Inter-library comparisons: a report on progress, with particular reference to public libraries

This paper describes comparative studies, an aspect of library management in which there is growing interest. The paper is in three Parts. The first outlines in general terms the objectives of 'interfirm' or 'inter-organisation' comparisons for management. It refers to some important features of effective comparisons, and distinguishes between 'true' interfirm comparisons and general statistical surveys. Part 2 describes the programme of work so far undertaken in the development of inter-library comparisons as a man agement tool. The stages of this work (funded by the British Library R & D Department) are described, together with the findings which emerged as the work progressed. Part 2 ends with a brief assessment of the results of the public library 'pilot' comparison, which involved 27 library systems, and describes plans for further action in this field. Reference is also made to the substantial development work undertaken in 1980 relating to comparisons for academic libraries; and to the possibility of future development work relating to special libraries. The third Part describes the scope and con tent of the main ('pilot') comparison so far undertaken for public libraries; examples of the format of the results of that comparison are given in the Appendices.