Knowing me, knowing you: do we really know our existing and potential library users? Marge Ainsley on evaluation

I have had the pleasure of working with Marge Ainsley on work for Time To Read . After years of working with old-fashioned questionnaires that no-one really analysed afterwards, she was a breath of fresh air, with huge levels of knowledge, enthusiasm and pragmatism. I’m delighted that she has spent the time to write the post below and recommend her to you if you ever want help with evaluation.

Knowing me, knowing you: do we really know our existing and potential library users?

Marge Ainsley, voted one of the top freelancers in the UK, tells it how it is.

Libraries are full of dialogue. Whether it’s front-line staff supporting users, families getting to know each other at Read and Rhyme sessions, or local history groups sharing knowledge of the past. 

Yet how often do we ask our users about our offer, the impact it has on their lives or how we can make their experience even better? Sure, the numbers are important: new memberships, loans, event attendances. But what’s the story of the people behind those numbers? And for non-users, why don’t they engage with us, what’s stopping them, and — crucially — how can we get them through the doors? As I write this, sat in the beautiful Liverpool Central Library, I can’t help but wonder why the people around me have decided to fill this space. And why others outside the building don’t stop by.

“I can’t help but wonder why the people around me have decided to fill this space. And why others outside the building don’t stop by. “

When I ask library teams who their audiences are, they’re quick to share the facts and figures — the number of people in the building, issues, or how satisfied people are. But if I ask why those people are coming (or more importantly, why people aren’t coming), they often don’t know or base their response on assumptions (which are sometimes, but not always correct). Frustratingly, the library teams I’ve worked with do want to know the answers to these questions, but they’re typically under pressure to deliver actual activity – so there’s very little time to stop, ask and reflect.

Qualitative consultation as part of strategic front-end, formative or summative evaluation can help us understand some of these ‘burning questions’, informing how we plan and grow our library ‘audiences’ and improve the overall customer experience. And when it comes to culture (the bit I’m particularly interested in), the current Universal Offer goal is clear:

More people have access to quality and diverse cultural experiences and events through libraries, especially those less likely to access arts and culture. 

Whether this changes in the refresh or not, we cannot just take a ‘build it and they will come’ approach. Understanding audiences’ varying wants, needs and motivations through research is key to sustaining, diversifying and growing our user-base, rather than guessing where’s best spend our time and money. For example, we can use intelligence to understand:

who’s engaging with us now
who isn’t (and where the best potential is)
what the barriers are for those who don’t engage
what the motivations are for those who do
what the needs and wants of our target audiences are (so we can create a relevant offer)
how we can reach them effectively with our communication.

But that’s all very easy to say. Around the UK, library teams tell me that lack of budget, staff resource and in-house expertise are typical barriers for them gathering and, crucially, using data. With local authority intelligence teams depleted, squeezed for time or even non-existent, they often can’t help either. But with a bit of creativity, planning and thinking ‘beyond the textbook’ there are quick wins with research and evaluation that can be achieved in-house, on a shoe-string, or through one-off training investments. And let’s face it, can we afford not to understand our existing and potential audiences? How else can we truly advocate for what we do? How can we measure against our individual local authority strategic objectives without evidence from our users?

“teams tell me that lack of budget, staff resource and in-house expertise are typical barriers for them gathering and, crucially, using data … But with a bit of creativity, planning and thinking ‘beyond the textbook’ there are quick wins with research and evaluation that can be achieved in-house, on a shoe-string, or through one-off training investments”

With that in mind, here’s 10 practical tips and resources that might inspire you and your team:

Get organised – if you’re evaluating a project or a particular strand of work make sure you create an evaluation framework. Think about what you need to measure, how you’re going to measure it, when you need to measure it, and who’s responsible. Having a plan means evaluation isn’t left to the last minute when you’re likely to have lost your chance to collect the data you need – and it gives you a useful roadmap to follow. Check Better Evaluation for ideas.
If you want to know more about your audiences and you’ve got an untouched pile of data on your desk, block out an afternoon in your diary, switch your email off, and focus on mining it. Start with a basic audit and look at the demographics: what’s the data telling you about the types of people who are engaging versus those who aren’t? Who’s your target market and are they represented in your data? Where are the gaps in your knowledge? There’s plenty of free tools available online to help analyse and present your findings. For example, you could map your postcodes – try BatchGeo as a starter for ten.
Work with local providers to access non-user or lapsed target audiences. I’ve spent a lot of hours this year in soft play centres talking to families on behalf of libraries! A couple of hours undertaking ‘snapshot’ research with potential users (for instance, depth interviews over a cup of coffee) can point you in the right direction, even if it is only indicative.
If you’ve no idea about the types of people in your catchment area (typically defined as where 80% of your audiences currently come from), get hold of an Area Profile Report from The Audience Agency. Informed by Census and TGI data plus other intelligence sources, they’re jam-packed with information about the demographics, socio-economics , leisure habits and typical cultural attendance of people who live in your catchment area. Think about how you can use this information strategically for communication and programming.
Use Audience Finder to locate potential audience segments in your area who may be interested in your cultural offer. It’s free to register and access the basic mapping features.
Explore the wider cultural sector and beyond for help and inspiration – for example, raid toolkits and adapt to meet your needs from places like funding bodies, the Happy Museum Project, and CultureHive.
Don’t be afraid of experimenting with your own methodology. Design, pilot and implement research tools which will capture the data that you really need rather than using a default approach that you’ve used for many years. For example, a survey or feedback form has its place, but it may not always be the most appropriate method to get the data you need. And remember to only measure only what matters.
Creative methods don’t have to be complicated – think about how qualitative research could be embedded within your spaces or activity. Whether it’s a simple feedback wall with post-its, or something more creative like conducting vox pops or mobile-filmed ‘talking heads’ at events. Consider how you can open a dialogue with users about their experience – and set small chunks of time aside to analyse the evidence.
Invest in evaluation training for library teams who can then share their skills with others in the organisation – create ‘research champions’ within your service who can pass on their learning, making the training investment go further.
Make sure you’re using best practice with research and evaluation, check the Market Research Society’s easy-to-read code of conduct, along with their guidelines for research with vulnerable audiences for a useful overview.

Marge Ainsley is a cultural consultant, professional facilitator and trainer. She works with museums, libraries, galleries and theatres across the UK, specialising in evaluation and research. Her most recent clients include St Helens Libraries, Leeds Libraries, Salford Libraries Live, Scottish Book Trust and Wirral Libraries. www.margeainsley.co.uk / marge@margeainsley.co.uk