Measurement of Electronic Services in Libraries: Statistics for the Digital Age

Libraries are faced with difficult measurement and statistical questions resulting from the rapid adoption and integration of electronic media and services. This article reviews the nature of these challenges and establishes the critical importance of developing standard measures and descriptive statistics to adequately indicate the impact of technology adoption on libraries. Alternative approaches to a reconceptualization of library quantitative measurement is outlined in comparison with selected trends and requirements resulting from information technology based media. The article concludes with an initial discussion of standards for measurement of electronic information services in libraries, suggesting that electronic measurement of library use may offer opportunities for gathering qualitative information concerning performance effectiveness and outputs.
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