Using Operation Research Models to Evaluate Libraries & Knowledge Institutions Efficiency: A Study on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Model

Many international, regional and nationals’ key performance indicators have developed as one of the most means to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of libraries.
But, despite its strength and ability to prove the quality, effectiveness, strength and efficiency of activities and services, it still has shortcomings, where it belongs to category of measures known as single factor productivity measures, which it means that measuring the efficiency & effectiveness for each activity is done by individually, without showing the effect of one activity on another, which leads to show library as efficient in one activity and inefficient in another, that is lead to no clear picture of effectiveness and efficiency level to whole library.
The study aims mainly, to clarify the role of operations research models for evaluating fully efficiency of libraries as considered one of non-profit institution, that will be done by depending on a one of linear programming models, which is known as the Data Envelopment Analysis model (DEA), that measures the relative efficiency of libraries and determine Score and weight for completely library efficiency.This study based on analytical descriptive approach, with consideration applied side of this model. The most critical result was the ability of Data Envelopment Analysis model to measure the efficiency of libraries in a quantitative manner, by Investigate the libraries ability's to using their inputs to generating services and outputs.This ability has been expressed by a quantitative value to checking Library’s status by comparison it with peers and determining whether it is efficient or inefficient.