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Health Sciences Library Statistics & Benchmarking

Benchmark FAQ, Part 1

To top of page What is benchmarking?
Benchmarking is a structured improvement process you can use to determine and implement a "better way" to do a job, a technique that provides you with a common measuring stick to evaluate process performance.

Benchmarking is based on the belief that someone out there is doing some things better than you are—and that you could possibly improve your own performance and processes by finding out how other organizations do things and by adopting the best practices you find.

To top of page Why should I benchmark?
Benchmarking, conducted properly, can

  • improve your library's performance;
  • help you to gain or improve upper management support; and
  • help to prove the value of your library.

To top of page What is the MLA Benchmarking Network?
In May 1999, MLA's Board of Directors charged a new task force to define, develop, and evaluate a coordinated and comprehensive Web-based medical library benchmarking tool. This new MLA initiative provide opportunities for hospital, academic, and specialty health libraries to learn more about the benchmarking process, compare data, establish best practices, and identify and work with a benchmarking partner. The task force has evolved into the Benchmarking Network Editorial Board, which has oversight of the review, revision, and testing of benchmarking surveys, and editing of benchmarking data.

To top of page How do I determine which data would be useful for my situation?
Think about processes in your library that you want to improve or that dissatisfy you in some way. Do you feel you are reporting to the wrong department? How many FTEs are appropriate for your library if you expand your hours of operation? Would you like to compare your library budget for purchasing print monographs or electronic journals with other libraries? What would it show?

Because all libraries want to answer different questions, you should fill in the data collection tools with as much data as you can find. If all libraries do the same, there will be good numbers for comparison and benchmarking across all institution types and library interests.

To top of page What data elements are included in the benchmarking survey instrument?
The questionnaires cover eight distinct areas, each requesting different data:

  • Institutional Type Selection and General Data
    Demographic information, your reporting year, and institution type. By choosing your institution type, all other relevant questionnaires will become visible.
  • System Library Profile
    Selected demographic system data collection for various types of health system libraries. To determine whether you are a system, visit the "Are you a system?" page.
  • Institution and Library Profiles
    Statistical information about institutional personnel numbers, user groups, etc. Includes profiles for hospital libraries, health association libraries, libraries serving research institutions, and all other types.
  • Administrative Measures
    Library personnel and expenses information.
  • Public Services Measures
    Searching, reference, and library use data.
  • Special Services Measures
    Information about special services in your library (e.g., archives, consumer health information, fee-based services).
  • Technical Services Measures
    Collection development and services data.
  • Comments and Questions
    Comments about the questionnaires; let us know if you want to develop a detailed profile questionnaire for your library type for the next round of benchmark data collection.

To top of page How can I contribute to and prepare for the benchmarking initiative?
Complete the benchmarking worksheet for 2007 data collection. Online data collection instruments will be available October 12, 2007–December 31, 2007, and will be announced to members in MLA-FOCUS and on the MLANET home page.

To top of page How can I learn more?
Watch the MLANET Home page for more information about the project and about benchmarking. Read about benchmarking (see selected references below) and think about how you might use the benchmarking data in your institution to compare or improve your work processes.

To top of page Selected Resources

 

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