It's all about decisions!

The first step in any evaluation is to establish a strong and clear rationale for evaluation. In other words, you should begin any evaluation by answering the question: “Why bother with evaluation?”

Evaluations are conducted for many reasons. Often, they are done to meet some sort of requirement established by a funding agency. They may also be done for political reasons, or simply because the people involved in an enterprise believe it is the right thing to do, akin to taking vitamins or engaging in vigorous exercise.

But, it is our belief that the only defensible rationale for evaluation is to inform decision making. Anyone involved with digital libraries (information scientist, collection specialist, manager, subject-matter expert, user, etc.) must make decisions on a regular basis. Some decisions are made on the basis of habit or tradition, others may be guided by politics or prejudice, a few may be guided by superstition or intuition, and far too many are founded on ignorance or best guesses. Ideally, decisions should be informed by timely, accurate information. That's where evaluation comes in. Evaluation should be conducted to provide decision makers with the information they need to make the best possible decisions. The better information provided by evaluation doesn't guarantee that the best decisions will be made. After all, traditions and politics are powerful forces in virtually every context. However, high quality information provided to decision makers in a timely manner certainly improves the likelihood that decision making will be enhanced.

Various kinds of professionals carry out evaluation activities to help them make decisions all the time. For example, physicians inquire about medical histories, conduct examinations, and run various medical tests before deciding upon a diagnosis and treatment. Attorneys interview clients, review documents, and conduct private investigations before deciding how to present their cases to judges and juries. Indeed, the reputation of any given doctor or lawyer is determined largely by his or her skill in conducting evaluative activities such as interviewing, examining, and testing. As someone involved in making decisions about digital libraries, you should and can become similarly skilled.

Fortunately, you don't need an advanced degree to be an effective evaluator. Although there are certainly many advanced topics within the realm of evaluation that may require graduate studies or professional development, anyone can learn to apply a simple, yet powerful, model to evaluate digital libraries.