A National Framework for the Assessment and Benchmarking of Digitalization Effectiveness in Sri Lankan Public Libraries

Digitalization of the public libraries is an essential indicator of institutional efficiency and service improvement, however there are no evidence-based frameworks to assess such initiatives available globally, especially in the context of developing countries. In Sri Lanka, large amounts of public money have been invested in the digitalization of libraries, but their sustainability is questionable, and some of them have ended up being underutilized or abandoned. The existing measures of digital success or benchmarking of digitalization effectiveness in public libraries are limited to the current evaluation criteria, which are based on the assessment of the Sri Lanka National Productivity Secretariat, Provincial Councils and other means, which do not fully reflect the broader aspects of the quality of services, user adoption, and sustainability. 
The paper presents a unique, context-specific national model to assess and rank the benchmarking of digitalization effectiveness of Sri Lankan public libraries-filling a significant gap in the international library literature. The research methodology was a combination of secondary analysis of guidelines and manuals, structured interviews of librarians of digitized public libraries, and a focused literature review. Based on the existing evaluation models, namely the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model, SERVQUAL, Unified Theory of Acceptance & Use of Technology (UTAUT), and ICTA Digital Maturity Model the study combined the strengths of these models into a tailored model. The resulting 100-point scoring system assesses libraries on weighted areas such as technological infrastructure, service quality, user engagement, and sustainability, with each indicator having a particular point value depending on its relative significance. 
The suggested framework contributes to the academic debate on the assessment of digital libraries and can be used as a policy instrument. It facilitates evidence-based funding, transparency, and helps libraries to know where to improve. It is specifically designed to be relevant to the unique public library ecosystem in Sri Lanka, and to provide a replicable model to other developing countries .