Evaluating Library, Archive and Museum Services INFOST5013

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Humanities
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course will introduce participants to the fundamentals of evaluating the impact and effectiveness of library, archive and museum services, including the exploration of political, social, and theoretical concepts that inform the development of a "culture of assessment" in libraries, archives and museums. Students will learn how to apply assessment practices that can support their own professional practices, and will explore how evaluation and impact analysis have been presented in Information Studies. They will be encouraged to think about the link between theory and practice, in order to reflect upon the role of service evaluation in their own continuing professional development.

Timetable

1 x 1hr lecture over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

1 x 2hr seminar over 10 weeks, either as a computer lab, or facilitated discussion, or evaluative activity, as scheduled on MyCampus

Requirements of Entry

Standard entry to Masters at College Level

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Portfolio (2000 words) = 40%

Essay (3,000 words) = 60%

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Explore the relevance of evaluation, assessment and impact analysis to their professional practice;

■ Understand various models for understanding user behaviour, information behaviour, and user experience in person and online.

■ Critically appraise various practitioner studies in order to understand best practice in evaluation and assessment;

■ Learn about the ethical and technical challenges of assessing library, archival and museum services;

■ Understand the role of "cultures of assessment" in Information Studies.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Explain and critique the interaction between professional practices, collections, and stakeholder communities in library, archival and museum services.

■ Describe how a culture of assessment can contribute to professional practices;

■ Apply appropriate methods for evaluating library, archival and museum services;

■ Design effective evaluation and assessment strategies for varied professional contexts;

■ Compare existing evaluation and assessment strategies, in order to assess their effectiveness.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.