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This paper seeks to examine three types of measurement and evaluation currently used in the special library environment and to identify the relationships that must exist between the individual measurement processes to enable holistic and strategic evaluations of special libraries to take place.

Looks at how responsible measurement and evaluation within the context of the special (corporate, government, hospital, etc.) library must reflect the ways in which the library uses its resources (budget, staff, buildings, collections, technology, equipment), how well it delivers its services and how well it satisfies its clients now and into the future.

If these measurements and evaluations are to be understood, respected, supported and valued by management, it is also necessary to take it one step further and include the ways in which the information provided through the library services supports the achievement of organisational objectives. One needs to measure how well the services are seamlessly integrated into workflows, how they are prioritised according to their importance and how closely aligned they are with the strategic goals and objectives of the organisation.

May mean a change of mindset on the part of the library managers to enable them to let go of the traditional services and resources and to approach service development and improvement with a strategic view.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview, including methodology and preliminary findings, of a current and ongoing doctoral research study of the impact of national library associations. The study uses the impact assessment framework provided by ISO16439:2014 Methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries.

If the professional associations supporting the profession are to become sustainable we need to understand the difference they make to the individual members of the profession, to the employers of those individuals and to the profession of librarianship. This study applies the framework provided by ISO 16439:2014 to the national library association environment to explore and gather evidence of impact. To align with the ISO model, impact is differentiated into impact on individuals; social impact – institution (library or employing organization); and social impact – community (the profession). Preliminary findings show evidence of impact in all categories.

Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews that were conducted with members of national library associations in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA during the third quarter of 2013.

This study contributes to research methodologies by testing the use of a qualitative assessment tool in a way that could be transferable to other associations both within and external to the library environment and to enable it to be adapted more broadly for other purposes within the library and information environment.

This paper aims to summarise a literature review undertaken to determine whether or not information taxonomy work, as a specific activity within the broader field of knowledge organisation system construction, can usefully be compared to a process of scientific enquiry. The theories of objectivity and subjectivity proposed by Helen Longino are considered, to determine their relevance to taxonomists and classification theorists.

The review assesses and synthesises relevant best practice and theoretical literature from information science, sociology of science, and related disciplines, including linguistics, epistemology, and psychology.

Although requirements of objectivity in science and in taxonomy work differ significantly, the achievement of consensus within communities is similar. This warrants development of Longino's theories for application to taxonomy work.

The potentially relevant literature represents too vast and diverse a body of scholarship for comprehensive review of every area, so a synthetic interdisciplinary approach has been taken, highlighting aspects worthy of further investigation.

Subjectivity and objectivity are deemed significant for information taxonomists, especially regarding usability and accessibility of systems, while the sociology of science provides frameworks that could be adapted to offer methods of assessing the subjectivity and objectivity of taxonomies. This suggests much potential for developing Longino's theories into a framework or set of heuristics for taxonomy practitioners.

Current literature on taxonomy work, as distinct from classification, categorisation, and similar topics within the broader knowledge organisation field, is scant, and academic and interdisciplinary approaches scarce. Relating the sociology of science to information taxonomy work is a novel approach. By exposing this relationship, a starting point is provided for researchers who wish to develop understanding of these fields and theoretical understanding of taxonomies and professional best practice is enhanced.