scholarly journals Performance Measurement of Hawaii State Public Libraries: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)

1999 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khem R. Sharma ◽  
PingSun Leung ◽  
Lynn Zane
Keyword(s):  
Data Envelopment Analysis ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Utilization Efficiency ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Floor Space ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Specific Factors

In view of continuing economic stagnation and consequent budgetary constraints facing the state, Hawaii public libraries have been concerned with their operational efficiency and library managers have been seeking better methods in allocating limited resources among the libraries. This paper employed data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique to assess the performance and resource utilization efficiency of 47 public libraries in Hawaii. Three output measures—circulation, reader visits, and reference transactions and four input categories—collection, library staff, days open, and nonpersonal expenditures were used in the analysis. For fiscal year 1996/97, the estimated technical efficiency scores for Hawaii State public library branches ranged from 0.45 to 1.00, with an average of 0.84. The results showed that 14 of the 47 libraries are technically efficient. The estimated efficiency scores were related to relevant library-specific factors and community characteristics, such as total floor space, size of collection, population density, and location to identify factors influencing library performance. Only floor space and volume of collection did show moderate positive effects on library performance. The resulting information can be mainly useful in improving the performance of inefficient libraries. With special consideration to factors uncontrollable by the libraries the results may also be useful in allocating limited resources among them.

A study on the factors of public library use by residents

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 1110-1125
Author(s):  
Younghee Noh ◽  
Rosa Chang
Keyword(s):  
Interior Design ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Design Factor ◽  
Practical Operation ◽  
Library Use ◽  
Specific Factors

This study selected various factors that may influence the satisfaction and use of public libraries through reflecting social changes led by the fourth industrial revolution, in an effort to differentiate the study from related studies conducted previously. In addition, this study examined the specific factors of material, facility, location and place, staff, programs and services that affect the satisfaction and use of public libraries by residents. Results show that accessibility and possession factors of material and interior design factor of facility, space for reading and user convenience factors of location and space, reliability and active attitude factors of staff and diversity, operation hours and promotion factors of programs and services have significant influence over the satisfaction and use of public libraries by residents. The results of this study are useful in providing fundamental data for attracting residents to libraries and improving the rate of utilization by providing library services based on the rapidly changing social environments and users’ demands for the practical operation of libraries.

scholarly journals The Long-Run Effect of Public Libraries on Children: Evidence from the Early 1900s

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezra Karger
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
Occupational Prestige ◽  
Compulsory Schooling ◽  
Library Construction ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Wage Income

Between 1890 and 1921, Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of 1,618 public libraries in cities and towns across the United States. I link these library construction grants to census data and measure the effect of childhood public library access on adult outcomes. Library construction grants increased children's educational attainment by 0.10 years, did not affect wage income, and increased non-wage income by 4%. These income effects are driven by occupational choice. Access to a public library caused children to shift away from occupations like manual labor, factory-work, and mining into safer and more prestigious occupations like farm-ownership, clerical, and technical jobs. I show that compulsory schooling laws had parallel effects on children, increasing educational attainment, non-wage income and occupational prestige without affecting wage income. Economists often rely solely on wage income to measure the returns to education. But public libraries and compulsory schooling laws in the early 1900s increased educational attainment and had positive effects on children's adult labor market outcomes without affecting wage income.

How to increase the loyalty of public library users? A qualitative study

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oranus Tajedini ◽  
Ali Akbar Khasseh ◽  
Mahin Afzali ◽  
Ali Sadatmoosavi
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Space Management ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Library Users ◽  
Research Population ◽  
Public Library Users

The main objective of this study is to explain how to increase user loyalty behavior to public library services. This study uses a qualitative method based on grounded theory. The research population included users of public libraries in Iran. The data were collected through in-depth interviews, and the theoretical saturation was obtained after interviewing 24 members of public libraries. The collected data through interviews were analyzed using theoretical coding and content analysis. Results indicated that observing moral and humane principles when dealing with library users plays a significant role in both building user loyalty to the library and attracting new users. In addition, it was found that causal conditions in increasing loyalty among public library users are related to four areas including physical space management, information resource management, human resource management, and information technology management. It was also noted that factors such as service quality, proper design of interiors, providing diverse and updated information resources, the use of new communication technologies, and the use of cyberspace and social network applications must be taken into account by public libraries. Building loyalty among users and members of public libraries in today’s technological world is of high importance, as it will guarantee the repeated and more frequent use of public libraries and their services and thus reflect their positive effects. The loyalty of users of libraries and information centers can be based on perceived quality, effective communication between librarians and users, and satisfaction with services offered by libraries and their staffs and can affect the intention for repeated visits, and the use of library service and preferring a library over other libraries.

Do hospital mergers increase hospital efficiency? Evidence from a National Health Service country

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 230-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Kjekshus ◽  
Terje Hagen
Keyword(s):  
Data Envelopment Analysis ◽  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Treatment Process ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Hospital Mergers ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Using Data

Objectives: To analyse the effects on technical and cost efficiency of seven hospital mergers over the period 1992–2000 in Norway. The mergers involved 17 hospitals. Methods: First, efficiency scores were generated using Data Envelopment Analysis for 53 merged and non-merged hospitals over the nine years. Second, the effect of mergers was estimated through panel data analysis. Results: In general, the mergers showed no significant effect on technical efficiency and a significant negative effect of 2–2.8% on cost efficiency. However, positive effects on both cost and technical efficiency were found in one merger where more hospitals were involved, and where administration and acute services were centralized. Conclusion: The findings indicate that large mergers involving radical restructuring of the treatment process may improve efficiency as intended, but most mergers do not.

scholarly journals The Impact of Bank-Specific Factors on the Efficiency of Pakistan's Commercial Banks: Data Envelopment Analysis and Tobit Regression Model Framework

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (IV) ◽  
pp. 600-611
Author(s):  
Farhat Ullah Khan ◽  
Aman Ullah Khan ◽  
Inayat Ullah
Keyword(s):  
Data Envelopment Analysis ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Tobit Regression Model ◽  
Bank Specific Factors

This study aims to measure the effects of bank-specific factors on the efficiency of Pakistan's twenty-seven (27) commercial banks. Efficiency was computed by input-oriented data envelopment analysis approach under CRS (constant return to scale) and VRS (variable return to scale) assumptions. The results revealed that overall inefficiency in commercial banks was to tune of 10 percent and was caused by both managerial incompetence and uneconomical bank's size. However, the uneconomic scale size remained the dominant source of inefficiency at individual banks level, and most of the banks exhibited a decreasing return to scale (DRS) behaviour. Furthermore, efficiency scores were regressed by bank-specific factors using the Tobit regression model. Among the bank-specific factors, Profitability, liquidity, bank size had a significant and positive impact, while market share and Asset quality had a negative and substantial effect on all the efficiency parameters.

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