Digital Commons Network^™

Managing With Purpose: Integrating Assessment, Planning, And Budgeting, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Assessment, planning, and budgeting are interrelated disciplines that play an important role in accomplishing a library's mission. This conference session introduces tools and concepts that will equip attendees to manage library services strategically in response to evolving customer needs and environmental conditions. Four tools—the logic model, six dimensions of assessment, the balanced scorecard, and the business model canvas—will enable managers to evaluate, plan, and communicate progress in the pursuit of mission and vision. Additionally, two concepts—opportunity cost and the principal-agent problem—will provide context for planning and budgeting decisions.

Undergraduate Library Internships And Professional Success, Clinton K. Baugess, Kathryn Martin, Katherine Mattson, Qin Zhang

All Musselman Library Staff Works

This poster reports on an assessment completed of former undergraduate library interns to explore the impact their internship had on the development of career goals, acceptance to and preparation for graduate education, and their early career. Through an online survey (n= 45) and six semi-structured telephone interviews, respondents reported a positive impact on the above areas.

Assessment Committees: Good Practices From Arl Libraries, Michelle H. Brannen, Sojourna J. Cunningham, Regina Mays

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose – Assessment activities in academic libraries continue to grow as libraries explore assessment endeavors. Ranging from basic stats gathering and reporting to surveys, focus groups, and usability studies and beyond. Many practitioners are finding it necessary to create new processes and programs, with little guidance. The purpose of this paper is to paint a broad picture of assessment activities in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) university libraries with the goal of creating a resource for libraries developing or improving their assessment programs.

Design/methodology/approach – A survey was developed that asked questions about assessment personnel, activities, mission, and website. A …

Improving Reference Service With Evidence, Bonnie R. Nelson

Publications and Research

As part of an assessment process, reference statistics in an academic library were examined over a twenty-year period and revealed steep declines in the numbers of reference questions asked. To attempt to halt or reverse this slide a number of interventions were attempted, including improved signage, outreach to patrons, and increased availability of chat reference. Increasing chat reference was clearly effective; the other interventions showed more modest success.