Digital Commons Network^™

Student Employee Learning Goals At Oregon State University Libraries, Richard A. Stoddart

Rick A Stoddart

Nuanced And Timely: Capturing Collections Feedback At Point Of Use, Jane Nichols, Richard A. Stoddart, Terry Reese

Rick A Stoddart

While libraries are using increasingly sophisticated metrics to determine electronic resources’ usefulness, impact and cost effectiveness, much of this data reflects past usage. More nuanced information is still needed to guide collection managers’ decisions about which content to purchase, borrow or deselect. To fill this gap, librarians at OSU Libraries and Press and Ohio State University Libraries are testing the utility of a pop-up survey to gather patron feedback at their point of use. By building an open-source application that inserts a survey between a citation and the full-text, librarians are better positioned to capture users’ real-time reasons for selecting …

The Possibilities Are Measurable: Evaluating Innovation, Learning, And Strategic Within Library Technology Units, Rick A. Stoddart, Evviva Weinraub

Rick A Stoddart

Objective: An essential contributor to library value is found within library systems, web services, and emerging technologies departments. Often these areas of library services are overlooked by traditional assessment measures. Assessing the impact of units engaged in library instruction, reference, and circulation are relatively well established. However, library technology departments, who provide the backbone upon which these other units rest, are significantly more difficult to gather appropriate evidence, metrics and measures of importance. Library technology departments provide essential services and expertise that certainly influence student learning, researcher productivity, and library innovation but documenting this impact remains a challenge. In order …

What Is Unique About Unique? An Assessment To Uncover And Value Distinct Collections Within The Main Library Collection, Rick A. Stoddart, Laurel Kristick, Andrea Wirth

Rick A Stoddart

Many conversations surrounding the future of libraries suggest that libraries are going to be defined by their unique collections. Often these discussions center on the distinctive collections found within a library’s special collections. However the possibility exists that within our stacks there are many unique resources that are also worth valuing, holding on to, and promoting to patrons. In these times of re-prioritizing library shelving footprints in order to create new dynamic study and learning spaces, libraries might unintentionally be dismantling distinctive collections by looking at item level use. This study will examine measures of value associated with library collections …

A Community Of Curiosity: The New Ola Library Assessment Round Table, Rick A. Stoddart

Rick A Stoddart

In February of 2013, the Oregon Library Association Executive Board approved the formation of the OLA Library Assessment Round Table (LART). This is an important first step in helping Oregon libraries continue to demonstrate impact and value to the communities they serve. As one OLA member noted in supporting the formation of this new round table, “assessment is becoming a critical component of our culture, people want to see the value of the investments they make, and assessment is one means through which people can see that.” A library assessment round table will provide a forum for Oregon librarians to …