Benchmarking - BLRD&D funded research at Loughborough University of Technology

Abstract

Benchmarking is a term which is being used increasingly in the media. The language and trends of the commercial world often pass into common usage in this way. The problem with the term 'benchmarking' is that it is concrete, not abstract (unlike 'quality'), so it is easier to perceive in terms of products and industry, but less easy to imagine in the context of a service environment Benchmarking smacks of industrial practice. It connotes production lines, inspection, and above all a tangible product which can easily be improved with practical results. Consequently, there are many definitions and descriptions of benchmarking. In the light of the increasing interest in the field of benchmarking, the Department of Information and Library Studies at Loughborough University is currently conducting research into the potential role of benchmarking in library and information services. The duration of the project is one year (December 1994 - December 1995), and it is funded by the British Library Research and Development Department.