This toolkit originates from the Health Sciences Information Consortium and is in the process of being adapted and updated by the CHLA/ABSC Standards Standing Committee.
To quote from the introduction to the CHLA – ABSC Benchmarking Toolkit from 1998: “we can learn from observing the way others do things and these observations can, in turn, offer opportunities for adopting the best practices we find. By comparing our libraries with other libraries in a bench marking partnership, opportunities for doing things differently become evident.” Benchmarking provides an opportunity to compare your services with those of similar libraries.
Use benchmarking reports to know the landscape when managing and promoting your services. Don’t assume that your senior management is unaware of what is happening at other health libraries. Be sure to participate in any benchmarking surveys that your library has been invited to complete – this benefits the whole community. If you are part of a network of libraries, share your data-gathering methods/tools and try to conform to any community standards.
The Library Value Planner is a key benchmarking tool developed for Canadian health libraries, as is the CHLA Standards for Library and Information Services in Canadian Health & Social Services Institutions 2020 / Normes pour les bibliothèques et les services d’information des établissements de soins de santé et de services sociaux du Canada – 2020.
Resources