CHLA/ABSC Task Force on Benchmarking for Health Libraries (Fall 1997 -- Spring 1998)

Terms of Reference

Mandate

The purpose of this Task Force is to develop and pilot test a practical benchmarking instrument for Canadian health libraries and a proposal for implementation.

Responsibilities

• To consider the relationship to other data collection efforts such as the National Core Library Statistics and the Annual Statistics of Medical School Libraries in the United States and Canada.
• To determine what benchmarking data would be useful to health libraries and their organizations.
• To develop an instrument that will be suitable for hospital, academic and other libraries in relevant health care organizations.
• To recommend a process for the ongoing administration, evaluation and revision of the benchmarking instrument and dissemination of the data.

Organization

• The Task Force will consist of co-chairs and two other members appointed by the CHLA/ABSC Board. The Task Force may second other association members to assist as needed.
• The Task Force will provide progress reports at each CHLA/ABSC Board Meeting and to the general membership at the Annual Meeting.
• Budget requests are to be submitted to the CHLA/ABSC treasurer at least one month prior to the Fall Board meeting.

Term

The Task Force shall present its proposed timeline to the Board at the Winter 1997 Board meeting. A pre-tested draft data collection instrument will be presented to the membership at the 1997 Annual Meeting to obtain feedback. The finalized instrument and recommendations for implementation will be presented at the Winter 1998 Board meeting.

Reports and Publications

• Inglis, J. CHLA/ABSC Task Force on Benchmarking for Health Libraries. BMC 1997 Summer; 18(4):151.
• Inglis, J. CHLA/ABSC Benchmarking Task Force. BMC 1998 Spring; 19 (3):119.
• CHLA/ABSC Task Force on Benchmarking for Health Libraries, Benchmarking Tool Kit. Toronto: CHLA/ABSC, 1998.

Members

• Dorothy Fitzgerald
• Judy Inglis
• Joanne Marshall
• Elizabeth Reid