Understanding Success: Measuring Effectiveness of Preservation and Security Programs
Nancy A. Davenport
Library of Congress

Most traditional evaluation techniques used to test the effectiveness of collections security safeguards are so labor and time intensive that libraries do not use them at all or cannot use them frequently enough to detect trends or strengthen the controls on targeted collections before theft occurs. This presentation focuses on the benefits of combining sampling studies with continuous inventory data. Statistically valid sampling studies cost less than a shelf comparison and produce predictive findings about the whole collection that can be incorporated quickly into a security plan. In addition to sampling studies, data usually collected on mission activities can be reformatted to form the basis of a continuous inventory or to pinpoint potential problems with collections security. Combining the two techniques gives the collections manager a "big picture" of the overall effectiveness of the security in place and isolates potential problem areas.