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Evaluate needs vs. service: - A library board that does not evaluate library programs, customer service, the director, or itself is disadvantaged.
- Use evaluation to get continuous feedback and make adjustments when necessary.
- A board member wants to know that:
- He/she is being accountable to the patrons.
- He/she is spending the public’s money wisely on their behalf.
- The library’s programs and services:
- are effective
- Make a positive impact on the community.
- are of public value
- He/she is making progress toward the goals he/she helped to develop in the strategic plan.
- He/she has a competent and talented director of the library.
- He/she and the other trustees that are on the board are doing the best job they can.
Evaluate Library Programs What to do about program evaluation? - During a program evaluation, a board member decides what information he/she needs to make a decision.
- Based on the evaluation:
- Members can make decisions.
- What kinds of information are need.
- Determine what sources to collect information from.
- Determine who gets post-evaluation feedback and resulting decisions made.
- Information via a program evaluation:
- INPUTS what is needed to run the programs or services.
- funds
- facilities
- staff
- materials
- PROCESS how the programs and services are carried out.
- OUTPUTS units of programs or services.
- number of patrons using program or service
- number of books circulated
- number of questions answered
- OUTCOMES impacts on the patrons.
- From the information collected a board member should ask the director and staff to find the answers to his/her questions.
- A board member is not expected to:
- collect numbers
- interview clients
- observe processes
- do the work that is required
- A board member may need to allocate funds for the evaluation.
- The funds can be used to:
- hire outside objective assistance
- hire temporary staff to fill in for those who will do the evaluation
- Understand the importance of program evaluation:
- Make a list of the things a trustee needs to know to make decisions.
- Do not rush a program evaluation.
- Evaluate library programs often.
- Evaluate to enable board members to verify that they are doing what they think they are doing and makes the job of advocating for the library easier.
Evaluate Customer Service - Importance of Customer Service:
- To draw people to a library.
- Customer Service Expectations:
- immediate eye contact or acknowledgment of our existence
- smiles
- offers to assist
- competent employees
- efficiency
- Public library staff may make the following mistakes:
- Put routine duties before patrons.
- Are unaware when someone needs assistance.
- Make rules more important than patrons’ needs.
- Concentrate on:
- The troublesome few rather than the pleasant majority.
- Reading or computer use (This gives the impression they are busy.).
- Install automated self-checkout and check-in stations.
- Negative Effects of Poor Customer Service
- decrease in library use
- complaints
- chaotic or abusive behavior
- fewer children will be allowed to come to the library
- concerned letters to the editor of the local paper
- loss of funding
- inability to pass a "levy"
- increase of taxation level for district libraries
- unsuccessful in a "capital-building campaign"
- community my vote against funding a poor service
- Solutions:
- Evaluate customer service satisfaction.
- Hire a marketing consultant to do a huge survey = expensive solution
- This solution is worth the expense if the board feels there are serious problems.
- Ask a group of friends about their experiences with the library = inexpensive solution
- This solution lacks objectivity.
- Best solution:
- Set a box out with customer service satisfaction forms for patrons to fill out.
- Hire a marketing firm to perform a “secret shopper” evaluation.
- A marketing firm hires a group of people representing the library’s community, who use the library and report back on specific aspects of customer service creating a “report card” of sorts.
- Solutions to a negative report:
- Ask the director to take action to improve the situation within a certain amount of time.
- Authorize funding for:
- Incentives:
- Customer Service
- Employee of the Month
Evaluate the Director - A library board is responsible for hiring and firing the library director.
- The library director is:
- a board employee
- sometimes, as a member of an advisory board, is a city employee.
- sometimes considered an employee of the funding authority.
- Board will retain some authority.
- Board retains governing powers.
- Governing board members are asked to evaluate the library director’s performance.
- Reasons for periodic evaluation of a library director:
- Establishes communication between the director and the board.
- Ensures that the goals and strategies of the strategic plan are being met.
- Demonstrates:
- effective leadership
- accountability
- chance on the part of the board
- provides a sound basis for:
- merit raises
- corrective action
- Methods to evaluate a library director:
- Use subjective and objective measures.
- The purpose of evaluation:
- encourage strengths
- discuss areas for improvement
- Surprises should not occur in a formal performance evaluation.
- The library director should understand the basis of the evaluation.
- Evaluation Process:
- Board members and the library director determine:
- criteria to base evaluation
- the format
- the process to carry out the evaluation
- If an advisory board and the library director are employees of a city or county, the evaluation method will probably be set.
- The evaluation method is developed by the director’s human resources department.
- Input by advisory board members:
- An advisory board member should ask to be included, if not already asked to provide input.
- Criteria for performance evaluations:
- Rate achievement of each goal, individually.
- Board members should determine the ongoing achievement of goals by receiving regular monthly reports from the director.
- The reports need to include, within the strategic plan, the progress of the goals and job description.
- Constants in library director’s job description:
- Prepare and manage the budget in a professional manner.
- Be aware of current library practices.
- Maintain good relationships with funding authorities.
- Be familiar with and utilizes technology wisely.
- Work closely with the board of trustees in pursuing a successful library program.
- Illustrate sound staff development practices.
- Specific criteria to include in a performance evaluation based on the director’s job description:
- Completion of the monthly budget reports in a timely manner.
- Consideration of innovative library practices, on a regular basis.
- The collection is up to date and well used.
- Relationships between staff and management are positive.
- Library director meets regularly with members of the funding authority.
- Staff development is pursued vigorously.
- Implementation of board decisions, in a timely fashion.
- These statements are rated and recommendations for improvement are made.
- List behavioral characteristics in the job description.
- Board members must communicate expectations to the library director in performance evaluations.
- When subjective factors are included in an evaluation make sure characteristics are evaluated based on firsthand observation.
- Use of behavioral characteristics may be difficult, but helpful.
- Normal behavioral characteristics:
- decision-making ability
- communication skills
- cooperation
- dependability
- creativity
- leadership skills
- risk taking
- initiative
- listening skills
- Try to use all three criteria when there is a rating system on which to base an objective score.
- If a low rating is given, provide suggestions for improvement.
- Board members need to agree upon the definitions of the ratings so that they are all on the same page.
- Who performs the evaluation and who has input?
- Participants in a formal evaluation process differ from library to library.
- Advisory board members:
- may have input
- sometimes participate in the performance evaluations
- Director of Human Resources Department:
- Some governing boards:
- Decide that everyone wants to be part of the process.
- Others decide that only the board chair and one other member will perform the evaluation with input from the entire board.
- It is important that the situation be businesslike but not intimidating.
- Make performance evaluations an ongoing part of a person’s job, with the intent of helping that person to develop.
- Others can provide input on the library director’s performance.:
- The director is accountable to:
- staff members
- elected officials
- people he or she works with in the city or county
- members of the general public
- Friends of the Library
- Input from a representative sample of those people is very helpful.
- The process used for gathering heir opinions must be the same as that used for the library board.
- Avoid simply asking someone what he/she thinks of the director; the answer to an open-ended inquiry may have nothing to do with the director’s performance.
- Use an objective approach such as, an evaluative instrument.
- The Performance Appraisal Interview
- Written Formal Evaluation:
- Complete the written formal evaluation once the board chair receives all the input.
- Allow space for notes of improvement and deadlines for completion.
- Distribute copies to the library director and all board members.
- The Evaluation Interview:
- Should take place at a regularly scheduled board meeting.
- Conduct the interview in the executive session.
- Do not discuss personnel matters in open sessions.
- Check the Open Public Meetings Act to make sure you are performing the interview within the laws of your state.
- Provide specific examples to clarify your expectations of the director.
- Encourage free discussion to explore all issues thoroughly.
- Use honesty and candor.
- Do not interrupt.
- When improvement is called for, ask the library director what he or she expects to do about the problem and when it will be corrected.
- Include that information in the written notes of the interview.
- The library director is accountable to the board.
- This is corrective action.
- It is important to provide praise and support when merited.
Evaluate the Library Board - Two Evaluation Processes:
- Outside-evaluation via hiring someone.
- Self-evaluation.
- Self-evaluation via board members is easier and less expensive.
- There may be nonprofit boards that share the same responsibilities, visions, and goals.
- The evaluation form should be unique to the board.
- If a self-evaluation tool exists it should be available in the orientation packet so that each board member knows what is expected up front.
- If not available, everyone on the board needs to know what may be included in the tool so that all are prepared when the time comes to perform the self-evaluation.
- Do not worry about being comprehensive.
- The important thing is to know the combined strengths and areas that need improvement.
- Perform a self-evaluation at the annual board retreat where board members have the time and to relax and reflect.
- The United Way of King County, Washington, has a board self-evaluation format that could be useful as a template.
| How satisfied are you that the board: | Very Unsatisfied | Unsatisfied | Neutral | Satisfied | Very Satisfied | Understands and can convey the organization's mission and purpose? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Knows whether or not the organization is in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Knows enough about the organization's programs and services? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Provides financial oversight for the organization, including approving a realistic budget? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Appreciates the respective roles of the board, staff, and director? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Contains an appropriate range of expertise and diversity to make it an effective governing body? | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
- Follow-up
- Use the learned information once the areas of improvement have shown up in the ratings.
- Institute training programs or workshops for board members.
- Choose another method of recruitment the next time the board has a vacancy, or ask the director for a special review session on certain subjects.
- Review the board orientation to ensure it is complete.
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