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Since 1980, Rhea Joyce Rubin has been an independent library consultant specializing in extending traditional public library services. Much of her work is in planning, assessment, and evaluation studies of new library services, and training in those areas.
A current area of interest is outcome measurement (also known as outcome-based evaluation). She now serves as the outcome measurement consultant to the California State Library, the Connecticut State Library, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and the New Jersey State Library. She is also using outcome measurement in her own assessment projects and is offering training on the topic. In 2002, the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) selected her workshop -- "The Impact of Services on Library Users: Measuring Outcomes" -- as the LAMA Institute of the Year.
A prolific author, Rubin is the author of twelve published books and many contributions to books, journal articles, and bibliographies. She is also a "Professional Reading" reviewer for Library Journal. Rhea's Demonstrating Results: Using Outcome Measurement in Your Library was published in January 2006 by ALA Editions.
Consulting Work in Outcome Measurement
Representative Examples 1998 - 2008
Consultant on Outcome-Based Evaluation for the New Jersey State Library. 2006-2008.
Consultant on Outcome Measurement for the California State Library, Library Development Services. 2000-2007.
Consultant on Outcome-Based Evaluation for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. 2002-2006.
Consultant on Outcome-Based Evaluation for the Connecticut State Library. 2003-2006.
Consultant and Trainer for "Nothing About Me, Without Me..." a two year project of planning and implementing library services for people with disabilities in 28 public libraries. For the California State Library. 2002-2004. Included outcome measurement.
Evaluation of library programs for the "Bill Moyers’ On Our Own Terms" series. For the Public Programs Office of the American Library Association. 2000-2001. Included outcome measurement.
Study of Access News, a statewide pilot project bringing news via telephone to people who have low vision or are blind. For the Braille and Talking Book Library of the California State Library. 2000. Included outcome measurement.
Consultant for long range planning using "Planning for Results" for numerous public libraries and library systems in California and a public library in Massachusetts. 1998 through 2002.
Study of State-Funded Library Services for the Blind for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. 1997-98.
Training on Outcome Measurement
Representative Examples 1998 - 2008
"So What? Using Outcome Measurement to Assess the Impact of Library Programs." PLA National Conference. 2008.
"Introduction to Outcome-Based Evaluation" for the New Jersey State Library. October 2006.
"So What? Using Outcome Measurement in Your Library" for the Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority. July 2006.
"So What? Using Outcome Measurement to Assess the Impact of Library Programs" for the California State Library. April 2003, December 2004, January 2005, February 2005, April 2006.
"So What? Using Outcome Measurement to Assess the Impact of Library Programs" for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. April 2003, July 2004, January 2005, March 2005, July 2006, October 2006.
"Are We Making A Difference: Using Outcome-Based Evaluation to Assess the Impact of Library Services" for the Connecticut State Library. May 2004, January 2005, April 2006.
LAMA Institute of the Year 2002 Trainer. "The Impact of Services on Library Users: Measuring Outcomes." Workshops presented throughout the US. 2002-2003.
Presentation on Suitability of Projects for Outcome Measurement. "How Libraries and Librarians Help" Workshop at the University of Washington, Seattle. October 2002.
Presentation on Outcome Measurement for the California Library Association. 2003.
Presentation on Outcome Measurement for the Public Library Association. 2002.
Publications on Outcome Measurement
Demonstrating Results: Using Outcome Measurement in Your Library Services on Users. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2006.
"Predicting Outcomes: Outcome Measurement as a Planning Tool" in Joan C. Durrance and Karen Pettigrew. How Libraries and Librarians Help: A Guide to Identifying User-Centered Outcomes. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2005.
For more information, please see full consulting resume (HTML) or (PDF - 122KB), publications list (HTML) (PDF - 16KB) and workshop descriptions (HTML) (PDF - 37KB).
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Last updated 2/08