Assessing the Social Value of Library Services at Drake University

Abstract

One of the goals of the ACRL’s report, “Value of Academic Libraries,”1 is to provide librarians with the evidence necessary to tell the story of their library’s value. Given the importance of this goal, little has been written on the mechanics for accomplishing this task.2 Part of the challenge in telling the story is that many of our instruments are taken from the private sector and as such, are ill-fitted for assessing the social value of higher education and academic libraries. Subsequent reflection by Oakleaf and Kryillidou3 suggest that one solution to this problem is for libraries to set the scope of their assessment on contextually based institutional priorities. Building upon this suggestion, we propose that the framing of value in terms of organizational theories of legitimacy provides one with the means of addressing this challenge of assessment and communication of library social value.