I’m at the Special Libraries Association convention in Vancouver Canada right now! It’s a lovely city, and a convention that I always enjoy. During my presentation at Sunday’s Standards Roundtable, I’ll be sure to mention the two new ISO standards that have just been released. I’ve already blogged about the ISO 16439 last month. And today I’ll review the new 3rd Edition for ISO 11620, “Information and documentation — Library performance indicators.”
Librarians participate in the work of the ISO Technical Committee 46 through the venue of NISO, the National Information Standards Organization. So you know that the standards released by this committee will be of value to the library community.
This particular document was first issued in 1998, and was last revised in 2008. The new 2014 update is a technical revision, replacing all previous editions.
Of course, not every library is the same. So the ISO 11620 presents a range of indicators to use, along with guidance on how to implement them (if you’re not doing this already). The only caveat is that with the emergence of new technology solutions for libraries, performance indicators in these areas may still be evolving.
The technical content of the main body of the document covers definitions, the “why” of using performance indicators, and a general overview of what an organization can gain by using them. It helps you choose those indicators that best fit your situation. And it details how the included indicators were evaluated by the committee.
What kinds of performance indicators will you find in this standard? Annex A is a list for one’s that are appropriate for use in library settings. And Annex B describes each. So the bulk of the text is actually comprised of the 2 Annexes! And another great feature is the bibliography, which includes 36 citations for further reading.
How can you purchase your copies of the ISO standards you need? Go to Document Center’s webstore and order your copies in either paper format or for pdf download. It’s at www.document-center.com and has a range of other tools to help you find the standards you need in your business. Need help? Our staff is able to help you with the kinds of questions that often are raised with this particular type of technical information. You can reach us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).
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