The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine how managers in some public libraries are using performance measurements and to what extent decision making is based on the results. The main questions posed are:•What performance measurements and indicators are used in the libraries examined?•What is the attitude towards performance measurements among library managers?•How and to what extent are performance measurements and indicators used in the process of decision making?•What improvement would library managers wish regarding the development of performance measurements in public libraries?The theory is based on a model of evaluation of the public sector in addition to general steps of evaluation of quality and performance measurement results. The investigation is based on qualitative interviews with seven managers of public libraries in Sweden. The analysis has shown that even though the managers consider performance measurements important, they find them problematic to apply. Setting clearly definable goals is difficult. The mission of the library consists of a number of goals that have to be adhered to. Major goals are often vague. Favouring one goal might mean neglecting another. Relevant measures cannot be applied without defined goals, and without measures quality and performance assessment becomes impossible. Consequently, abstract goals have to be split and transformed into manageable goals, and the goals transformed into measurable ones. The measures used by the managers in this study could largely be categorized as measures of input and output, but no measure of outcome is used. To assess to what extent the library contributes to user need and community goals, outcome measurements could be an important and useful tool. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The aim of this Bachelor´s thesis is to investigate how library statistics, performance measurement and indicators represent the modern public library activity. During the last decades the public library has gone through a lot of changes. Information overall has increased and new technology has been introduced into the library. This new development has had effects on the library users. The statistics reported to the Statens kulturråd (National Arts Council) has not changed in the same way. My aim is to find out if the performance measurement and indicators are up to date, and to what extent. Through qualitative interviews with two library managers and a small study of documents my aim is to answer the main questions of this thesis: • What performance measurement and indicators are used in the libraries examined?• To what extent do performance measurement and indicators relate to development and decision making? • How useful do library managers think that performance measurement and indicators are? The theoretical framework consists of Library and Information science literature address performance measurement and evaluation in public libraries. The analysis has shown that it is difficult to evaluate the public library purpose and goals, due to the difficult task of setting clearly definable goals in public libraries. Result shows that present library statistics collected by the Statens kulturråd (National Arts Council) is not up to date. Present library statistics do not represent the modern public library activity.