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25.2 Benchmarking architectural libraries

Session led by Eleanor Gawne, Librarian, Architectural Association.

Session outline:

Architectural libraries today are attuned to evaluating their services and facilities to  ensure they are meeting the requirements of their users and stakeholders. This evaluation can include data on staffing, size, budget, and collections including print versus digital. Accessibility and inclusion are also increasingly at the core of what we do, from improving accessibility through resources and spaces to developing audiences and user participation.

In addition to meeting the requirement of our stakeholders, benchmarking and knowledge exchange will ultimately strengthen the development and practice of contemporary art librarianship. Nearly 25 years ago a survey among architectural libraries in the USA was carried out by J.M. Brown and J. Connorton, partly funded by ARLIS/NA. This talk examined the benefits and challenges of undertaking a similar survey that ARCLIB members can use as the basis for planning and evaluation, and aimed to enlist collaboration in the project.

A word from Eleanor:

Last year I put a message on the ARCLIB and ARLIS listservs asking if anyone could recommend an existing study that benchmarks higher education libraries and specifically architectural school libraries, either in the UK or worldwide. Several people got in touch with examples of how they collect data, which was very helpful, but it seems that there hasn’t been a study made recently. I can see that the benefits of doing a survey is that it would provide libraries with data to help with planning for collections management, operations, facilities etc. as well as to justify getting more or different resources.

I presented the idea of benchmarking architectural libraries at the recent ARCLIB conference in Venice which generated quite a lot of interest. To help develop the project, I would be interested to hear if any ARCLIB members would like to join a Working Group to take this idea forward. Do get in touch if you are interested – I can be contacted at eleanor.gawne@aaschool.ac.uk.

I look forward to hearing you. Eleanor Gawne

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Your comments!

As mentioned in the previous article, we’d love to hear from you about your thoughts and takeaways from Eleanor’s lightning talk at Venice. Please use the Comments section below or contact David Stacey to add directly to this post.

4 responses to “25.2 Benchmarking architectural libraries”

  1. David :-) Avatar
    David 🙂

    Just to get the ball rolling and at a bit of a tangent (sorry!), should TEF go ahead and include Subject Level TEF reporting, who else is planning on contributing Library information to that and how might it be similar to/differ from that you might use for accreditations? I wonder, assuming this happens, whether there might be scope to share what we might contribute on architectural Library support amongst our ARCLIB peers, or perhaps this is something ARCLIB might advise on? e.g. it might include data on the amount of resources e- or otherwise for your dept/school, or perhaps even access/views data for those or a sub-set…

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  2. Chris Smart Avatar
    Chris Smart

    Was there anything in the old QAA reports that might be useful. I know the data would be a bit out of date but it might helpful re suitable benchmarks.
    I know I found them useful in justifying policy/expenditure in the past.
    Chris

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  3. David :-) Avatar
    David 🙂

    Hi Chris – do you mean this one, the 2010 Subject benchmarking doc for Architecture? https://tinyurl.com/yxowrh6v – I’ll take a look!

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  4. David :-) Avatar
    David 🙂

    Hi Chris – on a quick scan, not sure there is much for us to draw on beyond this bit on resources and environment: “5.23 Architecture students require a comprehensive on-site collection of technical literature, statutory instruments and standards as well as an up to date library of books and journals.” – QAA Subject Benchmark Statement, 2010, ‘Architecture’.

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