Library assessment is a process undertaken by libraries to learn about the needs of users and to evaluate how well they support these needs, in order to improve library facilities, services and resources. In many libraries successful library assessment is dependent on the existence of a 'culture of assessment' in the library whose goal is to involve the entire library staff in the assessment process and to improve customer service. Although most academic libraries have collected data on the size and use of their collections for decades, it is only since the late 1990s that many have embarked on a :wikt:systematic|systematic process of assessment by surveying their users as well as their collections. Today, many academic libraries have created the position of Library Assessment Manager in order to coordinate and oversee their assessment activities. In addition, many libraries publish on their web sites the improvements that were implemented following their surveys as a way of demonstrating accountability to survey participants. Several libraries have undertaken renovation or expansion projects as a result of their assessment activities as well as enhance resource discovery tools, improve web site usability and stop redundant services. , Younes and Soraya Nazarian Library
Tools
In order to determine what is important to library users and how satisfied they are with services, resources and physical space, library assessment utilizes a variety of research methods such as: website usability testing, observation, 'In-Library Use' surveys, focus groups, interviews, wayfinding, balanced scorecard, furniture usability, photo and mapping surveys, organizational climate, statistics and satisfaction surveys. The most widely used library satisfaction survey is LibQUAL+, a service quality evaluation survey developed by the Association of Research Libraries based on ServQUAL. Other satisfaction surveys are: the SCONUL Satisfaction Survey, Insync Surveys, and Counting Opinions LibSat survey. During last decades diffusion of public sector evaluation culture created prerequisites for libraries to guide public administration principles. It enables public administration institutions and libraries among them to activate assessment of their activities. Even some authors suggested public administration approach for assessment of the library performance, that based on the following criteria's: library infrastructure; innovations; human resources; quality of the place.
USA, UK, Australia and Israel
Although library assessment has become almost ubiquitous in United States, Australia, UK and some European countries such as Italy and Denmark since 2000, it is still relatively uncommon elsewhere. Below are a selection of library assessment sites that show the multitude of activities undertaken by assessment teams: University of Washington, USA; University of Virginia, USA; University of York, UK, Council of Australian University Libraries. One notable exception is Israel whose University of Haifa Younes and Soraya Nazarian Library began a systematic process of library assessment in 2007, and has been conducting a Hebrew version of the University of Washington's 'In-Library Use' survey since 2008, and LibQUAL+ Lite since 2009 in three-yearly cycles. , Library Assessment Team receiving the Finkler Prize for Information, 2012
