2016 Charleston Library Conference

Grounded assessment begins with establishing the goals of an institution and its users, but there is an added layer of complexity in determining value at the consortial level, where different institutions will naturally perceive the value of a particular resource differently. The shared resources of a consortium are also often diverse in both format and acquisition method. How should the relative value between e-books and streaming media be compared? Between leased and demand driven acquisitions? Between open access models and collaboratively owned models?

To answer these questions VIVA, the academic library consortium of Virginia, formed the Value Metric Task Force, charged with designing a framework for the coherent and holistic evaluation of shared resources. To ensure the development of metrics that were reflective of overarching consortial values, the task force, composed of representative members from each major type of VIVA institution, was asked to determine the highest collection priorities for the consortium and then translate these into quantifiable variables.

This session details the work of this group and the resulting flexible framework that employs weighted variables such as program levels, usage statistics, cost-per-use, and member feedback into straightforward, effective, value metrics. This framework enables a consistent approach to the evaluation of consortial resources, and empowers members to articulate the value of shared resources for Virginia students.