For those who haven’t read it, Tom Storey’s article in the latest issue of NextSpace provides a brief introduction to Fred Reicheld’s The Ultimate Question. As I read the article (no I haven’t yet read the book), it occurred to me that this is very different from traditional assessment methods. I enjoyed very much reading Maxwell L Anderson’s “Metrics of Success in Art Museums.” It prompted me to begin thinking about the central goal we are trying to achieve in the Library and how one might measure one’s effectiveness in achieving that goal. Reicheld’s approach, however, seems to allow the customer to define the goal. What is it the customer is trying to achieve and how well does the Library aide her in that task?

Are you asking the ultimate question? [OCLC]
As libraries battle popular search engines and Internet research services for users, the new book The Ultimate Question by Fred Reichheld says that one simple question determines an organization’s future: Would you recommend us to a friend? Learn more about this one-question survey and the latest efforts in library customer service and assessment.

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