Post on 01-Dec-2014
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SCC/MLA 2007 Albuquerque, New Mexico
Library
Assessment:
From
Accountability
to
Improvement
Introduction
•Instructors
•Agenda
•Objectives
•Attendees
Tell us:
Name
What you do
Where you work
Complete this sentence:
One year from today I will ………….
Pre-Test
Section 1: Overview
Why are we here today?
• Background
• Evaluation
• Assessmentoutputs
about
outcomes
CHANGE.
Impacts
Library Assessment
inputs
It’s
Is it evaluation or is it assessment?
Program Evaluation
• Efficiency
• Effectiveness
• Accountability
• Inputs
• Outputs
• Outcomes
• ImpactIs this Library Assessment?
How do you measure your library’s success? Is it circulation numbers? Is it the number of patrons? The number of searches of your electronic databases? – Stranton Lloyd
Outcomes Evaluation and Outcomes Assessment
Question has changed
• From What have we done to
accomplish our goals
• To What has changed as a result of
our work
Library Assessment
“Old” Measures
• Program
Evaluation
• Efficiency
• Accountability
• Statistics,
numbers, data
“New” Measures
• Quality (e.g.,
service)
• Learner
Performance
• Improvements in
Student Learning“Regardless of the specific strategy selected by the institution, assessment strategies and methods should be adapted to the unique context of the institution to produce multiple indices of quality and effectiveness….” – Hernon and Dugan, 2004
“Library assessment” is….
• Definitions
• Perspectives
• Experts
Why should we care about assessment?
• Mouse cages
• Ejournals
A Check
:-/
confused
>:/
bring it on
Break
Section II: Library Assessment in Higher Education• Primary performance indicator
• Differences among inputs, outputs,
and outcomes
Activity 1
Student Learning Outcomes and Technology
Outcomes Assessment and Service Quality
• Assessing Organizations
• Assessment Tools
• LibQUAL+
LibQUAL+™
• The LibQUAL+™ Premise
• What is service quality?
• Definition: difference between what
customers expect and their perceptions
of the service performance.
Bar Charts
2007 Core Questions Dimensions Summary
Affect of Service
Dimension
Information Control
Library as Place
4
5
6
7
8
9M
ean
Overall
Quantitative and Qualitative Elements
• LibQUAL+™ Comments
Content Analysis and Atlas.ti
• Data file,Descriptive
Statistics,Reliability, and SPSS
A Tool
“LibQUAL+™ is ‘another tool in the
box’…it complements other
information you have about service
performance and quality” (Hiller)
Note: After the Radar Chart, Steve Hiller,
2002.
Collecting statistics begins the road trip.
Defusing Statistics
Developing an Assessment Plan
Assessment Plan
Columbia University Libraries
2007 through 2009
The Assessment Cycle
Interpret Evidence
Implement ChangeIdentify Outcomes
Gather Evidence
Mission/Purposes and
Objectives
Repeat the assessment cycle after changes have been implemented.
Source: Hernon and Dugan, 2004
Obstacles to Assessment• No single model
• How do AHSL’s show impact? Improved
healthcare, reduced costs, increased access to
health information?
• Lack of adequate data-gathering systems
• Hard to compare results from disparate data
sources
• Lack of staff skills
• No support from library leadership
The Value of Information
• How do you quantify the value of
information?
• What is the return on investment
(ROI)?
• Worth Their Weight
Successful Assessment• Staff training
• Technical support and systems
• Focus on processes/services, not individuals
• Select the appropriate measures
• Realistic scope and schedules
• Senior leadership support
• Results are used in decision-making
A Culture of Assessment
• Decision based on facts, research,
and analysis
• Staff are informed about results
• Change occurs based on results
Pulling it Together
• The 21st Century Library is very different!
• User-centered libraries
• Outcomes assessment is complex
• Evaluation and assessment focus on
user/customer outcomes
• Assessment Toolbox
Do you have a culture of assessment?
By the end of this session you will be able to:• Define “culture of assessment”• Provide an example of an input, output,
impact, and outcome• Explain how assessment differs from
evaluation• List two examples of student learning
objectives• List two tools useful in library assessment• Describe two obstacles to assessment• List two elements to include in an
assessment plan• Be able to access the 2007 SCC/MLA CE
Course Ning
“The information acquired through library assessment is used in an iterative manner to improve library programs and services and make libraries responsive to the needs of their communities.” – Steve Hiller
“…accountability has shifted from ‘are we spending our money efficiently and wisely’ to ‘what difference does the library make?’” – Steve Hiller
Photo source: Charlotte Self
Thank you.
• Other resources
• URL for Ning:
http://libassess.ning.com/
• Class Evaluation
• Survey