Opinions

Do's and Don'ts of Documentation: An Opinion Piece

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Abstract

Whether through grant funding or taxpayers dollars, public libraries are entrusted with money to spend on programs and services. Funders, as well as other stakeholders, will be interested in accountability, wanting to know what the library has been doing with these funds and what the stakeholders got for their money. The author argues that fully documenting programs and services -- which many libraries fail to do -- provides a tangible answer to these questions, as well as a record that can be used to expand or replicate successful initiatives. A series of best practices for documentation are proposed, which include the need for planning, marketing, and assessment information, as well as the collection and distribution of visual as well as textual material. Different levels of documentation are discussed, and the differences are identified between what is merely acceptable and what is good, or even excellent. A list of the various audience members, with whom documentation might be shared, is included. The author concludes that documenting a library’s successful programs is a good professional as well as political move, when the library needs to make a case for funding or government support.

Keywords: public libraries, documentation, funding, accountability, advocacy

How to Cite:

Elia, H., (2020) “Do's and Don'ts of Documentation: An Opinion Piece”, The Political Librarian 4(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.7936/pollib.8533