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