To date, two consortia have responded, the British Columbia Electronic Library Network (BC ELN) and the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA). The BC ELN answered the questions specifically, and their response follows each question; VIVA provided a general response.

1. How does your consortium currently assess and evaluate consortium initiatives (i.e., do you use locally-developed tools such as focus groups and surveys, or do you use commercial packages or outside programs, such as LibQual+ or E-metrics)?

   BC ELN: We use locally developed electronic surveys. Participants enter both quantitative and qualitative data, which is gathered and presented using a database-backed system (Access + Cold Fusion). ELN also conducts an "environmental scan" as part of our Strategic Planning Process. This has been done as on-site visits in the past. Recently, we conducted an Electronic Town Hall. This process combines asking for input on current activities with suggestions for future directions.

2. What consortium initiatives have you assessed and why?

   BC ELN: Some examples: we have conducted several surveys in the area of resource-sharing. The purpose of two of the surveys was to assess satisfaction with the software we use for our union databases and interlibrary loans. The purpose of the other survey was to seek input on resource-sharing in general. Assessment is designed to ensure that our initiatives meet the needs of our Partner Libraries.

3. How have assessment results been used to make changes in your consortium's initiatives? Please provide one or two brief examples.

   BC ELN: One result of our Resource Sharing Survey was streamlining of our ILL invoicing, that is, changing to a single-price system and moving to annual from quarterly invoicing. One result of a recent survey on Impact/ONLINE2 (ILL software) was a list of enhancement suggestions which has been brought forward to the vendor.

4. If you have provided presentations and/or workshops for your member libraries on assessment and output measures, what were the specific topics of presentations/ workshops, and who were the speakers?

   BC ELN: No workshops, but a series of articles on database statistics was presented in our newsletter.

5. If you have provided workshops and/or training in statistical analysis for your consortium staff and/or member libraries, please describe.

   BC ELN: Not applicable. Consortium staff involved in survey work have some background in research methodology as part of their MLIS.

   Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA)

   VIVA conducted a workshop, "Numbers are our friends!: an informal introduction to statistics for VIVA librarians" last year, led by Jim Self, a librarian at the University of Virginia. VIVA regularly provides the Virginia legislature with a summary spreadsheet of costs avoided via consortial purchases of library resources: "… our legislators always enjoy hearing about VIVA's 'cost avoidance' - we've spent just over $16 million from July 1 1994 to November 2002 and received over $91 million in resources (based on list prices for our 39 public institutions, data is from our vendors) for a 'cost avoidance' NOT SAVINGS of $75 million. Keeping this simple Excel sheet impresses lots of people."