What are some best practices for evaluating the impact of outreach partnerships in libraries?

2 Choose appropriate methods and tools

Depending on your goals and indicators, you can use different methods and tools to collect and analyze data for your evaluation. Some common methods include surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or case studies. You can also use existing tools such as the Logic Model, the Outcome-Based Evaluation, or the Social Return on Investment to guide your evaluation process and report your results. You should select the methods and tools that best suit your context, resources, and stakeholders.

3 Involve your partners and participants

One of the key aspects of outreach partnerships is the involvement of your partners and participants in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of your activities. You should communicate with them regularly, share your goals and indicators, and solicit their input and feedback. By engaging them in the evaluation process, you can build trust and rapport, ensure relevance and responsiveness, and increase ownership and commitment. You can also learn from their perspectives and experiences, and identify areas of improvement or innovation.

4 Share and use your findings

The final step of evaluating your outreach partnership is to share and use your findings to inform your decisions and actions. You should report your results in a clear, concise, and compelling way, using visual aids, stories, or testimonials to illustrate your impact. You should also tailor your report to different audiences, such as your library staff, your partner organization, your funders, or your community. You should use your findings to celebrate your achievements, acknowledge your challenges, and plan your next steps.

5 Seek continuous improvement

Evaluating your outreach partnership is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and review. You should revisit your goals and indicators periodically, and adjust them as needed. You should also seek feedback from your partners and participants, and incorporate their suggestions into your practice. You should also look for opportunities to learn from other libraries or organizations that have similar or different outreach partnerships, and adopt best practices or lessons learned.

6 Evaluate the evaluation

Finally, you should also evaluate the evaluation itself, and assess how well it met your needs and expectations. You should reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your methods and tools, and identify any gaps or challenges that you faced. You should also consider the costs and benefits of your evaluation, and whether it was worth the time and effort. You should also document your evaluation process and results, and share them with other librarians or researchers who might be interested in your outreach partnership or evaluation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?