The Changing Face of Library Assessment

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The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Lisa Blankenship
• Megan Eberhardt Frank
• Dan Lawrence
• Sarah Naper
• Helen Reed

University of Northern Colorado
Libraries Colorado Association of Libraries
Annual Conference November 12, 2005
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University Assessment Overview
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Increased demands for accountability
• Increased demands of university and program
  accreditation
• The big picture context for Libraries
  initiatives

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University Culture of Assessment
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Began in the 1980s
• Position of Coordinator provides oversight
• Financial support
• Programmatic support
• Training opportunities
• Ongoing activities

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Website Highlights Ongoing University Initiatives
The Changing Face of Library Assessment
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University Assessment Framework
The Changing Face of Library Assessment
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Libraries Role in University Assessment
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Membership on the Assessment Coordinating Council
• Submit Assessment Plan/profiles
• Prepare assessment reports
• Receive support for conferences training
• Receive support for Libraries initiatives

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History of the Assessment Program at the UNC
Libraries
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Assessment Committee established beginning in
  1988
• First survey in 1989

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As a Result
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Emphasis on library instruction
• Improved online access
• Development of Information Commons
• Changes in food and drink policy
• Improvements in furniture and other physical
  aspects of Michener Library

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The Changing Face of Library Assessment
Survey Methods

• From 1989 to 2002, paper survey instruments
  created by Libraries faculty and staff or by UNC
  Marketing classes
• Changes in 2003

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The Changing Face of Library Assessment
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The Changing Face of Library Assessment
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The Changing Face of Library Assessment
What do you do with LibQUAL results?

• Comment analysis
• Comparison with peer institutions
• Comparison with self over time

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The Changing Face of Library Assessment
What if LibQUAL doesnt answer your questions?
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A Library Symposium
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Goal A forum in which the University community
  is invited to collaborate in developing viable
  strategies and measures for University Libraries
  to more effectively meet campus needs
• Similar to Library Summits held at Clemson
  University of Texas

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The Changing Face of Library Assessment
Palm-Pilot Surveys

• Source StudentVoice
• Benefits
• Library users non-users
• Novel and easy to use
• Anonymous
• Quick calculation of results

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The Changing Face of Library Assessment
Project SAILS
Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy
Skills
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The Changing Face of Library Assessment
Collection Assessment Activities

• OCLC Automated Collection Assessment and Analysis
• III circulation by call number
• E-resource statistics

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Secret Weapon Graduate Students
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Theses and Dissertations that contain relevant
  research
• Social Science graduate students can design,
  conduct, and analyze qualitative or quantitative
  research
• Graduate research is low to no cost for the
  institution

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UNCs Experience
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Two graduate students from the Social Sciences
  Clinical Sociology program conducted a
  qualitative follow-up to LibQUAL.
• Students worked with Library Assessment Committee
  to create a study that would meet the assessment
  needs of the library and the thesis requirements
  of the students.

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Qualitative Follow-up Method Focus Groups
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Focus GroupsWhy?
• To collect qualitative data
• To identify new variables
• Limitations
• Possibility of a biased moderator
• Labeling the moderator as an other
• Small sample size

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Conclusions Based in a Theoretical Perspective
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Graduate students base their findings within a
  theoretical perspective unique to their area of
  study. Libraries gain new fresh perspective on
  problems and solutions.
• Social Science students may use theoretical
  perspectives such as Symbolic Interaction and
  Organizational Theory.

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Future of Assessment at the University Level
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Changes as the big picture changes
• Evolving to meet demands for accountability
• Evolving to meet changing accreditation
  requirements

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Impact of Accreditation
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Higher Learning Commission Accreditation
  redefined criteria
• HLC expectation of evidence in the self-study
• Lessons learned determine future actions

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Need to Close the Loop
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Strengthen ties between outcomes and programmatic
  changes
• Communicate campus-wide the need to link
  assessment results with program enhancement
• Budgets will be tied to changes

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and Document It
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Accreditation now requires evidence kept over
  time
• University purchased TracDat, assessment
  management software
• TracDat will facilitate tracking and managing
  assessment activities by programs across the
  University

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Future of Library Assessment
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Maintain a strong and active assessment program
• Continue to integrate with University initiatives

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Closing the loop
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Library planning process and calendar
• Calendar will facilitate integration of
  assessment findings into goal setting for the
  following year
• Synchronize with University calendar for
  Assessment Reports and Program Review

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and Documenting It
The Changing Face of Library Assessment

• Libraries are a full participant in TracDat
• TracDat will provide a framework to support the
  Libraries assessment process
• TracDat will assure that the Libraries are
  represented in the big picture

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THE END
The Changing Face of Library Assessment