[Michlib-l] Project Outcome Training is Coming to Michigan!

[Atkin, Evette (MDE)]

Have you heard about  the Public Library Association's performance measurement initiative, Project Outcome?  Check out PLA's on-demand webinar, Outcome Measurement Made Easy with PLA's Project Outcome<http://www.ala.org/pla/onlinelearning/webinars/archive/projectoutcomeeasy>.

This Spring, the Library of Michigan will be offering a day long Project Outcome training in four different locations throughout the state.

April 17 - University Center, Mt. Pleasant
April 27 - Redford Township District Library, Redford
April 28 - Portage District Library, Portage
May 3 - Peter White Public Library, Marquette

For more information or to register for this intensive, full-day program, visit http://tinyurl.com/LMProjectOutcome.

Project Outcome is a free toolkit designed to help public libraries understand and share the true impact of essential library services and programs by providing simple surveys and an easy-to-use process for measuring and analyzing outcomes. Project Outcome also provides libraries with the resources and training support needed to apply their results and confidently advocate for their library's future.

While many public libraries collect data about their services and programs, what is often lacking are the data to support what good they are providing their communities, such as programs serving childhood literacy, digital and technological training, and workforce development. With Project Outcome, patron attendance and anecdotal success stories are no longer the only way libraries can demonstrate their effectiveness. Developed by library leaders, researchers, and data analysts, Project Outcome is designed to give libraries simple tools and supportive resources to help turn better data into better libraries.
Measuring outcomes helps libraries answer the question, "What good did we do?" An outcome is a specific benefit that results from a library service or program. Outcomes can be quantitative or qualitative, and are often expressed as changes that individuals perceive in themselves. Project Outcome helps libraries measure four key patron outcomes-knowledge, confidence, application, and awareness-in seven key library service areas:


  *   Civic/Community Engagement
  *   Digital Learning
  *   Economic Development
  *   Education/Lifelong Learning
  *   Early Childhood Literacy
  *   Job Skills
  *   Summer Reading

The Project Outcome toolkit provides libraries with free access to quick and simple patron surveys, an easy-to-use Survey Portal to collect their outcomes, ready-made reports and visually interactive Data Dashboards for analyzing the data, and various resources to help move libraries from implementing surveys to taking action using the results. Libraries are encouraged to use their data to support and promote future action - from allocating resources more efficiently, to advocating new resources more effectively, to providing support for future library funding, branch activity reports, and strategic planning.
Project Outcome provides three tools for libraries to measure their outcomes:


  *   Immediate Surveys: Measure patron-reported learning
  *   Follow-Up Surveys: Measure patron-reported adoption/application
  *   Outcome Measurement Guidelines: Measure long-term impact (coming soon)


Evette M. Atkin
Continuing Education Coordinator
Library of Michigan
atkine at michigan.gov<mailto:atkine at michigan.gov>
517.373.3746

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