The Values-Sensitive Library Assessment Toolkit: A Decision Aid for Ethical Practice

Abstract

This chapter introduces the Values-Sensitive Library Assessment Toolkit. The toolkit is a decision aid that supports making values-based decisions in the practice of library assessment. The toolkit is the practical result of a research study into library assessment ethics. As a part of that research study, I surveyed and interviewed practitioners working in the field of library assessment. I asked questions about ethics and values applied in real-world scenarios of library assessment practice. I was motivated to conduct this research out of an interest in values and, especially, values in conflict. This project and the toolkit are based on an underlying question—what do we do when values conflict?