Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sing A Song Of Sixpence: The Birds We Found In The Web-Scale Discovery Pie, Sarah Fabian, Susann Devries, Sara Memmott

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2012

The use of the web-scale discovery product Summon has changed the ways in which EMU librarians provide research instruction to students, from beginner to graduate. Librarians were pleasantly surprised to realize that they could spend more time focusing on making sense of academic sources and less time teaching database-specific searching tips. This has strengthened instruction librarians’ emphasis on evaluation of sources in all instruction sessions, regardless of whether they involve the use of Summon. Presenters will also discuss user feedback and the other benefits and challenges of using a web-scale discovery product.

A Gateway To Outcomes Assessment: Collaborating On A Multi-Session Library Instruction Program, Jennifer Hatleberg, Niyati Pandya

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2012

The Gateway to College (GtC) program at Montgomery College serves at-risk high school students who complete their high school diploma requirements while simultaneously earning college credit.

In Fall 2010, the GtC Program Director, faculty, and instruction librarians launched a semester-long library instruction program. Librarians worked closely with faculty to design six two-hour sessions for GtC students, aligning ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards with the course’s theme and assignments. The program has been repeated each semester, and expanded to all three campuses. In this presentation, we will share details about our collaboration and the resulting opportunities for evaluating student learning outcomes.

Fun Assessment: How To Embed Evaluation With Educational Games, Mary J. Snyder Broussard, Theresa R. Mcdevitt

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2012

Most librarians, and indeed students, tremble at the very mention of the dreaded word “assessment.” This does not have to be the case. When assessment is non-threatening and strategically placed to provide needed feedback, it can be pleasant, rewarding and improve learning outcomes. Many educational games have built-in assessment that turns evaluation into fun. This session will look at specific examples used at two Pennsylvania academic libraries where games help instructional librarians ensure that students are accomplishing what the activity requires and assess student learning. Come to this session prepared to play!

From Prix Fixe To A La Carte: Using Lesson Study To Collaborate With Faculty In Customizing Information Literacy, Eric Jennings, Hans Kishel, Jill Markgraf

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2012

The one-shot, prix fixe library instruction session has long been the reality for many information literacy programs. Learn how one library used lesson study, a collaborative process of planning, observing and assessing a single lesson, to put in motion ongoing collaboration with faculty across several disciplines. Through the collaborative process of redesigning a single lesson, librarians and teaching faculty confronted their respective expectations for and challenges in providing library instruction, and ignited the interest of faculty from English, nursing and the sciences. Through work with a variety of faculty, librarians learned that a single instruction model does not work for …

What Does Your Repository Do? Measuring And Calculating Impact, Margaret Heller

University Libraries: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A multifaceted approach at understanding the impact of institutional repositories using both quantitative and qualitative processes, particularly with regards to alignment with institutional mission.

Write Together: Assessing Writing Center Data For Library Collaboration, Heidi Gauder, Hector Escobar

Roesch Library Faculty Presentations

Two academic support units, the library and the writing center, will be co-located on the library’s first floor starting Fall 2014. With a mandate to integrate services, the library was particularly interested in learning how the writing center addressed the evaluation, integration and attribution of sources, tasks similar to the work of reference librarians. Learn how we analyzed the writing center’s consultant reports in order to gain a deeper understanding of their work and prepare for a more effective service integration.

The Book Vs. E-Book: E-Book Survey Report, Susan R. Silverman

Dacus Library Faculty Publications

During the Spring Semester 2014 at Winthrop University an E-book survey was administered to Winthrop faculty, staff, and students. The objectives of the survey were (1) to inform the patrons that the library does have e-books available to them, (2) to ascertain if they have used any of the e-books for their research, (3) to determine which format, print or e-book, is their primary preference and (4) which format do they think is most important as part of the permanent library collection. The results, including comments from the faculty, staff and students, were compiled and are presented in this paper.

Integrated Service Spaces: New Ways Of Assessing Collaboration., Hector Escobar, Heidi Gauder

Roesch Library Faculty Presentations

Many academic libraries have participated in the growing trend in creating unified service desks, where users visit one desk to get help from a variety of library and other campus services. The University of Dayton’s Roesch Library, however, is exploring a different model. It is piloting a service that lends itself to true integration with external departments. Although unified service desks offer the convenience of one-stop assistance, the various units may still act as silos. Service integration facilitates better cross-training and less confusion for students who may need multiple forms of help in one common area.

The library began to …

What Do Students Learn From Participation In An Undergraduate Research Journal? Results Of An Assessment, Sharon A. Weiner

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Like an increasing number of academic libraries, Purdue University Libraries provides publishing support services to the Purdue community. In 2009, Purdue University Press had recently been moved into the Libraries, and there was enthusiasm about exploring new relationships which could combine the publishing skills of the Press with use of Purdue e-Pubs, the institutional repository platform that also featured powerful publishing features. Publishing an undergraduate research journal was particularly appealing because it connected the scholarly communication program of the Libraries with strategic goals around information literacy. There is evidence that undergraduate students benefit from engaging in research experiences, and writing …

Using Assessment To Leverage Collaboration With The Campus Writing Center, Heidi Gauder, Hector Escobar

Roesch Library Faculty Presentations

Purpose

Like many academic libraries, the University of Dayton’s Roesch Library houses a writing center. Currently located on the Library’s 2nd floor, it will soon move and become integrated with the library’s reference service. Since the writing center operates independently from the library (e.g., it is staffed by students and reports to different campus administrators), the library reference team, comprised of tenure-line faculty librarians, wanted to better understand writing center services. Given that research and writing are often intertwined, the library was particularly interested in learning how the writing center addressed the evaluation, integration and attribution of sources, tasks similar …

What Does Your Repository Do?: Understanding And Calculating Impact, Margaret Heller

University Libraries: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Librarians working in scholarly communications need to understand how to calculate and explain how including work in a repository affects its impact. This presentation describes the current state of research and practice into metrics for repositories including traditional metrics and newer alternative metrics, and some preliminary results of a research study assessing the usage and impact of a Digital Commons repository.

Why Can't They Keep The Book Longer And Do We Really Need To Charge Fines? Assessing Circulation Policies At The Harold B. Lee Library: A Case Study, Duane E Wilson

Faculty Publications

In response to a charge from the library administration, the Circulation Committee of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University designed and implemented a thorough assessment of circulation policies. Using multiple assessment methods including surveys, focus groups, and statistical analysis, the committee determined that the undergraduate checkout period was not sufficient and that the fine structure needed to change. Using the information obtained through the assessment, they were able to successfully lobby for an extension to the undergraduate checkout period and for the elimination of fines for regular overdue materials.

Utilizing Building Usage Assessment: Determining Deployment Of Student Workers In An Academic Library, Ryan F. Buller

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

Generating, collecting, and analyzing building usage statistics can greatly increase the ability of an access services unit to meet the changing dynamic of patron needs in an academic library. By analyzing three different data points, the Access Services Unit in Malpass Library at Western Illinois University was able to determine the most effective and efficient way to deploy the student workforce to meet the demonstrated needs of the patron population throughout the day. This article will examine those data points and how they were analyzed in order to improve the services provided by the Access Services Unit.

Assessing Hands-On Learning In Special Collections: A Pilot Study, Sarah M. Horowitz, Stefanie R. Bluemle, Ellen Hay, Mark Salisbury

Library and Information Science: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

This Assessment in Action project addressed the effect of using original primary materials on first-year students’ information literacy (IL) and critical thinking skills. IL and critical thinking are among Augustana College’s college-wide student learning outcomes. More than 25% of Augustana first-years use Special Collections each year, yet we had little data on how this affected student learning. The study evaluated a worksheet given as a pre- and post-test around class visits to work in Special Collections, and papers by students who did and did not visit Special Collections with class.

Information Literacy Instruction And Assessment : A Collaborate Design, Carlos Arguelles

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Library Resource Utilization On Undergraduate Students' Academic Performance: A Propensity Score Matching Design, Felly Chiteng Kot, Jennifer Jones

University Library Faculty Publications

This study uses three cohorts of first-time, full-time undergraduate students (N=8,652) at a large, metropolitan, public research university to examine the impact of student use of three library resources (workstations, study rooms, and research clinics) on academic performance. To deal with self-selection bias and estimate this impact more accurately, we used propensity score matching. Using this unique approach allowed us to construct treatment and control groups with similar background characteristics. We found that using a given library resource was associated with a small, but also meaningful, gain in first-term grade point average, net of other factors.

The Art Of Discovery: Helping Students Find Inspiration In Unlikely Places, Kelly Grey Carlisle, Anne Jumonville Graf

Library Faculty Research

How can an "old space" like Special Collections be repurposed to meet evolving information literacy learning goals? This presentation will address ways in which a traditional library space can be reimagined as a place to engage students in affective learning at the beginning of the research process. By crafting activities for students that emphasize exploration and open-ended discovery, librarians and faculty can help students slow down and approach research more creatively. In the session, we (two librarians and a teaching faculty member) will share specific outcomes, activities, and the results of our assessments.

Participants will:

• Understand the importance of affective …

The Academic Library And High-Impact Practices For Student Retention: Perspectives Of Library Deans, Adam L. Murray

Dissertations

Dramatic declines in state appropriations for postsecondary education, the rise of performance-based funding models, and limitations on tuition increases have resulted in a focus on student retention as a matter of importance to institutions of higher education. Concomitantly, academic libraries face changes in service models brought about by technology and the rising costs of providing access to an ever-expanding field of literature required by academic programs and faculty. The value proposition of the academic library is reduced in the face of budget interests that impact recruitment and retention. Many researchers and university leaders have called on academic libraries to develop …

Making Electronic Databases Functional On The Library Website: A Practical Approach, Kanu A. Nagra

Publications and Research

This paper presents a process on making electronic databases functional on the library website for on and off campus access for optimum use. It covers the steps after the price, license terms and conditions are finalized between library and vendor and the decision is made by library and subject experts to subscribe or purchase the database. The operational workflow steps can be challenging for new professionals when implementing it for the first time. The step by step approach provided in this paper is meant to help new professionals in strategic planning, organizing the structure and management of library databases provision, …

Beyond Satisfaction: Understanding And Promoting The Instructor-Librarian Relationship, Margaret Bausman, Sarah Laleman Ward, John Pell

Publications and Research

This article reports upon the assessment and research activities undertaken by a research group of faculty librarians at Hunter College regarding the perceptions, awareness, and usage of library services by non-librarian faculty members. Given the initial directive to measure faculty satisfaction with library services, the research group developed an ongoing action-research protocol to pursue more meaningful assessments of faculty awareness and use of library services and resources. The researchers employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, gathering data through informal information groups with faculty members and through an online survey measuring faculty awareness of library resources and services (Faculty Awareness of …

Beyond Search: Information Literacy, Special Collections, And The First Year, Stefanie R. Bluemle, Sarah M. Horowitz

Library and Information Science: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

Recent research in information literacy (IL) suggests librarians should shift the emphasis of IL instruction toward higher-level concepts rather than search mechanics. This session describes how the Augustana library drew upon the results of local assessments and national research to re-imagine its first-year learning outcomes so as to focus on higher-level skills and recognize the importance of special collections in teaching IL in the college’s required first-year sequence. We address transforming IL pedagogy throughout the library as well as designing special collections as a hands-on learning laboratory.

Assessment Strategies For Technical Services (Presentation), Rebecca L. Mugridge, Nancy M. Poehlmann

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This presentation describes a number of qualitative assessment practices that can help technical services managers assess their effectiveness. Strategies include process improvement initiatives, customer service surveys, focus groups, benchmarking, and more.

Technical Services And Library Systems Customer Service Assessment, Rebecca L. Mugridge, Nancy M. Poehlmann, Kate Latal, Wendy L. West, Michael J. Sweeney

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

This survey instrument was developed to gauge internal customer satisfaction with the services offered by the University at Albany Libraries Technical Services and Library Systems Division.

Pda, Ebooks, Print Books Usage And Expenditures: Knowledge Ecosystem Remix, Antje Mays

Dacus Library Faculty Publications

This article presents data-rich findings of a comprehensive follow-up study on the patron-driven/demand-driven ebook acquisitions (DDA) plan chronicled in two prior articles from the DDA ebook plan's October 2011 inception. Into the third fiscal year, print vs. ebook usage preferences have begun to emerge, and the results broken out by discipline are presented.

The Dimensions Of Library Service Quality: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Libqual+ Instrument, Jody Condit Fagan

Libraries

The LibQUAL + instrument has been widely adopted by libraries to evaluate user perceptions of library service quality. Studies combining groups (e.g., Lane et al., 2012) have shown high correlations between two factors, suggesting the possibility that a two-factor model may fit as well as the three-factor model theorized by the developers. Also, previous studies have not closely examined residuals to analyze local misfit in the context of theory but instead have often correlated error terms to improve model fit. This study uses LibQUAL + responses from undergraduates at a public, comprehensive university to test three-factor, two-factor, and one-factor models …

The Suitability Of Web Analytics Key Performance Indicators In The Academic Library Environment, Jody C. Fagan

Libraries

As the demand for library assessment grows, academic libraries are becoming more interested in Web analytics. Data are automatically gathered and provide information about a wide variety of online interactions. Libraries have long used simple counts such as visits and page views, but have more recently begun to choose strategic benchmarks, also known as key performance indicators (KPIs). Many common KPIs were created for commercial websites and are challenging to adapt for libraries. However, the underlying concepts are sufficiently valuable that libraries should explore their use. By evaluating the validity of web metrics, libraries can further the development of standards …

The Role Of Faculty Autonomy In A Course-Integrated Information Literacy Program, Anne Jumonville

Library Faculty Research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the significance of faculty autonomy in sustaining a successful information literacy program.

Design/methodology/approach – Faculty members were given the opportunity to create courses that integrated and assessed information literacy as part of a course grant program associated with an institutional assessment mandate. This case study analyzes course grant proposals, course assessment methods and results. It also presents results of a follow-up survey of faculty participants to see if they continued to integrate information literacy in other courses. Results are situated in the context of self-determination theory to better understand the …

Situating Information Literacy Within The Curriculum: Using A Rubric To Shape A Program, Heather Tompkins, Iris Jastram, Danya Leebaw

Library Staff Publications

Rubrics are a rapidly growing subfield of information literacy assessment, providing a powerful tool for understanding student learning. This paper explores the role that the creation and application of an information literacy rubric can play in program development. Because of the Information Literacy in Student Writing assessment project at Carleton College, opportunities for information literacy instruction have open up, we have begun the long process of arriving at a shared understanding of information literacy on campus, and our information literacy program is better integrated with campus-wide goals.

Role Of A Required Information Literacy Competency Exam In The First College Year, Kathy E. Clarke

Libraries

James Madison University has had required information literacy competency exam situated within the first year of University’s General Education Program for over a decade. This test, previously the Information Seeking Skills Test (ISST) and now, Madison Research Essentials Skills Test (MREST) is directly mapped to the Association for College & Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education. For many years, the only data regularly gathered noted if the students were passing, passing at the advanced level or not, and how the students performed on each objective. With this paper, the author explains how the test data is currently …

Purposeful And Repeated Use Of Standardized Assessment Of Information Literacy: A Case Study At A U.S. Private Liberal-Arts University, Carolyn J. Radcliff, Kevin Ross

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

Chapman University is a private medium-sized liberal arts university located in Orange, California. With aspirations of national prominence, Chapman University is poised to enter the national stage in the United States and the university library will play an important role in this endeavor. One way that the library has demonstrated this commitment has been to create a scaffolded information literacy program that encourages lifelong-learning and provides instruction to our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.

A crucial element of any highly effective information literacy program is a diversified approach to assessment. The Leatherby Libraries sought out new ways to assess our …