Library and Information Science Commons^™

Beyond Efficiency: An Impact Assessment Of The Uc Guidelines For Efficient Processing, Laurel Mcphee, Kate Dundon, Courtney Dean, Elvia Arroyo-Ramírez, Audra Eagle Yun

Journal of Western Archives

The Guidelines for Efficient Archival Processing in the University of California Libraries established shared principles and recommendations for increased processing efficiency in archives and special collections in the UC system. Since its publication in 2012, the Guidelines has become an influential resource for archival workflows nationwide. In this paper, the authors evaluate the Guidelines' impact over time on backlogs, collection management policy, and day-to-day archival practices across the UC libraries by assessing collections, processing practices, and staffing levels.

Sacscoc In Libraries, Julene L. Jones, Kathleen Bell

Library Presentations

In this webinar, two Assessment Librarians describe SACSCOC Library standards 11.1-11.3 as well as the narratives and evidentiary documents they compiled for their institutions' 2022 and 2023 reaffirmation processes. Slides also available at http://www.aserl.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/SACSCOC-in-Libraries.pdf

Redesigning Program Assessment For Teaching With Primary Sources: Understanding The Impacts Of Our Work, Jen Hoyer, Kaitlin H. Holt, John Voiklis, Bennett Attaway, Rebecca Joy Norlander

Publications and Research

This article describes how redesigning a program’s assessment practices for teaching with primary sources (TPS) can provide a clear framework for talking about the impact of educators’ work in archives and can provide feedback on how to refine instruction practices for greater results. The authors share a description of their assessment redesign process accompanied by analysis of the implementation of our new assessment tool in the hope others will consider the design and goals of their own assessment practices. The authors’ work demonstrates that reflection on existing tools, development of new goals, and design of new assessment strategies can yield …

Perspectives And Practices: Archival Processing Metrics Survey Findings, Cyndi Shein, Sarah R. Jones, Tammi Kim, Karla Irwin

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Professional literature and case studies demonstrate that processing metrics are valuable in advocating for resources, informing priorities, supporting grant proposals, and predicting costs for collection storage and care. This article analyzes responses to an archival processing metrics survey that gathered perspectives and practices from archivists working in a variety of repository types. The findings describe how archivists collect processing metrics in different ways, what data points they view as essential, and how they use certain data points to serve specific purposes. The findings indicate that although most respondents acknowledge the value of processing metrics, the majority of them still do …

A Methodology For Implementing The Standardized Statistical Measures And Metrics For Public Services In Archival Repositories And Special Collections Libraries, Melanie Griffin

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

The Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Society for American Archivists (SAA) joint standard, Standardized Statistical Measures and Metrics for Public Services in Archival Repositories and Special Collections Libraries, provides a shared vocabulary and set of statistical measures that help archival and special collections repositories articulate their value as they share concrete evidence demonstrating the impact of their services. The standard is specifically designed to be system agnostic so that all repositories can use it. Many of the standard’s recommended measures, particularly those related to users and circulation, …

Finding Av Needles In Manuscript Haystacks: Conducting An Audiovisual Assessment/Audit In Manuscript Archives, Benjamin Harry

Journal of Western Archives

Many twentieth-century audiovisual formats are becoming obsolete or are physically degrading, warranting the need to digitally reformat this content. The first step is to expeditiously document where and what types of audiovisual materials are hidden within archival manuscript collections. This article describes the efforts of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections (LTPSC) at Brigham Young University to quickly audit manuscript collections to determine the location and format details of audiovisual materials, a crucial first step to inform decisions about personnel requirements, equipment purchases, and grant seeking to facilitate the systematic digitization of audiovisual content.

Balancing The Art And Science Of Archival Processing Metrics And Assessment, Cyndi Shein, Sarah R. Jones, Tammi Kim, Karla Irwin

Journal of Western Archives

At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) University Libraries, archival processing metrics are used to support value propositions, project proposals, project management, and strategic planning. When making data-driven decisions, UNLV Special Collections Technical Services staff strive to balance the art and science of archival processing metrics—to critically assess their data and look beyond the numbers for additional information that brings meaning to the metrics. In this research paper, the authors review processing metrics across the profession and place their own archival processing field data within the context of more than three decades of professional practice. They report and explore …

Assessing Impact Of Medium-Sized Institution Digital Cultural Heritage On Wikimedia Projects, Elizabeth Joan Kelly

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Cultural heritage institutions with digital resources, ranging from digitized collections to online finding aids, have increasingly pursued creative solutions to make their collections more open and reach more users. One strategy for increasing access to digital cultural heritage resources is the addition of links or uploaded media to the Wikimedia environment. However, existing literature detailing the process and results of such strategies centers primarily on the work of large research institutions and focuses on web analytics to show success of such projects. It is unclear if smaller institutions with niche and focused collections will see the same results as many …

Jumping In: Creating An Assessment Program For The L. Tom Perry Special Collections Reading Room, J. Gordon Daines Iii, Cindy R. Brightenburg

Journal of Western Archives

This case study describes the development and implementation of a formalized assessment program for the L. Tom Perry Special Collections reading room and reference desk. This assessment program had two principal goals: 1) to provide information to the reference staff that would help them better manage the reference desk and to improve the service provided to patrons and 2) to gather information that could be shared with curators and department leadership in order to help them make better collection management decisions. The case study looks at the kinds of statistics utilized by the department, the impact of the assessment program …

New Perspectives On Congressional Collections: A Study Of Survey And Assessment, Maurita Baldock, J. Wendel Cox

Dartmouth Library Staff Publications

Archivists have grappled with the processing and management challenges of congressional collections, but have spent less time exploring the use of these collections or their utility for research outside traditional topics and disciplines. This case study examines how two department projects produced new insights into congressional collections at an institution examining the importance of its political materials within its collection development policy. A survey of Native American collection materials led to a new understanding of the vast scholarly potential of congressional collections. Likewise, a general assessment of special collections revealed the popularity of congressional collections and the nature of their …

Altmetrics And Archives, Elizabeth Joan Kelly

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Altmetrics are an alternative to traditional measurement of the impact of published resources. While altmetrics are primarily used by researchers and institutions to measure the impact of scholarly publications online, they can also be used by archives to measure the impact of their diverse online holdings, including digitized and born-digital collections, digital exhibits, repository websites, and online finding aids. Furthermore, altmetrics may fill a need for user engagement assessments for cultural heritage organizations. This article introduces the concept of altmetrics for archives and discusses barriers to adoption, best practices for collection, and potential further areas of study.

Engaging Faculty And Reducing Costs By Leveraging Collections: A Pilot Project To Reduce Course Pack Use, Nelly Cancilla, Bobby Glushko, Stephanie Orfano, Graeme Slaght

Western Libraries Publications

INTRODUCTION Academic libraries have the privilege of serving many roles in the lives of their institutions. One role that is largely untapped is their ability to actively leverage their collections to support faculty teaching and to reduce student out-of-pocket costs by eliminating systemic double payment for course materials. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM/SERVICE This paper details a project by the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office (SCCO) at the University of Toronto that aimed to reduce this systemic double payment by leveraging collections and electronic reserves to provide a new service, the Zero-to-Low Cost Courses. Building on existing relationships with faculty, SCCO staff …

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers—Is It Working?! Meaningful Measurement Of Digital Collections, Allison Ringness

Central Plains Network for Digital Asset Management

After a digital project is completed and made available online, the work is not over: digital projects managers must quantify the value of these digital collections. There are a plethora of tools to measure usage, but inferring value from usage requires careful interpretation of the data. After interpretation, the results must be communicated effectively to administrators. This poster will identify sources of digital collection use data, identify pitfalls in these sources, explore ways to derive meaning from use data, and suggest strategies for communicating value measurements to library administrators.

This poster presentation is the first 15 minutes of video with …

Sailing Into Metrics: Rethinking And Implementing Metrics And Assessment In Archives, Amy C. Schindler

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

In 2014, SAA and RBMS appointed joint task forces to address the challenges that archival repositories face related to metrics and assessment. The task forces are drafting proposed metrics and standards, but calls for how to implement data gathering continue. This session will share case studies on the implementation of data gathering from the ground up, metrics and assessment in instruction and reference, and identifying the best and most efficient ways to quantify resources for assessment and decision making. The session will also address the transition from manual data gathering to tools like Aeon and LibInsight and the administrative outcomes …

Putting Assessment Into Action: Selected Projects From The First Cohort Of The Assessment In Action Grant, Darren Sweeper

Sprague Library Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Strategic Credibility Of Special Collections And Archives Departments, Erin Passehl-Stoddart, Rick Stoddart

Erin Passehl Stoddart

No abstract provided.

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.

Assessing The Strategic Credibility Of Special Collections And Archives, Erin Passehl, Rick Stoddart

Erin Passehl Stoddart

In this time of often precarious funding at many colleges and universities, any case that can be made to illustrate how a department strategically fits into the overall university mission is not only worth merit, but an essential survival technique. This “strategic credibility” within the university is a vital form of currency in determining institution-wide resources prioritization, collaboration opportunities between organizational units, and overall direction of departments. This poster provides a case study of academic special collections in the Northwest and examines the methods these departments use to demonstrate value to the university. This poster considers how well do special …