Half Day Preconference

Maximizing Patron Outcomes: Gather and Use Community Data to Deliver High Value Technology Services

HALF DAY; Wednesday, March 12, 9:00 AM–12:30 PM

Learn the soup to nuts of community needs assessments and the value of tapping your patrons for feedback on technology services. We’ll discuss collecting data using different tools, including focus groups and the Impact Survey program, and follow through with how to use patron-level data for high-level assessments, such as the Edge Benchmarks, of your library services.

Presenters: Samantha Becker, University of Washington Information School, Seattle, Wash.; Mike Crandall, University of Washington Information School, Seattle, Wash.

Target Audience: Library directors and administrators; library managers; staff involved in strategic planning; staff involved in technology services

At the end of this preconference participants will:

  • Understand best practices and different techniques for conducting community assessments through focus groups, interviews, and survey tools;
  • Know how to create a framework for a community assessment program; and
  • Recognize the importance of surveying patrons about technology use and needs as a first step in evaluating the value and outcomes of their library’s technology services.

Cost: $125 PLA/ILF Members, $180 ALA Members, $235 Nonmembers