1. James G. Neal ACRL National Conference 2 April 2011
STOP THE MADNESS THE INSANITY OF ROI AND THE NEED FOR NEW QUALITATIVE MEASURES OF ACADEMIC LIBRARY SUCCESS
James G. Neal
ACRL National Conference
2 April 2011

2. RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)
Are the dollars being invested producing VALUE in economic terms?
$$$ IN $$$ OUT

3. ROI RESEARCH demands RIGOR must track and control VARIABLES
must demonstrate INTEGRITY
requires CLARITY in conclusions
ROI Research which is inappropriate, unsophisticated and exploitable is a miscalculated, defensive and risky strategy for academic libraries.

4. PREPARE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND ASSESSMENT
Institutional Expectations
Government/Funder Mandate
Measures Of User Satisfaction
Measures Of Market Penetration
Measures Of Success
Measures Of Impact
Measures Of Cost Effectiveness
System Design For Usability

5. IS THERE AN ROI FROM THE USER PERSPECTIVE?
SOME KEY QUESTIONS
Who Are Our Users?
Where Do We Intersect With Our Users?
What Do Our Users Want and Need?
How Are User Expectations and Requirements Changing?
How Do We Know?
How Do We Respond?
IS THERE AN ROI FROM THE USER PERSPECTIVE?

6. WHO ARE OUR USERS? Students (diversity abounds)
Faculty (expectations galore)
Researchers (tribal differences)
Administration (the bottom line)
Community (local politics)
Working Professionals (practical applications)
Alumni and Donors (largely ignored)
World on the Web (the new majority)

7. WHERE DO WE INTERSECT WITH USERS?
Physical Spaces
Web Spaces
Collections
Services
Applications
Technologies
Classroom
Laboratory
Bedside
Collaborations
Anyone
Anywhere
Anytime
Anyhow

8. HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT USERS?
Ask
Measure
Listen
Observe
Compare
Benchmark
Experiment
Involve
Prototype
Portfolio
Evaluate
Experience (Aha)

9. ENHANCE THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Technology Ubiquity
Point-of-Need Information
Web-based Services
Technology Sandbox
Privacy Space
Social Success
Support Services
Information Fluency
Post-graduate Access
Career Assistance

10. ENHANCE THE FACULTY EXPERIENCE
Personal Advancement/Recognition
Contributions to Scholarly Literature
High Quality Instructional Experiences
Successful Students
Work on Innovative Projects
Collaboration with Interesting Colleagues
Financial Compensation
Remuneration for Own Work
Excellent Laboratory, Library and Technology Support
Opportunities to Experiment with Technology

11. RESPOND TO USER EXPECTATIONS
Content
Access
Convenience
New Capabilities
Cost Reduction
Participation
Individual Productivity
Individual Control
Organizational Productivity

12. USERS WANT US TO BE Authoritative and Virtuoso
Authenticated and Secure
Appropriate and Pertinent
Accessible and Virtual and Omnipresent
Achromatic and Advocative
Audacious and Attentive
Assimilative and Virtuous

13. EMBRACE THE “HUMAN” OBJECTIVES
Success (turn out well, attain desired end)
Happiness (well-being and contentment)
Productivity (achieving results or benefits)
Progress (forward movement or betterment)
Relationships (personal connections or attachments)
Experiences (observation or participation)
Impact (significant effect)

14. MARKET THE LIBRARY Match Capabilities of an Organization with Needs
and Wants of Communities Served
Existing Products to Existing Markets
MARKET PENETRATION
Existing Products to New Markets
MARKET EXTENSION
New Products for Existing Markets
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
New Products for New Markets
DIVERSIFICATION

15. NEW MEASURES OF SUCCESS
QUALITY = CONTENT + FUNCTIONALITY
VALUE = QUALITY + TRAFFIC
PRICE does not equal COST OF INPUTS
PRICE = PERCEIVED QUALITY + VALUE
SUCCESS does not equal RESOURCE ALLOCATION
SUCCESS = RESOURCE ATTRACTION

16. IMPORTANT INITIATIVES
Carol Tenopir IMLS Project on ROI and
Academic Libraries
ACRL Study on “The Value of Academic
Libraries”

17. VALUE RESEARCH FINANCIAL VALUE IMPACT VALUE
MIGRATION FROM PRODUCT TO SERVICE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACTION AND BENEFIT