Under New Management : Developing a Library Assessment Program at a Small Public University Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical Assessment Seattle, WA: Aug. 4 -6, 2008
Karen Jensen Collection Development Officer • karen. jensen@uaf. edu Anne Christie Bio. Sciences Librarian • anne. christie@uaf. edu
Contents • Overview of UAF • Planning an assessment program – Why, what, who and how • User surveys – Planning, marketing, implementing, results • Action items • Recommendations for user surveys
University of Alaska Fairbanks
UAF Libraries http: //library. uaf. edu • 65 library employees, including 13 librarians • $2, 110, 000 materials budget • Specialties: Alaska and Polar Regions collections • Unique content products: – – Alaska Digital Archives Alaska and Polar Periodical Index Project Jukebox Wenger Eskimo Database • Library Science 101 required for all undergraduates
Planning a new assessment program – why? • New library and university leadership • Change in library service methods • Need for fresh, relevant user and collection data • Goal of aligning spending and staffing with priorities • Timing – – – Budget picture changing New University of Alaska Fairbanks Strategic Plan Last library-wide strategic plan: 2001 Last comprehensive patron survey: 1995 Need for new library plan and data to guide it
Planning a new assessment program – what? • Data-centered decisions – exploring ways of gathering and using data • More measurable outcomes • Need for “performance measures” to satisfy funders
Library Assessment: Data-Centered Decision-Making Collection Analysis Circ Data Analyzed By Subject Electronic Resources User Surveys Planning Mmgt Resources Reference Instruction ILL Data Journal Citation Reports Gate Counts
Building the assessment program: who and how? • Library Assessment Task Force Librarians from: – Collection development and patron services – Library science instruction – Reference – Outreach • Taskforce charge: gather user feedback – Method: meetings, tasks, library wiki
Building the assessment program: who and how? (2) • Constraints – Minimal funding for survey research – No additional staffing for survey administration and analysis
Planning the survey • Content – Campus-wide surveys of faculty and students – Survey topics • Logistics – Easy to distribute – Easy for users to respond – Easy to analyze – Easy to repeat – Timeline short
Choosing a survey instrument • University of Washington Libraries Assessment: Field tested • Choosing a survey tool • Past success with online survey response using incentives • “Survey Monkey”
Preparing the survey • Timeline • Question adaptation • Question scoring • Testing • IRB • Budget
Getting the word out • Encouraging participation - University administration, including Provost, Deans, Directors - Faculty Senate - Graduate School - Student government association • Advertising • Incentive prizes
Implementing the survey • Email distribution via Computing Dept listservs • Web page links • Response rates – Faculty – 25% (243/943) – Grad students – 19% (143/750) – Undergrads – 8% (431/5086)
Compiling results - library • Aggregate results posted to library web page and staff wiki • Comments distributed to service areas: Interlibrary Loan, Circulation, Media, Reference • Comments for collection managers, Library Science head, analyzed to create action items • Detail results possible, need for patron privacy
Communicating results to campus • Summary reports for specific administration and governance groups • • Research Working Group Graduate School Provost Deans and Directors Student Leadership Faculty Governance Group- Faculty Senate Summaries posted to web site Promotion for Fall, 2008 – Student newspaper ads, staff newsletter, etc.
Analyzing results • Analysis – Further analysis needed – Follow-up with nonparticipants needed • Surprises • Key findings
Selecting action items • Number of responses • Time and effort • Library control
Taking action • Collection development - Electronic content - Specific subjects • Service-related issues • Library space • Strategic plan - Reference review - LS 101 - Institutional repository
Looking to the future • • • Revising survey Refining distribution methods Reassessing our marketing strategy Analyzing results Managing the surveys
Starting an assessment program: recommendations • Consider purpose • Assess local funding, expertise, time • Research survey tools • Examine campus communication options • Get buy-in and input from all library staff • Plan, plan
Thank you. Questions?
Скачать презентацию Under New Management Developing a Library Assessment
cb338461759dd40ac217266805be7c4d.ppt