Qualitative and Quantitative Methods (QQM) are proved more and more popular tools for Librarians, because of their usefulness to the everyday professional life. QQM aim to the assessment and improvement of the services, to the measurement of the functional effectiveness and efficiency. QQM are the mean to make decisions on fund allocation and financial alternatives. Librarians use also QQM in order to determine why and when their users appreciate their services.

This is the start point of the innovation involvement and the ongoing procedure of the excellent performance. Systematic development of quality management in libraries requires a detailed framework, including the quality management standards, the measurement indicators, the self-appraisal schedules and the operational rules. These standards are practice-oriented tools and a benchmarking result. Their basic function is to express responsibly the customer (library user) -supplier (library services) relationship and provide a systematic approach to the continuous change onto excellence. The indoor and outdoor relationships of libraries are dependent of their communication and marketing capabilities, challenges, opportunities and implementation programmes.

QQML acts under the umbrella of ISAST a non- profit organization (International Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology) and organizes the Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries International Conference. QQML is dedicated to promoting the theory and practice of QQM in Libraries, Museums and Archives and aspires to:

  • promote the theory and practice of QQM
  • establish an active network of people who are interested in QQM
  • track the developments and share
  • transfer the knowledge on QQM from scientists to professionals

The 10th Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries International Conference (QQML2018) will be held in Chania, Crete, Greece from 22-25 May 2018.

IFLA Governing Board Member Antonia Arahova will give a plenary talk on IFLA Guidelines, Manifestos and Declarations.  Her talk will focus on texts such as guidelines, manifestos and declarations published by IFLA that address policies in different fields covering a broad range of up-to-date issues that concern the library and information profession community. Particular reference will be made on issues that are relevant to areas of interest to other International Organizations, such as UNESCO and WIPO. Privacy, blending of media literacy and information literacy, education, culture, the importance of libraries’ global networks, the role of libraries in “rebuilding” societies, the transparency and credibility of information resources, are some of the issues that will be discussed.

SOURCE: QQML2018