CHICAGO — A library’s infrastructure of programs and personnel is its most valuable asset, providing the foundation for everything it does and aspires to do, which is why assessment is so vitally important. Summarizing specific tools for measuring service quality alongside tips for using these tools most effectively, “The Quality Infrastructure: Measuring, Analyzing, and Improving Library Services,” published by ALA Editions, helps libraries of all kinds take a programmatic approach to library service assessment. In this collection of case studies, editor Sarah Anne Murphy and her team of contributors describe how quality assessment programs have been implemented and how they are used to continuously improve service at a complete cross-section of institutions. This volume:
- looks at how a program was established within a library organization, the individual roles for staff participating in the program, and singles out which activities and projects were most successful;
- describes programs such as the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, Lean Six Sigma and ISO 9001:2000;
- examines contexts ranging from a liberal-arts college library and key federal government libraries to libraries that serve major research universities in the United States and Canada.
Murphy has held various positions at Ohio State University since 1999. She is currently coordinator of research and reference for the OSU Libraries. She has published papers on Lean Six Sigma, mentoring and issues related to veterinary medicine libraries in College and Research Libraries, the Journal of Academic Librarianship, and the Journal of the Medical Library Association.
ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.
Related Links
"The Quality Infrastructure: Measuring, Analyzing, and Improving Library Services"
Contact:
Rob Christopher
Marketing Manager
American Library Association
ALA Publishing
rchristopher@ala.org312-280-5052
Featured News
April 7, 2025
American Library Association, AFSCME Challenge Trump Administration Gutting of Institute of Museum and Library Services
American Library Association, AFSCME Challenge Trump Administration Gutting of Institute of Museum and Library Services
April 7, 2025
American Library Association kicks off National Library Week with the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 and the State of America’s Libraries Report
The American Library Association (ALA) today released the highly anticipated Top 10 Most Challenged Books List.
March 15, 2025
ALA statement on White House assault on the Institute of Museum and Library Services
An executive order issued by the Trump administration on Friday night, March 14, calls for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries.
February 10, 2025
American Library Association launches public supporter program
The American Library Association launched a new supporter program on February 10, 2025, inviting the public to join the fight to protect libraries and library professionals at a pivotal moment in our country’s history.
January 26, 2025
ALA to U. S. Department of Education: Book bans are real
The American Library Association responds to the Department of Education's dismissal of complaints about censorship and discrimination: the "effort to terminate protections... advances the demonstrably false claim that book bans are not real."
January 22, 2025
New ALA Initiative Asks Advocates to “Show Up for Our Libraries”
Today the American Library Association (ALA) launched Show Up for Our Libraries, a campaign to harness the collective power of library advocates to influence elected leaders and policymakers.
January 13, 2025
American Library Association extends support to libraries affected by Los Angeles wildfires
The American Library Association extends our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by and to those who have lost everything during the Los Angeles area fires.
December 10, 2024
PLA provides funding to more than 100 public libraries as part of $2.7 million effort to boost digital literacy
The Public Library Association (PLA) has selected more than 139 public libraries across 42 states to host digital literacy workshops, powered by a generous $2.7 million contribution from AT&T.
December 9, 2024
The American Library Association Receives Transformational Gift to Fund Scholarships
James W. Lewis has made the largest individual bequest to the American Library Association in the association’s history.
December 5, 2024
Telgemeier, McCloud chosen as National Library Week honorary chairs
Award-winning author and illustrator Raina Telgemeier and cartoonist and comic theorist Scott McCloud have been selected Honorary Chairs of the American Library Association’s National Library Week, April 6-12, 2025.