Assessing Information Needs

Based on a tested model for community analysis, this book offers a guide to the management of client-centered transformative information services that can be applied in any type of library or information agency.

Knowing a community enables library and information professionals to prioritize the community's information needs and design appropriate services for them. Assessing Information Needs: Managing Transformative Library Services was written to provide the rationale for community analysis, a model for gathering community data, and a process for analyzing data and applying it to the management of an information agency.

The book explains why information professionals should customize services, as well as the "how to" of collecting data. A model for gathering community information is described, applied, and demonstrated through a case study. The book then shows how such information is interpreted and used to plan information services that are transformative for individuals and groups in the case-study community, providing lessons that readers can use with their own institutions. Rooted in a philosophy of customer service, the method presented here is perfect for public, school, academic, and special libraries or other types of information agencies.

A case study of a community analysis for a county library system, illustrating how the model can be applied

13 tables presenting information collected from the case study

Several graphic models, presented and described

References at the end of each chapter

A bibliography at the end of the book