“Measuring the unmeasurable”: reader development and its impact on performance measurement in the public library sector

Until recently, performance measurement in public libraries had largely failed to address the issue of evaluating the quality of service provision. Investigates the potential to measure the impact on staff and users of reader development, currently a key concern to the public library sector. Uses examples as the best value inspection process, a current form of performance measurement, and Branching Out, an ongoing national reader development initiative. Concludes that the qualitative, person‐centred evaluation methodologies developed via projects such as Branching Out could support any local authority preparing its own service evaluation, and could arguably enhance any evaluative documentation, for example the Best Value Performance Plan.