1. National Library of Scotland (NLS) has developed strategic performance indicators in response to a revised corporate strategy and an outcome-based public performance framework introduced by the Scottish Government.
2. NLS has improved management of performance information and aligned key performance indicators with the political agenda of the Scottish Government.
3. The development of strategic performance indicators meeting both library and governmental requirements is practical and feasible, offering an example for similar libraries worldwide.
The article "Development of strategic performance information at the National Library of Scotland" provides a detailed account of how the National Library of Scotland (NLS) has developed and improved its management of performance information in response to a new corporate strategy and outcome-based public performance framework introduced by the Scottish Government. While the paper offers valuable insights into the challenges faced by NLS in aligning its key performance indicators with government requirements, it suffers from several limitations.
Firstly, the article appears to be biased towards NLS's perspective, without considering potential criticisms or alternative viewpoints. For example, it does not explore whether the outcome-based public performance framework is an effective way to measure library performance or whether it may have unintended consequences. Additionally, there is no discussion of potential trade-offs between meeting government requirements and fulfilling NLS's own objectives.
Secondly, the article lacks evidence to support some of its claims. For instance, it states that developing strategic PIs meeting both library and governmental requirements is practical and feasible without providing any data or examples to back up this assertion. Similarly, while the paper suggests that NLS's approach could serve as an example for similar libraries worldwide, it does not provide any comparative analysis or empirical evidence to support this claim.
Thirdly, the article overlooks some important considerations related to measuring library performance. For instance, it does not address issues such as user satisfaction or social impact that are increasingly recognized as important dimensions of library performance. Moreover, there is no discussion of how NLS has involved stakeholders in developing its strategic PIs or how it has addressed potential conflicts between different stakeholder groups.
Overall, while "Development of strategic performance information at the National Library of Scotland" provides useful insights into how a major national library has responded to changing government requirements for measuring performance, it suffers from several limitations that undermine its credibility and objectivity. To improve its value as a scholarly contribution, future research should address these limitations by adopting a more critical and balanced approach to analyzing library performance measurement.