Communicating results
The evaluation report
The evaluation report will mirror the evaluation plan to some extent. Your report should include:
An executive summary
A description of the project
The purpose of the evaluation
A description of your evaluation questions
Descriptions of the evaluation activities, including participants and data collection methods
How the data was analyzed
Results of the analysis
Recommendations indicated by the results (see Section X)
Other ways to communicate results
There are many other ways you can share your evaluation results to interested audiences.
Professional gatherings. Did you learn something unexpected from your program? Was it a spectacular success (or a spectacular failure)? You can share your findings at a professional conference. Even a presentation at a small, local gathering can be a great avenue to communicate your work.
Community events. Discussing the impact of your library at community events can help you find potential partners and allies.
Social media. The library’s social media can be used to communicate results to the community, particularly if you have photos or videos to share. It can also be used to share information with other professionals.
Promotional materials. If you are evaluating an ongoing program, share your results in the marketing materials you use for the program. They can also be used in library-wide promotional materials. Posters, particularly in the teen space, can be useful.
Displays. If your participants created things during the program, put them on display in the library. Portfolios (physical or digital) can be used to display the creative works of one learner or a group of them. They can be accompanied by text that helps tell the story and answer the evaluation question.
Case studies tell a story of one person, event, activity, etc. in a narrative format.
Remember to tailor your language and presentation to your audience. Community members, for instance, won’t all be familiar with “jargony” library or educational terms.
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