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Lecture on assessment librarianship for Pratt School of Information and Library Science
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Library Assessment
Jennifer RutnerProgram Coordinator for Marketing and Assessment
Columbia University Libraries
Assessment & Marketing Librarian
BA in Religious Studies, 2002
Techie/design backgroundMLS from Pratt, 2005
“To assess, in general, is to determine the importance, size, or value of; to evaluate. Library staff assess operations by collecting, interpreting, and using data to make decisions and improve customer service.”
ARL Spec Kit #303, Library Assessment, December 2007
culture of assessment
• A Culture of Assessment is an organizational environment in which decisions are based on facts, research and analysis, and where services are planned and delivered in ways that maximize positive outcomes and impacts for library clients.
• A Culture of Assessment exists in organizations where staff care to know what results they produce and how those results relate to customer expectations.
Amos Lakos: www.usc.edu/.../locations/leavey/news/conference/presentations/presentations_9-16/Assessment/UCLA_Lakos.ppt
why assess?• Desire to know more about your
customers• Investigation of possible new library
services or resources• Desire to know more about your
processes• Need to reallocate library resources• Accreditation• Address accountability
requirements from your parent organization
ARL Spec Kit #303, Library Assessment, December 2007
why assess?
effective assessment
1. Library leadership2. Customer-centered library staff
Keys to Effective, Sustainable, and Practical AssessmentSteve Hiller, Martha Kyrillidou, and Jim Self http://www.arl.org/arldocs/stats/statsevents/laconf/2006/HillerSelf.ppt
assessment librarian
“Assessment Librarian”“Assessment Coordinator”
“Process Improvement Specialist”
“Director of Planning, Assessment, and Research”
“Director of Management Information Services”
assessment librarian• Understands libraries• Standing and established relationships within
the organization• Customer-centered/advocate for customers• Passionate about quality service and
assessment• Time to do assessment• Questioning/skeptical• Willingness to learn• Advocate for best practices
Keys to Effective, Sustainable, and Practical AssessmentSteve Hiller, Martha Kyrillidou, and Jim Self http://www.arl.org/arldocs/stats/statsevents/laconf/2006/HillerSelf.ppt
assessment librarian
• Analyzes, interprets, reports on data• Advises staff on assessment projects• Conducts assessments• Coordinates assessment projects• Coordinates the collection of data throughout
the library• Submits external surveys• Fills requests for library data• Provides training on assessment topics• Participates in strategic planning processes• Works with units throughout the library
assessment tools
• Surveys• Focus groups• Interviews• Observational studies• Usability studies• Balanced score card• Collection use tools• Anthropological
methods
LibQual+ Surveywww.libqual.org
“22 questions and a box”Affect of ServiceInformation ControlLibrary as PlaceComments?
assessment @ CUL
CUL Assessment Plan
Digital Humanities CenterVirtual Reference
AssessmentE-resources Use Data
user research methodology
Digital Humanities Center User Needs Assessment– Survey to four sample populations:
• Graduate students in history and humanities• Undergraduate history and humanities majors• Butler Library Users• Electronic Text Service Users
– Focus groups– Faculty interviews– Data analysis
assessment process
Analysis, presentation, applicationConduct assessmentMethodologyPrioritiesInformation needs (unknowns)Available information (knowns)Environmental scan
challenges• Lack tradition of using data for improvement• No assessment advocate within organization• Library staff lack research methodology abilities• Weak analysis and presentation of data• Inability to identify actionable data• Library “culture” is skeptical of data• Leadership does not view as priority/provide
resources• Library organizational structure is “silo-based”• Staff do not have sufficient time
Turning Results into Action: Using Assessment Information to Improve Library Performance, Steve Hiller (University of Washington) , Stephanie Wright (University of Washington)
challenges
jobs
Assessment is being incorporated into all types of librarian positions
resources• www.libraryassessment.info (blog)• Library Assessment Conference, 2007/8 Proceedings:
http://libraryassessment.org• Northumbria Conference Proceedings:
http://www.lib.sun.ac.za/Northumbria7/Programme.htm• “Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project” University of
Rochester• LibQual+ Survey Literature: www.libqual.org/Publications• ARL SPEC Kit #303 on Library Assessment, December 2007• Keys to Effective, Sustainable, and Practical Assessment
Steve Hiller, Martha Kyrillidou, and Jim Self http://www.arl.org/arldocs/stats/statsevents/laconf/2006/HillerSelf.ppt
• http://del.icio.us/jenbrown/assessment