Knowledge without

boundaries

Linking Impact Evaluation to Local and National Policies to

Sustain Innovation

Ramune PetuchovaitePLIP Manager

www.eifl.net

What is impact evaluation?

• Impact is about changechange• To people’s livesTo people’s lives• To perceptions, attitudes, opinions, behaviourTo perceptions, attitudes, opinions, behaviour

• We look at the We look at the resultresult of using library services, the influence the use had, and its significance to the user

From telling WHAT libraries provide, to

proving HOW libraries change the lives of individuals and the

community

Why do we want to do this?

• Evaluation is the gathering of meaningful data that informsinforms, improvesimproves, or confirmsconfirms. It is a tool for:

• Library management decisions

• Accountability for your

resources

• Library advocacy

Linking impact and advocacy to policies

• Evidence of impact is more convincing to stakeholders than library statistics alone

• Advocacy needs robust data and well documented stories in order to be credible and trustworthy

• Evidence of impact helps sustain momentum, funding, and political support, when well communicated (targeted advocacy) and linked to local or national policies

Example: Libraries for innovation (Lithuania)

Activities & resources (2011)

• # collections – 18.780.297

• # registered users - 695.714

• # visits – 11.188.031

• # books lent – 20.343.640

• # public access computers (PAC) – 6.185

Impact of PAC• 30% of PAC users in libraries

have no alternative access

• In 2011 skills of senior citizens and disabled PAC users strengthened, if compared with 2008

• 95% of the unemployed and 79% of users with disabilities use the internet in library for activities related to work and/or commerce.

Example: Agro-Lib project (Serbia)

• […] I learned a lot about bees and honey production.

• […] I came to important information about buying apples.

• […] I have never had better garlic.

• I sell baskets for breeding bees through the site AgroLib market. I am satisfied because beekeepers find me on the Internet and the sale is much better

How it all hangs together…

Community needs

Government policies

ICT tools and

resources

Innovative service

Impact evaluation

Partners

Sustainability

Social and economic

change

Advocacy activities

Thank you!