Evaluation and decision making in a university library from performance indicators

Abstract The purpose of using performance indicators in Brazilian university libraries is to provide information for decision making and to promote quality in the educational system. We analyzed the performance indicators used in 95 university libraries. Among them, the relevance of the indicators and their use in the decision-making process was assessed. The performance evaluation models were the performance indicators for the evaluation of university libraries based on “International Organization for Standardization 11.620/2008 Information and documentation – Library performance indicators”. It was evidenced that indicators are relevant for decision making. However, there is a discrepancy between their use and relevance. The set of indicators applied to university libraries is usually the same as those proposed by the Ministry of Education. An adequate management of the performance indicators and the application in the decision-making process promote the quality of the offered products and, therefore, the quality of the education of the higher education institutions.

摘要 巴西高校图书馆应用绩效指标的核心目的，在于为决策制定提供信息支撑，并推动教育体系的质量提升。本研究针对95所高校图书馆所采用的绩效指标展开分析，评估了这些指标的相关性及其在决策流程中的应用情况。本次研究所采用的绩效评估模型，为基于《信息与文献——图书馆绩效指标》（国际标准化组织International Organization for Standardization 11.620/2008）制定的高校图书馆绩效评估指标体系。研究证实，绩效指标对决策制定具备实际参考价值，但指标的实际应用与预期相关性之间存在一定偏差。当前高校图书馆所采用的绩效指标体系，通常与巴西教育部提出的指标体系保持一致。对绩效指标进行合理管理并将其应用于决策流程中，能够提升所提供服务与产品的质量，进而提升高等教育机构的教育质量。