Author Sarah Flowers has worked in public libraries, administered programs, and conducted research to gather the data necessary to evaluate teen services and programs. This book is her how-to-guide. In our current culture of business models and needs assessments, Flowers makes a strong case for the power of using data to demonstrate and support our needs.

The book describes theory, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The chapter on “Best Practices” explains how the collected data can be used, so this book is really a road map of how to conduct the research as well as what to do with the research. Overall, Evaluating Teen Services and Programs does a good job of explaining evaluation and assessment and making the case that they are necessary elements of librarianship.

Flowers shares her own experiences and provides sample data from previous evaluation projects. She makes the point that evaluation is more powerful when connected to objectives and long-term planning. In fact, the gathered data makes long-term planning more effective overall. This book is filled with examples from previous evaluations, but also provides extensive rubrics, survey forms, and other data-gathering tools for readers’ use. It truly is a how-to manual and works well as the first step for an institution just starting to gather hard data to support its needs. This book is an effective tool for librarians who need to add this element in their practice.