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Performance Measurement of Hawaii State Public Libraries: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)

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  • Sharma, Khem R.
  • Leung, PingSun
  • Zane, Lynn

Abstract

In view of continuing economic stagnation and consequent budgetary constraints facing the state, Hawaii public libraries have been concerned with their operational efficiency and library managers have been seeking better methods in allocating limited resources among the libraries. This paper employed data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique to assess the performance and resource utilization efficiency of 47 public libraries in Hawaii. Three output measures—circulation, reader visits, and reference transactions and four input categories—collection, library staff, days open, and nonpersonal expenditures were used in the analysis. For fiscal year 1996/97, the estimated technical efficiency scores for Hawaii State public library branches ranged from 0.45 to 1.00, with an average of 0.84. The results showed that 14 of the 47 libraries are technically efficient. The estimated efficiency scores were related to relevant library-specific factors and community characteristics, such as total floor space, size of collection, population density, and location to identify factors influencing library performance. Only floor space and volume of collection did show moderate positive effects on library performance. The resulting information can be mainly useful in improving the performance of inefficient libraries. With special consideration to factors uncontrollable by the libraries the results may also be useful in allocating limited resources among them.

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  • Sharma, Khem R. & Leung, PingSun & Zane, Lynn, 1999. "Performance Measurement of Hawaii State Public Libraries: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 28(2), pages 190-198, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:agrerw:v:28:y:1999:i:02:p:190-198_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Lori Lynch & Wesley N. Musser, 2001. "A Relative Efficiency Analysis of Farmland Preservation Programs," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 77(4), pages 577-594.
    2. Amir B. Ferreira Neto & Joshua C. Hall, 2019. "Economies of scale and governance of library systems: evidence from West Virginia," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 237-253, September.
    3. Kang, Hee Jay & Kim, Changhee & Choi, Kanghwa, 2024. "Combining bootstrap data envelopment analysis with social networks for rank discrimination and suitable potential benchmarks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 312(1), pages 283-297.
    4. Simon, Jose & Simon, Clara & Arias, Alicia, 2011. "Changes in productivity of Spanish university libraries," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 578-588, October.
    5. Jeffrey Andrew Hemmeter, 2006. "Estimating Public Library Efficiency Using Stochastic Frontiers," Public Finance Review, , vol. 34(3), pages 328-348, May.
    6. Vrabková, Iveta, 2019. "Models of static and dynamic technical efficiency of municipal libraries in the Czech Republic," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    7. Vladimír Holý, 2022. "The impact of operating environment on efficiency of public libraries," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 30(1), pages 395-414, March.
    8. Amir Borges Ferreira Neto, 2023. "Do public libraries impact local labour markets? Evidence from Appalachia," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 216-238, April.
    9. Hammond, Christopher J., 2009. "The effect of organisational change on UK public library efficiency," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(1), pages 286-295, September.
    10. Changhee Kim & Hyunjung Kim & Kanghwa Choi, 2020. "Efficiency Analysis of Public Library Services Based on Establishing Entity and Outsourcing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-15, November.

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