Long Range Plan 2003 - 2007 : Evaluation 

Statewide Programs. Statewide programs are evaluated by the participants to measure outcomes.

Direct Grant Programs. Direct grant programs are evaluated using a combination of outcome and output evaluation techniques as determined by the specific program or project. Such evaluation includes a determination of the results of the actual implementation of the project in relation to its objectives, impact on the target group, and accomplishment of anticipated outcomes. Targeted and mini-grant programs may be evaluated individually by the participants in accordance with an evaluation plan presented in the approved project application, by MBLC staff, and/or by independent evaluators. During the initial year of this plan, the MBLC will contract with a professional evaluator to develop outcome evaluation tools for use with current mini-grant and targeted programs. These tools are to be used by all libraries implementing direct grant programs and will be used for both individual project evaluations and overall program evaluations.

Evaluation of LSTA. By the end of the fourth year of this long-range plan the Board will engage an evaluation consultant to conduct an overall evaluation of the agency's implementation of the plan and the results. This evaluation will reach out to libraries that have implemented projects, those who have not, and persons who have benefited from the projects. This evaluation will also be designed to provide a needs assessment for the following long-range plan through focus groups, surveys and other methods that reach both the library community and library users and non-users.