Under New Management : Developing a Library Assessment Program at a Small Public University Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical Assessment Seattle, WA: Aug. 4-6, 2008

Karen Jensen Collection Development Officer Anne Christie BioSciences Librarian

Contents Overview of UAF Planning an assessment program –Why, what, who and how User surveys –Planning, marketing, implementing, results Action items Recommendations for user surveys

University of Alaska Fairbanks

UAF Libraries library employees, including 13 librarians $2,110,000 materials budget Specialties: Alaska and Polar Regions collections Unique content products: –Alaska Digital Archives –Alaska and Polar Periodical Index –Project Jukebox –Wenger Eskimo Database Library Science 101 required for all undergraduates

Planning a new assessment program – why? New library and university leadership Change in library service methods Need for fresh, relevant user and collection data Goal of aligning spending and staffing with priorities Timing –Budget picture changing –New University of Alaska Fairbanks Strategic Plan –Last library-wide strategic plan: 2001 –Last comprehensive patron survey: 1995 –Need for new library plan and data to guide it

Planning a new assessment program – what? Data-centered decisions – exploring ways of gathering and using data More measurable outcomes Need for performance measures to satisfy funders

Library Assessment: Data-Centered Decision-Making Planning Mmgt Resources Electronic Resources Use User Surveys ReferenceInstruction Gate Counts Journal Citation Reports ILL Data Circ Data Analyzed By Subject Collection Analysis

Building the assessment program: who and how? Library Assessment Task Force Librarians from: –Collection development and patron services –Library science instruction –Reference –Outreach Taskforce charge: gather user feedback –Method: meetings, tasks, library wiki

Building the assessment program: who and how? (2) Constraints –Minimal funding for survey research –No additional staffing for survey administration and analysis

Planning the survey Content –Campus-wide surveys of faculty and students –Survey topics Logistics –Easy to distribute –Easy for users to respond –Easy to analyze –Easy to repeat –Timeline short

Choosing a survey Choosing a survey instrument University of Washington Libraries Assessment: Field tested Choosing a survey tool Past success with online survey response using incentives Survey Monkey

Preparing the survey Timeline Question adaptation Question scoring Testing IRB Budget

Getting the word out Encouraging participation -University administration, including Provost, Deans, Directors -Faculty Senate -Graduate School -Student government association Advertising Incentive prizes

Implementing the survey distribution via Computing Dept listservs Web page links Response rates –Faculty – 25% (243/943) –Grad students – 19% (143/750) –Undergrads – 8% (431/5086)

Compiling results - library Aggregate results posted to library web page and staff wiki Comments distributed to service areas: Interlibrary Loan, Circulation, Media, Reference Comments for collection managers, Library Science head, analyzed to create action items Detail results possible, need for patron privacy

Communicating results to campus Summary reports for specific administration and governance groups Research Working Group Graduate School Provost Deans and Directors Student Leadership Faculty Governance Group- Faculty Senate Summaries posted to web site Promotion for Fall, 2008 – Student newspaper ads, staff newsletter, etc.

Analyzing results Analysis –Further analysis needed –Follow-up with non- participants needed Surprises Key findings

Selecting action items Number of responses Time and effort Library control

Taking action Collection development -Electronic content -Specific subjects Service-related issues Library space Strategic plan - Reference review - LS101 - Institutional repository

Looking to the future Revising survey Refining distribution methods Reassessing our marketing strategy Analyzing results Managing the surveys

Starting an assessment program: recommendations Consider purpose Assess local funding, expertise, time Research survey tools Examine campus communication options Get buy-in and input from all library staff Plan, plan, plan

Thank you. Questions?