ACRL/ RBMS, SAA Release Standardized Statistical Measures and Metrics for Public Services in Archival Repositories and Special Collections Libraries

January 25, 2018—The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) and the Society of American Archivists (SAA) have developed a new standard, Standardized Statistical Measures and Metrics for Public Services in Archival Repositories and Special Collections Libraries.

To support increasing demands on archival repositories and special collections libraries and to demonstrate the value they provide their constituencies, archivists and special collections librarians have become increasingly mindful of the need to gather, analyze, and share evidence about the impact of their services and the effectiveness of their operations. Until now, the absence of commonly accepted statistical measures has impeded the ability of repositories to conduct meaningful assessment initiatives and to articulate and evaluate best practices.

Authored by the SAA-ACRL/RBMS Joint Task Force on Public Services Metrics, Standardized Statistical Measures and Metrics for Public Services in Archival Repositories and Special Collections Libraries provides normative guidance in these practical areas.

The new document was approved by the ACRL Board of Directors in October 2017 and by the SAA Council in January 2018. Standardized Statistical Measures and Metrics for Public Services in Archival Repositories and Special Collections Libraries is available on the ACRL website and the SAA Standards Portal.

About ACRL

The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education association for librarians. Representing nearly 10,500 academic and research librarians and interested individuals, ACRL (a division of the American Library Association) develops programs, products and services to help academic and research librarians learn, innovate and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940, ACRL is committed to advancing learning and transforming scholarship. ACRL is on the web at acrl.org, Facebook at facebook.com/ala.acrl, and Twitter at @ala_acrl.

About SAA

Founded in 1936, the Society of American Archivists is North America's oldest and largest national professional association dedicated to the needs and interests of archives and archivists. SAA represents more than 6,200 professional archivists employed by governments, universities, businesses, libraries, and historical organizations nationally. Visit us on the web at https://www2.archivists.org/, or find us on Facebook, Twitter (@archivists_org), or Instagram (saarchivists).