Libraries Without Walls 6: Evaluating the Distributed Delivery of Library Services

This edited collection is drawn from the sixth Libraries Without Walls Conference, held in 2005. From their beginnings in 1995, the Libraries Without Walls conferences have mapped a major change in the practice of librarianship. While library services are still concerned to provide users with physical access to their buildings, electronic access, often from remote locations, is becoming ever more dominant. Papers presented at previous LWW conferences have provided examples of how libraries are pushing out the frontiers of their services. In 2005 a different approach was taken. The question was asked, ‘How do we know whether these new services are having a positive impact on our users?’

In response, papers written by leading professionals worldwide followed these broad themes:

theoretical approaches to the evaluation of the new services, with an emphasis on qualitative methods

the user experience: what do we know about the users of these services?

assessment of the usability, including the accessibility, of the services

measuring the outcomes and impact.

Readership

: These state-of-the-art papers will enable library managers and information professionals in all sectors to keep abreast of the latest developments in this vital area. The book will also assist educational specialists and course developers in increasing their understanding of the role and importance of information in the learning process.