How do you measure the success of your library's community events?

Depends on the subject and the demographic in proportion to the local population. Libraries do a LGBTQ event where they showcase a shelf of books - which sits in stark contrast with the masses of shelves.

To measure success, we must first define the objective or goal. I would argue that the most essential and fundamental purpose of a library is to educate the community. The attendance numbers are therefore a good starting point for measuring progress towards the objective (i.e. increasing the knowledge base of the general populace). The probability that people will read more and expand their knowledge base increases as attendance increases. Visiting a library does not invariably guarantee that an individual will learn something new. But, when assessing a population collectively, I believe there is likely a correlation between library visitation and the knowledge base of a community. Attendance is thus a reasonable measure of success.

Strange as it may seem to say, sometimes criticisms of your events may also provide valuable feedback. If your library schedules a presentation on a controversial topic, you may have a situation where some of those in attendance may express their displeasure. While these situations must be handled diplomatically, they also open new avenues of discussion. For example, some libraries that have or sponsor reading festivals may also include a display of banned books, either titles banned in earlier times or currently. Regardless of the programs you offer, feedback helped with future event planning, understanding gaps in the collection, offering intellectual conversations for your patrons, and determining ways to expand the library's outreach.

Ask for patrons' contact information on feedback forms. If there is a really great story from a patron, consider following up with that patron and ask if the library can use the story as a testimonial.

Take a look at your community and consider what organizations might align with the library's mission. Consider your library services and consider what gaps the library can fill through partnership.

What did the presenter think of the event? What did the host think of the event? What did your event partners think of the event? What went well? What can be improved? What did you and others learn at the event?

We must also consider the contents of the library in question. A library could be radically successful when engaging a community, but have a narrow range of volumes. In history and in modern times, we have observed groups in positions of power attempt to control access to different sources of information through book banning (and, in more authoritarian societies, book burning). So when assessing the success of a library's community engagement efforts, we must also consider the value of the library itself. Does the library (through its volumes) expose individuals to new concepts and perspectives and help individuals broaden their respective horizons? Or does it only provide content reflective of individuals' immediate environments?

One thing I have found helpful is to think of success at any level as a combination of things. That said, I understand that to measure to measure the success of a library is to look at various aspects such as, what does community access look like for the library, like is it consistently engaging with the poorest members of the community thru community events aimed at that segment of population? Or are the resources being provided up to date for someone that cannot afford learning material to still have access for free of charge? These I imagine are among a select few questions that seem critical to the success of a public library. ??