of library staff available to provide the information skills training course 3. Measurement of an increase in the use of related library services (e.g. e-journals, catalogue, requests for usernames and passwords to access electronic resources etc) as a result of the training course 4. Measurement of student satisfaction with the course using results from the evaluation questionnaire etc… Look back to the ‘Process 2: Set targets of the quality of information skills training courses’ slide for more ideas about benchmarking training courses.

References 1. J. Stephen Town. SCONUL Benchmarking Manual. London: SCONUL; 2000

Further Reading ALIA Public Libraries Advisory Committee Standards, guidelines and benchmarks for public library services in Australia and overseas: a guide to resources. Accessed July Standards, guidelines and benchmarks for public library services in Australia and overseas: a guide to resources Australian Government Libraries Information Network Library Benchmarking and Evaluation Bibliography. Accessed July 2011.Library Benchmarking and Evaluation Bibliography John Brockman (ed). Quality Management and Bench-marking in the Information Sector. London, Bowker Saur; 1997.

Further Reading Claire Creaser (ed) As Others See Us: Benchmarking in Practice (LISU Occasional Paper no.33). Accessed July 2011.As Others See Us: Benchmarking in Practice Rona Wade and Glenda Henderson. (nd) Measuring and benchmarking for libraries – a methodology and its application at the University of Wollongong and National Library of New Zealand. Accessed July Measuring and benchmarking for libraries – a methodology and its application at the University of Wollongong and National Library of New Zealand. Anne Wilson, Leanne Pitman and IsabellaTrahn Guidelines for the application of best practice in Australian University Libraries: Intranational and International Benchmarks. Accessed July 2011.Guidelines for the application of best practice in Australian University Libraries: Intranational and International Benchmarks