Comparing University Libraries of Different University Size

Abstract

The primary objective of comparing libraries is to make the top management of the libraries aware that the libraries are not functioning as expected and hence their request for funds and resources to improve performance should be supported. Since larger universities require larger libraries to satisfy higher demand, we concentrate on the comparison of university libraries of different university size in terms of the number of faculty and students. While it is different from the conventional constant ratio method, this approach allows for non-proportionality between the library size and the university size. In other words, the library size need not increase at the same pace as the university. To compare the twenty-four university libraries in Taiwan, we developed a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model based on the concept of Pareto optimality to calculate a score for each library as the basis for comparison. Thus this study by taking into account the size of the university and non-proportionality yields a more informative and meaningful result than previous studies because very small or very large libraries do not have a disproportionate impact.