Examination of the use of performance measures in special libraries and information centres in New Zealand

Abstract

This research details the results of interviews with library managers of special libraries on the extent to which performance is measured in their libraries. The interviews were used to gather information around the performance measurement and evaluation techniques used by special libraries and information centres in Wellington, New Zealand. The hypothesis for the research was that in the context of New Zealand organisational size and the resources available to special libraries, few of the complex approaches to performance measurement proposed in the literature would be used extensively. The results show this to be the case with regard to specific methodologies. The libraries interviewed used a range of techniques including process and output driven quantitative statistics, client surveys, feedback monitoring, informal benchmarking and consultants' reviews. The research also assesses the extent to which special libraries align the performance measurement they undertake to the strategic goals of their parent organisation, providing some information on the relationship between the extent of performance measurement and the organisational context.