Evaluation of the National Science Digital Library

This article describes a community-based process for developing shared instruments to begin evaluating the National STEM Digital Library (NSDL). A pilot study based on these instruments is currently underway and will be completed by the time of the JCDL workshop. The purpose of the pilot study is to examine library usage, collections growth, and library governance processes. The methods used in the pilot include web log usage analysis, collections assessment techniques, survey instruments, and semi-structured interviews. Preliminary results from the pilot evaluation of six existing libraries will be presented. The community-based process through which the shared pilot instruments were derived will also be discussed.