Building Benchmarking Peer Groups for Academic Libraries: A Cluster Analysis Approach

Academic libraries require targeted peer groups that address their unique operational contexts, as traditional university benchmarking often overlooks library-specific needs. Utilizing data from 135 research doctoral universities, the study employs factor analysis and TwoStep cluster analysis to identify 11 key performance indicators and create nine distinct clusters. These peer and aspirational groups were refined using a range of institutional characteristics. The resulting framework enables libraries to conduct precise benchmarking for strategic planning and assessment, aligning with their distinct operational goals.