ARL Profiles: Qualitative Descriptions of Research Libraries in the Early 21st Century.

摘要

When ARL library directors were interviewed in 2005 and asked tondescribe a research library in the 21st century, there was generalnsentiment that the suite of ARL Statistics and the toolkit ofnservices offered through the ARL Statistics and Assessment capability wereninsufficient in answering this question. There was a call for greater flexibility inndescribing today’s research library in qualitative terms. Textual narrativendescriptions of collections, services, collaborative relations, and other programs,nas well as physical spaces will be necessary if the essence of a research library isnto be described and evaluated.