Planning and Evaluating Library Services


292  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

Planning and Evaluating Library 
Services
Reflecting on Real Practices
Timothy D. Lincoln, Director of the Mary B. and Robert J. Wright Learning and 
Information Center, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

ABSTRACT This session shared data from a qualitative project studying 
how directors of small theological libraries engage in planning and evalu-
ation and summarized the study’s findings along six themes. The second 
half of the session provided the opportunity for attendees to discuss their 
experiences in planning and evaluation.

To explore how directors of theological libraries go about planning 
and evaluation, the researcher received planning documents and 
interviewed six directors of theological libraries via Zoom. Research 
questions included: (1) what processes do directors use for goal set-
ting? (2) what institutional support for planning do directors receive? 
(3) what role do outside standards play? (4) what would help direc-
tors improve their processes for planning and evaluation? Partici-
pants all worked in small libraries with fewer than six professional 
librarians.

In the first half of the session, the researcher summarized find-
ings. Based on analysis of interview transcripts, six themes emerged:

• First, half of those interviewed made an initial diagnosis of 
their library setting when they became the director and re-
lied on that analysis to guide planning.

• Second, participants stressed that planning should be re-
alistic. They focused on a small set of goals that could be 
achieved in a short period of time (often, one year). 

• Third, external standards (specifically, those of the Associa-
tion of Theological Schools, regional accrediting agencies, 
and the Association of College and Research Libraries) were 
important. For some, these standards provided firm guide-
lines with which to comply. For others, external standards 
represented best practices to aspire to. 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  293

• Fourth, participants reported that they generally felt sup-
ported in planning and evaluation by their supervisors. 
Only one reported that library planning was highly inte-
grated into the school’s institutional planning process. 

• Fifth, participants reported that their main conversation 
partners were other librarians, as opposed to other admin-
istrators in their setting. 

• Finally, participants reported that to improve their prac-
tices they needed more time or more staff. Some noted that 
standard planning tools do not seem to fit smaller schools 
with few professional library staff.

In the second half of the session, attendees shared examples of 
their own approaches to planning and evaluation. They noted the 
challenges inherent in asking patrons (students and professors) to 
complete surveys and the benefits of discovering stories about how 
libraries support student success and faculty research productivity.