Based on a review of literature on evalution of public activities and in purpose to introduce a more general framework, this study describes a picture of the concept, context, motives, strategies, use and actors in Evaluation as these are experienced outside the field of library and information. The background is the increased need for" evaluations in public libaries and a need for new LIS knowledge about it. The reviewed literature has its origin in different disciplinary contexts and the study include contributions from policy studies, sociologi, education research, business administration, philosophy and anthropology. The focus, though, is not placed upon differences in the literature but on similarities. The review is organised in six parts. In the first part a presentation is given of how evaluations are conceptualized and its meaning in a historical perspective. In the second the focus is upon the context of public descision making, implementation and public programming. Different · purpuses of evaluation is discussed in the third part followed by a description of strategies and models in the fourth. Issues of evaluation use is discussed in part five and finally is a presentation of those actors of particular-importance in evaluations given in part six. In the reviewed literature the -author finds some general patterns, who are assembled and described in a comprehensive discussion. In the contusion some claimes are made about the nature of evaluation. One claim is that evaluations are of great complexity and given several functions. This complexity is explained by the fact that evaluative activities are of increased concern and importence for numeorous actors and their relevance for many fields of practice. Future research is suggested to focus on the role of evaluation in the perspective of politicaland adminstrative governance, program change and development, scientific knowledge and in the perspective of negotiations and communication in social and political conflicts.