Qualitative research for valuing library services: a case study

In Italy the evaluation of library services (and especially of library outcomes) is quite a new subject: that's why sharing studies and experiences - the chosen methods, their pros and cons, the results achieved - can help develop a sound and common research model. The case study described in this article was aimed at evaluating the impact of the new public library of Prato on the local community. The research consisted in a number of interviews (carried out with different tools for different kind of interviewees) completed by a set of quantitative data, and highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the new structure, thus demonstrating the importance of qualitative surveys in order to assess the social impact of libraries. The same research model has been used for the ex-post valuation of a project addressed to university students.