A Korean Study on Verifying Evaluation Indicators and Developing Evaluation Scales for Electronic Resources Using a Pilot Evaluation

Abstract

The relationship between physical resources and their usability has been measured quantitatively and qualitatively in evaluations of libraries abroad as well as in Korea, with the objectives of improving service levels and management results. As the techniques used by libraries and the items collected by libraries change over time, the criteria to select items for library evaluations should change accordingly. This study intends to enhance the significance of e-resources which have been increasingly purchased and used in the digital library environment but under-represented in library evaluations. To this end, the study identified items for evaluations, classified them, and verified them using experts and a pilot evaluation. First, the study verified three evaluation sectors, 11 indexes and 22 indicators with a Delphi method. Second, specialists were surveyed to determine the appropriate weight for each index and indicator. Third, by conducting a pilot evaluation on college libraries, the investigator identified evaluation scales. The findings of the study are expected to contribute to the world's library evaluation practices in the digital environment.