Documenting the Results of Good Intentions: Applying Outcomes Evaluation to Library Services for Children

This chapter documents the evolution of the application of evaluation methods to public library services for children and teens in the United States. It describes the development of age-specific output measures and the subsequent requirement by funding agencies for outcome evaluations that measure changes in skills, attitudes, behavior, knowledge, or status as a result of an individual's participation in a service or program. Some early outcomes research studies are cited, and California initiative to implement statewide outcome evaluation of its Summer Reading Program is presented as a case study. Training and education are suggested as ways to counter the major challenges for wider implementation of outcome evaluation of youth services programs in public libraries.