ERIC Number: ED290497
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1987-Oct
Pages: 111
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Measuring the Performance of Document Supply Systems.
Line, Maurice B.
Produced by Unesco as part of its program designed to help member states develop national information systems, including libraries, information services, and archives, this manual is a guide to document supply measurement techniques that are applicable to a wide range of countries. The first of seven chapters considers the objectives, nature, and limitations of performance measures and factors affecting the demand for document supply, and the second focuses on fill rate, or the proportion of document requests that are met, and the problems associated with meeting user needs. The third chapter deals with the various operations involved in document requesting, processing, and supply, and with the importance of timeliness in meeting requests. User satisfaction as opposed to the concept of fill rate is discussed in the fourth chapter, while the fifth considers a number of less significant measures including the volume of demand, the range of resources available, the ability to accept blind requests, the robustness and flexibility of the system, ease of use, quality, minimal damage and loss, balance and fair distribution of supply, capacity to serve different sectors, and ease of monitoring. The sixth chapter analyzes costs in terms of measuring efficiency of performance, and the final chapter provides guidelines for practical measurement of performance. A list of 45 references is included. (CGD)
Descriptors: Cost Effectiveness, Evaluation Methods, Information Dissemination, International Programs, Measurement Techniques, Paper (Material), Relevance (Information Retrieval), Selective Dissemination of Information, Supplies, User Needs (Information), User Satisfaction (Information)
Division of the General Information Programme, Unesco, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris, France.
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). General Information Programme.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A


