Developing performance evaluation criteria for public library facilities using Delphi and analytic hierarchy process

This study sought to develop a comprehensive framework for evaluating public library facility performance, the importance of which has increased as libraries transition from traditional material lending spaces to complex cultural centers. However, systematic criteria for holistic measurement of facility performance beyond simple quantitative indicators have yet to be developed. Hence, this study adopted a sequential mixed-method approach to identify preliminary evaluation indicators through extensive literature review. These indicators then underwent refinement through a two-round Delphi survey with 32 architecture, interior design, and library facility management experts. Afterward, final evaluation criteria were prioritized using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine each indicator’s relative importance. The resulting framework consisted of 4 major evaluation areas (financial, service, physical environment, and community), 16 subevaluation areas, and 56 specific evaluation indicators. AHP analysis identified physical environment as the most important major area (weight = 0.3989), followed by financial (0.2118), service (0.1997), and community (0.1896). Within subevaluation areas, financial efficiency, community accessibility, and service satisfaction emerged as top priorities. This evaluation framework promotes balanced perspective integrating financial efficiency, user satisfaction, community connectivity, and physical environment quality and offering practical guidance for library administrators, architects, and policymakers in planning, designing, operating, and evaluating public library facilities.