1. Reaction to the Panel Stephen Town, Director of Library & Archives, University of York UK

2. Gibbons, S. (2008) Counting rather than thinking Which way up is good? Libraries designed to match patrons behavior Finished capable products and services Unique communities & local accountability

3. Luce, R. (2008) New connected world Strategy and systems Change for improvement Passionate hedgehogs Competitive quality and value Benchmarking process data lacking Missing measures for the complete system Fanatical commitment

4. Wilson, B. (2008) Accelerating relevance Ambition for the soul Convenience trumps quality Assessment the fuel for relevance Meaningful measures Compelling storytelling Assessment in the blood

5. If we stay ahead of the game in assessment, we have a chance of controlling the future agenda, not just of assessment but of our continued existence… but to do that we need frameworks and models which reflect our values and aspirations (meta- assessment?)

6. Challenges and values I like … Living in interesting times Being in education Developing people Being curious Listening Being creative Squeezing out agility But most of all I like service above accountancy, management, planning, and technology

7. Challenges and values I dont like … Dumbing down – Reducing value in pursuit of efficiency – Failing to measure our most special and niche attributes – Simple-minded reductionism – Failing to understand behavior Avoiding strategic opportunities and value propositions for short term expediency Speeding up for the sake of it – The Slow movement? Being defensive about what we are – Carving our own niche and earning respect – Comfort zones within traditional boundaries

8. In summary …

9. Future of Assessment What story (narrative) are we to tell about our impact and worth in the digital age? Intimacy with our users Engagement with our communities The key measure will be the degree to which our services play a part in the lifeflows/workflows of our users; all other assessment will be subordinate to achieving and describing a utopian learning experience