1.
NCompass Live: Project Outcome
March 1, 2017

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YOUR INDISPENSABLE ALLY
W W W. P L A . O R G
Public libraries create possibility. PLA is the indispensable
ally for the people who shape that possibility – the public
library leaders and staff who invite anyone in to learn,
do, and grow.

3.
WHAT WE DO
• Membership
• Continuing Education
• Leadership Development
• PLA Conference
• Advocacy
• Tools, Resources, Publications
• Digital Literacy
• DigitalLearn.org
• Family Engagement
• Every Child Ready to Read
• Partnership w/ Harvard Family Research Project
• Performance Measurement
• Project Outcome

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Today’s Speakers
Samantha Lopez
Project Coordinator
Public Library Association
Beth Anderson
Director
Burnsville (WV) Public Library

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Agenda
 Why Measure Outcomes?
 Project Outcome Toolkit
 Take Action Using Results
 Small Library Perspective: Burnsville Public
Library
 Q&A

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What is Project Outcome?
www.ProjectOutcome.org
It’s all FREE!

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Why Measure Outcomes?
 Times have changed
 Intuition is not enough
 Attendance counts are not enough
 Anecdotes are not enough
Libraries need more data &
evidence to show their impact

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Why Measure Outcomes?
Needs Assessment Patron Satisfaction
Outputs Outcomes

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Why Measure Outcomes?
Needs Assessment Patron Satisfaction
Outputs Outcomes

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What is an Outcome?
Specific benefit from a library program/service
Can be quantitative or qualitative
Expressed as changes that individuals perceive
Answers the question: What good did we do?

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What is an Outcome?

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What is an Outcome?

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Why Measure Outcomes?

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Why Project Outcome?
 You’ve been told you should measure outcomes
 You understand why they’re important
 You need to better tell your library’s story
 You need a more consistent way to measure
 Why reinvent the wheel?

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Project Outcome Toolkit

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Project Outcome Toolkit
 Quick & simple surveys
 Easy-to-use Survey Portal
 Ready-made data reports
 Visually interactive Data Dashboards
 Resources & training
It’s all FREE!

17.
Task Force
 Task Force charged with development and testing
of patron-facing surveys
 Task Force is made up of a diverse group of public
libraries, state libraries, and researchers
throughout the country

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Survey Topic Areas

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Survey Questions
Outcomes:
 KNOWLEDGE
 CONFIDENCE
 BEHAVIOR CHANGE
 AWARENESS
+ What did patrons like most?
+ What can the library do to improve?

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Survey Tools
Immediate
Survey
Patron-
Reported
Learning
Follow-Up
Survey
Patron-
Reported
Adoption
Outcome
Measurement
Guidelines
Long-Term
Impact

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Immediate Survey
 Patron-Reported
Learning
 Open-Ended
Feedback
 Immediate Impact
 End of Program
 Less Staff Time

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Using Immediate Survey Outcomes
 Assess immediate impact of
a program/service
 Inform program/service
changes
 Provide a “snapshot” for
advocacy and reporting

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Follow-Up Survey
 Patron-Reported
Adoption
 Open-Ended Feedback
 Change of Behavior
 4-8 Weeks Later
 More Staff Time

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Using Follow-Up Survey Outcomes
 Assess impact of a
program/service after some
period of time
 Inform internal planning
 Measure progress toward
strategic goals
 Provide evidence for
advocacy

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Survey Outcomes
Immediate Follow-Up
I feel more confident about
the job search process…
I will use what I learned today
in the job search process…
I received an interview or
offer for a new job…
I used what I learned to
search for a job in new or
different way…

26.
Outcome Measurement Guidelines
• Measuring long-term community
impact
• Data collection methods
determined by library and/or
external partner
• Outcome Measurement
Guidelines available in 2017

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Project Outcome Website
www.ProjectOutcome.org

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www.ProjectOutcome.org

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www.ProjectOutcome.org

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Survey Portal

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Survey Reports

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www.ProjectOutcome.org

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Data Dashboard

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Data Dashboard

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Data Dashboard

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Data Dashboard

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Benefits of Project Outcome
 Short & simple surveys = higher response rates
 Capturing snapshot data
 Open-ended comments are goldmine
 At your own pace: pick & choose surveys based on
program, capacity, and learning objectives

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Benefits of Project Outcome
 The ready-made reports & data dashboards do the
heavy lifting for you
 Standardization of outcome measures
 Aggregate, national score comparisons

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Project Outcome Roadmap

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Take Action
Using Results

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Take Action Using Results
Program Improvements

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Take Action Using Results
Strategic Planning

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Take Action Using Results
Communication
Library Board
StaffPatrons
Community

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Take Action Using Results
Partnership
 As part regional partnership to reduce poverty
 Begin school partnership discussions to stop the summer
slide
 Partnering with a community college to off better/more
advanced business development classes

45.
Take Action Using Results
Grant Funding
 Summer Reading Dollar
General Grant
 Friends of the Library
grant for STEAM trunk
 LSTA reporting

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Small Library Perspective:
Burnsville Public Library

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Burnsville Public Library
Population of Service Area: 3,769
Annual Operating Expenditures: $33,365
Number of Libraries: 1
FTE Staff: 1.03

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Burnsville Public Library

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Surveys Collected
 Summer Reading Caregiver
 6/17 – 8/31
 2 surveys collected
 Summer Reading Teen/Child
 6/17 – 8/31
 3 surveys collected
 Digital Learning
 6/17 – 7/15
 4 surveys collected

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Programs Measured
 Basic Computer Skills Class
 On Your Mark, Get Set, Read! 2016 Summer
Reading Program

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Survey Results: Basic Computer Skills
“It would be great if they could continue to do classes during the year”
“Very helpful to me, because (I am wrong generation computerilliterate)”

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Results: Summer Reading Caregiver
Of the respondents, 100% reported their child:
 maintained or increased their reading skills
 is a more confident reader
 reads more often
 uses the library more often
Offer homework help
Offer a peer to peer reading program

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Results: Summer Reading Teen/Child
Of the children or teens respondents:
 67% learned something new from what they
read or experienced
 100% enjoy reading more
 67% read more often
 100% want to use the library more often
Read more books to us Have another pizza party
to invite other kids to
Do silly stuff

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What Did We Learn?
 Our adult population is interested in programs
 Staff will try to fit more read aloud books into next
year’s program
 Due to the responses, staff is working to develop a
Homework Help/Tutoring program, as well as
other reading/STEM programs

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What Can We Change?
 Staff needs to do a better job getting participants
to fill out the surveys
 Programs will be developed/tweaked as
surveys/results are submitted for ongoing
programs
 Need to take advantage of the computerized
surveys
 Use results to leverage additional funding

56.
What’s Next?

57.
Updates &
Announcements

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Project Outcome in the Field
3,000+ registered users representing
1,500+ public libraries

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Project Outcome in the Field
48,000+ patrons surveyed

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Regional Training Workshop
Targeted to: library directors, managers, supervisors
or staff who will be responsible for managing or
overseeing Project Outcome
Includes:
 One full-day, in-person workshop
 Two 90-minute online meetings
 Expert trainer and workshop materials

61.
Upcoming Webinar
FREE monthly webinars!
Money Smart, Measure Smarter: Boost Your Financial
Literacy Programs & Measure Their Impact
March 16, 1-2 PM Central
http://www.ala.org/pla/onlinelearning/webinars/projectoutco
memoneysmart

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Free Preconference Workshop!
June 23rd
9 AM – 4 PM
http://www.ala.org/pla/education/alaannual/17projectoutcome

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PLA @ ARSL
Association for Rural & Small
Libraries Conference
St. George, Utah
September 7, 2017

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New Survey Portal Coming Soon!
 New portal launching May 1st
 More survey customization
 Ability to add up to 3 questions
 Easier survey management (edit, delete, archive)
 Custom report building

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What’s Next
 Register for FREE at www.projectoutcome.org
 Review training resources
 Schedule a survey in the Survey Portal
 Analyze Data Dashboards
 Join the Facebook group
 Follow Project Outcome on Twitter
 Engage on Community of Practice
#ProjectOutcome

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Community of Practice
www.projectoutcome.org

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Questions?
Samantha Lopez
Project Coordinator
Public Library Association
Beth Anderson
Director
Burnsville (WV) Public Library

68.
Thank you!