Measuring Library Audio-Visual Activities
John F. Harvey · College & Research Libraries · 1957
Measuring Library Audio-Visual ActivitiesT HIS PAPER will discuss the measure- ment of library activities with special reference to audio-visual materials.1 It will do this, first, by placing the subject in its proper setting with a discussion of the contribution of measurement to library administration, and second, by discussing certain problems of measurement in libraries especially as they relate to audio-visual activities.Much of the latter discussion is based upon the experiences of the ACRL Committee on Audio-Visual Work in 1952 2 and again in 1955 3 in attempting to collect data on audio-visual activities in American colleges and universities. MEASURING LIBRARY AcTIVITIESThe types of problems encountered when attempting to measure audio-visual activities are similar to those met in trying to measure other library activities.Problems which arise in measuring annual expenditures for films are much the same as those encountered when measuring e~penditures for binding or for magazines.Certain statements can be made concerning the_ se general problems of library measurement which apply also to the measurement of audio-visual services.1 The author would like to acknowledge the helpful advice of Fleming Bennett, Dale Bentz, and Budd Gam• bee in preparing this article.2 Fleming Bennett, "Audio-Visual Services in Colleges and Universities in the United States," CRL, XVI (1955), pp.11-19.For this survey a special questionnaire was mailed.